Tim Capstraw is the Nets radio analyst for WFAN and was also the analyst on NBATV's coverage of Eurobasket 2005. NetsDaily asked Tim for his thoughts on how Zoran Planinc and Nenad Krstic played for their countries, and he was kind enough to give us a summary on each.
Zoran Planinic played four games prior to turning his ankle in the beginning of the quaterfinal game that Croatia lost Spain in overtime. Zoran played the majority of his minutes at the point guard position. Like usual he showed flashes of brilliance in his ability to break down a defense with his ballhandling skills, get into the paint and use his size to score or pass. He also showed a fair amount of range going 3-7 from three-point range. Zoran had a high number of turnovers which is always a concern. Talent is not an issue for Zoran, but he must continue to improve his focus and consistency. His breakdown ability could be very useful with the amount of shooters the Nets have this season.
Nenad Krstic's team, Serbia and Montenegro suffered an incredibly disapointing loss to France in the Elimination Round in front of their home crowd and failed to make it to the Quarterfinals. Nenad had an inconsistent Eurobasket. Foul trouble was a problem at times and kept him from getting into the flow. Nenad was named MVP of a Pre Eurobasket Tournament in which he played well and has the respect of Europe based on his season with the Nets. There were no visible signs of any lingering problems with the surgery to his thumb. Nenad's talent and (just as important) attitude will make him a valuable commodity to Serbia and Montenegro's future as well as that of the Nets.