Yab and Zizic expected to come over next year.

[Boris Badenov]

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/ante-zizic-guerschon-yabusele-expected-to-play-for-boston-celtics-next-season

Not much new there, but worth taking a quick look.

Interesting that they sort of equate the levels of competition this year for Zizic and Yab. Or at least don't mention that the CBA is a level lower, which I think is the consensus around here.

[libermaniac]

Thanks for the update.  TP.

[IDreamCeltics]

Zizic will be backing up Semih Erden...?

Zizic is worse than Semih Erden... <sigh>

[Boris Badenov]

Zizic will be backing up Semih Erden...?

Zizic is worse than Semih Erden... <sigh>

My impression is that those Euro teams strongly prefer to play a stable set of veterans rather than giving development time to rookies.

It's a particular factor when they expect to have a player for only a short time (like with Zizic), as they don't feel it's valuable to work him into the system.

Others probably know more about this than I do, but that's my sense.

[saltlover]

Zizic will be backing up Semih Erden...?

Zizic is worse than Semih Erden... <sigh>

My impression is that those Euro teams strongly prefer to play a stable set of veterans rather than giving development time to rookies.

It's a particular factor when they expect to have a player for only a short time (like with Zizic), as they don't feel it's valuable to work him into the system.

Others probably know more about this than I do, but that's my sense.

Semih Erden is better than Zizic right now.  Unquestionably.  He's 30 years old, and a Turkish League All-Star 3 of the last 4 seasons.  And Erden wasn't terrible when he was here, but he was a rookie under Doc Rivers, and in a new country, so playing time was understandably limited.

But his new team only has him for the rest of the season, and they paid a reported $1.5 million for him, so you have to figure they have plans to get him on the court.

[Smartacus]

Zizic will be backing up Semih Erden...?

Zizic is worse than Semih Erden... <sigh>

Hopefully Semih won't bad mouth the city too much, Doc never really game him or especially Nenad Krstic much of a shot.

Zizic looks like twice the prospect Erden was, though it seems that Semih's become a sevicble starting caliber center for the international game. Could be a good voice in Zizic's ear.

[mmmmm]

Zizic will be backing up Semih Erden...?

Zizic is worse than Semih Erden... <sigh>

My impression is that those Euro teams strongly prefer to play a stable set of veterans rather than giving development time to rookies.

It's a particular factor when they expect to have a player for only a short time (like with Zizic), as they don't feel it's valuable to work him into the system.

Others probably know more about this than I do, but that's my sense.

You are spot on.  That is definitely the trend.

Everyone knows that Zizic will not be staying on past this season for Darussafaka.   Erden is definitely a better, more experienced player at this point so there is no reason he shouldn't be starting over Zizic.  Eden has a 25.4 PER rating so far this year.  He's been playing really well.  Plus he's a native.

Darussafaka isn't one of the dominant Euroleague teams, but they are a winning team and will be emphasizing winning over developing some youngster who's going to leave after the season.

It almost seems as if Zizic is simply a depth play for them down the stretch.   I don't know anything, of course, but it's hard to not speculate that favors are being pulled to make this happen because Ainge probably wants Zizic to get some time at the stiffer level of competition and have him work with Blatt.