Gordon Giricek

[Shabazz]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/110255

Suns to sign Giricek

Jerry Brown, Tribune
As expected Philadelphia released Gordan Giricek on Friday and the Suns will sign the 6-foot-6 Croatian guard as soon as he clears waivers on Tuesday.

No NBA team is expected to pick up Giricek’s $4 million contract that expires at the end of the season over the next two business days. Once he clears, Phoenix will sign him to a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum.

The Suns are in Portland to play the Blazers on Tuesday but the earliest date for Giricek’s debut is likely Wednesday in Denver against the Nuggets.

Philadelphia will keep Giricek’s $4 million cap slot, the main reason the Sixers acquired him with a first-round draft pick from Utah for Kyle Korver on Dec. 29 He has sat out 16 of 22 games in Philadelphia, including Wednesday’s win over Orlando.

Giricek, 29, is a 36.7 percent shooter from 3-point range in the regular season. But his eye has been much better in 24 career playoff games – when he’s shot 46.3 percent from behind the arc (19-for-41). He was even better last season, hitting 14-of-26 3-pointers (53.8 percent) in 17 playoff games with the Jazz.

Giricek doesn’t possess the playmaking skills of Brent Barry, who spurned the Suns on Thursday to remain in San Antonio with the Spurs. But he has been a good perimeter defender and was used by Utah coach Jerry Sloan against some of the opposition’s better outside shooters.

But the 6-foot-6 Croatian was traded from Utah soon after he and Sloan got into an argument on the bench during a Dec. 19 game against Charlotte. He was sent home and was away from the team for eight days before being reinstated.

Looks like it's pretty official at this point, so welcome to our newest Sun.

Here are a few questions to chew on:

1 - What can we reasonably expect from G-Squared?
2 - What does his addition mean for DJ? Skinner? Linton Johnson?
3- Why couldn't he get minutes on Utah last year when they had no one else to play the position and were desperate for outside shooting?
4 - What possible lineup combinations will be most effective? By extension, is a Nash/Raja/Giricek/Amare/Shaq lineup better than a Nash/Raja/Hill/Amare/Shaq lineup because it gives us better spacing?
5 - Assuming Giricek gets DJ's minutes, it will make us a better shooting team, but also slower, less athletic and worse defensively. Is this an acceptable trade-off? Is there room for both?



6 - How do you like the fact that I misspelled his name in the thread title?

[Shabazz]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/hollinger?playerId=273&univLogin02=stateChanged

2006-07 season: Giricek bounced back somewhat from a nightmare 2005-06, hanging on to a rotation spot in a crowded wing rotation by improving his true shooting percentage to a career-best 56.6. While his overall output remained rather mediocre, his offensive numbers actually weren't any worse than Derek Fisher's.

Giricek's numbers improved because he stopped settling for so many long 2-pointers. A year earlier more than half his shots were long 2s, but he converted many of those to 3-point tries last season. While Giricek has a reputation as a shooter, he's actually taken very few 3s over the course of his career. But that changed last year, when nearly a third of his attempts were long balls and he shattered his career high by making 42.6 percent.

He shot better on long 2s, as well, improving from 39.9 percent to 49.6 percent, and he also improved his rate of free-throw attempts. All those increases made up for a decline in shot attempts, and while they didn't offset his fairly pedestrian numbers in other categories, they were a big improvement on the year before.

Scouting report: Giricek is a good midrange shooter and is as comfortable off the dribble as he is off the catch, especially when going to his right. However, his other skills are limited. He's a shaky ballhandler and a poor finisher in the open court, and he's not great moving without the ball.

Defensively, Giricek has slow feet and tends to use his hands a lot, resulting in the 10th highest rate of fouls per minute among shooting guards. Small guards beat him off the dribble with amazing ease, and he tends to bite on pump fakes. Giricek fares better when he works against small forwards because they're closer to his own size, and he did a decent job against Tracy McGrady in the postseason.

2007-08 outlook: The departure of Derek Fisher leaves an opening for Giricek to claim the starting shooting guard spot, although it appears Ronnie Brewer will get the first crack at it. It's an important year for him because he's entering his contract year, although that cuts both ways -- his expiring deal could become trade bait at the deadline.

Realistically, he's 30 and has put up mediocre numbers every year he's been in Utah, so even if he gets the starting job -- a possibility given Jerry Sloan's tendency to play musical chairs with his rotation -- it's unrealistic to expect him to keep it for long. Giricek can be useful in short stretches, but anything beyond 15 minutes a night is pushing it.

[ShelC]

We need the "shooter" but i am kind of intrigued by Newble's defense and toughness, and it seems like when hes gotten 3pt shots, he's made them at a decent clip.

[misteradiant]

jerry brown from the trib says so? i'll believe it when i see it.

[Shabazz]

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/18261

From Coro:

Philadelphia waived Gordan Giricek today. That sets up a 48-hour period in which any team can claim him on waivers but only business days count. That means he can't be signed until noon Tuesday (Arizona time).

No team is expected to claim him off waivers because his negotiated buyout salary of about $3.7 million would count against that team's cap and any luxury tax hit, even though that team would only pay the pro-rated remainder of his salary.

Once Giricek clears waivers, the Suns plan to sign him to a pro-rated veteran's minimum contract for the remainder of the season. Because he can't sign until Tuesday, it looks like the earliest he might be able to join Phoenix is for a Wednesday game in Denver. The Suns would leave for its Tuesday game in Portland after Monday's practice in Phoenix.

Giricek obviously will not accompany the 76ers for their game in Phoenix on Saturday night. He likely would be headed back to Philadelphia to gather what he needs for joining the Suns, if it all works out as expected.

Because Giricek was waived before Saturday's 9:59 p.m. deadline, he will be playoff eligible for whichever team signs him.

[misteradiant]

...if it all works out as expected.

there's that word i have so much trouble with; if.

[MTSunsFan]

G-squared, eh? We're Finals bound now BABY!!!

[BigDrawls007]

Good pickup.

[Mori_Chu]

He'll fit right in here. I picture him getting backup 2/3 minutes behind Hill and Raja. He'll help our offensive spacing with his good outside shooting. His D isn't great, but I don't think he'll stick out as being a bad defender on this team.

[BobbyDogg]

I don't remember him at Utah. Anybody know what went wrong between he and Sloan? Has he had any other run ins with players/coaches?

Sorry, I just don't know much about him.

[INFORMER]

Sloan wants his players to play a certain way. It may hvae been Giricek's defense, or maybe something else. But I wouldn't label him a headcase by any means.

[sunsking]

nope hes not a headcase at all..him and sloan just had a very bad argument...thats all...

kinda wish he was a little quick on his feet on the defense side...but as getting shots in phx he will and i believe he will hit them...

i been preaching and preaching about this..... ( below)

i just do not know why they will not try pike..im pretty sure that man can hit them when he is open with ease

[BobbyDogg]

Well, like others have pointed out, this is basically a 'contract year' for him where he may get a good chance to show off some skills.

Hopefully he'll play motivated basketball for us.

Hopefully, he'll get off the bench. :wink:

[SunsFan4Life]

Ira Newble is AWFUL.

[Mori_Chu]

Ira Newble is AWFUL.

He's also a captain of the All-Ugly team.

[Superbone]

Ira Newble is AWFUL.

He's also a captain of the All-Ugly team.

It must make life so much easier for you to be as beautiful as you must be Mori.

[Mori_Chu]

It must make life so much easier for you to be as beautiful as you must be Mori.

It does. But that's beside the point! Come on, you gotta admit that some NBA players have been beaten by the ugly stick. Nick Van Exel, Jerome Williams, Al Jefferson, Ira Newble, Chris Gatling, ... I'm sure I forgot a lot of them. But I don't think it's an awful thing to chuckle about it a little bit.

[Ring_Wanted]

Jerome Williams. hahahaha

[Superbone]

It must make life so much easier for you to be as beautiful as you must be Mori.

It does. But that's beside the point! Come on, you gotta admit that some NBA players have been beaten by the ugly stick. Nick Van Exel, Jerome Williams, Al Jefferson, Ira Newble, Chris Gatling, ... I'm sure I forgot a lot of them. But I don't think it's an awful thing to chuckle about it a little bit.

Just razzin ya. :D But, I don't think NBA players have the ugly gene any worse than any other segment of the population. Well, maybe those with glandular issues...

[Mori_Chu]

Who's the ugliest person currently playing in the NBA? Some will make an easy pick like Sam Cassell, but I think he's just more funny-looking, not actually repulsive.

Kendrick Perkins, maybe?

Oh, and Al Jefferson looks like somebody set a hot iron on his face.

Luis Scola?

[Indy]

How did you leave off The Alien? You know, that guy from Enemy Mine.

http://www.cinefex.com/backissues/number25.jpg

[SpecialSauce]

Perkins isn't that ugly. I'd say Stackhouse, Kirilenko, or Kaman pre-haircut

[BigLewy]

Popeye Jones was quite an ugly guy too back in the day.

[Wormwood]

Turiaf won't win any beauty contests. Spreewell reminded me of the Predator with his facemask off....

Giricek is a non-factor. White guy ho doesn't pass, pisses off his teammates and coaches, and shoots the three ball worse than JR ever did here. Oh yeah, his defense is marginal, with too many fouls and iffy footwork.

[OrlandoGardener]

Giricek will be this season's Walter McCarty.

[OrlandoGardener]

Turiaf won't win any beauty contests. Spreewell reminded me of the Predator with his facemask off....

Giricek is a non-factor. White guy ho doesn't pass, pisses off his teammates and coaches, and shoots the three ball worse than JR ever did here. Oh yeah, his defense is marginal, with too many fouls and iffy footwork.

While I agree with your assessment that he is a non-factor, it pisses me off that you include his skin color as one of his negative traits. Frankly, I'd like an apology.

[JustWinBaby]

Giricek will be this season's Walter McCarty.

That is a scary thought but could turn out to be the truth.

[Wormwood]

Turiaf won't win any beauty contests. Spreewell reminded me of the Predator with his facemask off....

Giricek is a non-factor. White guy who doesn't pass, pisses off his teammates and coaches, and shoots the three ball worse than JR ever did here. Oh yeah, his defense is marginal, with too many fouls and iffy footwork.

While I agree with your assessment that he is a non-factor, it pisses me off that you include his skin color as one of his negative traits. Frankly, I'd like an apology.

Please accept my apologies. Call it lack of athleticism or poor footspeed instead to me more accurate.

[misteradiant]

i just wanted to post some shit here so i could bogart the top 4 threads.

[OrlandoGardener]

Turiaf won't win any beauty contests. Spreewell reminded me of the Predator with his facemask off....

Giricek is a non-factor. White guy who doesn't pass, pisses off his teammates and coaches, and shoots the three ball worse than JR ever did here. Oh yeah, his defense is marginal, with too many fouls and iffy footwork.

While I agree with your assessment that he is a non-factor, it pisses me off that you include his skin color as one of his negative traits. Frankly, I'd like an apology.

Please accept my apologies. Call it lack of athleticism or poor footspeed instead to me more accurate.

Thanks. I wasn't trying to be a dick ,and obviously you weren't either. It's just one of my things.

[misteradiant]

new thread with poll. choose one:

1. white people rule.
2. white people suck.
3. brown people are half-assed and can't make up their minds, black or white? i don't know!
4. aliens rule us all. we'll all have 4 digits on our hands and grey skin in a million years anyway.
5. the sun is a god.

[Marionette]

new thread with poll. choose one:

1. white people rule.
2. white people suck.
3. brown people are half-assed and can't make up their minds, black or white? i don't know!
4. aliens rule us all. we'll all have 4 digits on our hands and grey skin in a million years anyway.
5. the sun is a god.

You forgot:

6. all people suck. :wink:

[misteradiant]

edited because i haven't had enough to drink. actually i have. i just didn't drink it fast enough. then i had dinner.

sigh...

[darrkin]

Hey MR, gotta say good call with the Turbo Dog beer, bought two sixpacks today and I am happily consuming now. Great beer! My wife even likes it, and she normally likes the lighter ones. Its great discovering a new beer, thanks!

[misteradiant]

right on darrkin! i am so happy for you! it is a great beer and even greater when the women we love enjoy it, too.

:cool:

[JackArse]

supposedly this was supposed to happen at noon. why haven't we heard anything?
why am i still expecting to hear.. gordon giricik has signed with the spurs.
why do i expect to see a headline, stern allows spurs to sign 10 players to roster, giving them 23 people, just to keep suns from signing them.

argh..

is it can be game time yet?

[jkalldaway]

It's done, he signed.

[Superbone]

I hope he plays tonight.

[MTSunsFan]

I thought I read that he will be in Portland tonight to sign a contract. Meaning more than likely he will not play tonight, but will be available tomorrow night vs. Denver...


(of course coach probably won't play him anyway as it would go beyond his usual 7 deep rotation :twisted:)

[misteradiant]

he sure looks slick in that suit on the home page of suns.com.

[Uncle_Gene]

It's official: Giricek a Sun
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 4, 2008 01:46 PM

As expected the Suns signed guard Gordan Giricek for the remainder of the season today.

Giricek became available when he was waived on Friday by Philadelphia, who acquired him from Utah on Dec. 29 in the Kyle Korver trade.

"We are excited to add a player of Gordan's caliber," Suns general manager Steve Kerr said. "He is an excellent shooter, a solid defender and a proven playoff performer."

Gene's thoughts : I didn't know he was a proven playoff performer. Hope he does well.

[misteradiant]

The Phoenix Suns today signed guard Gordan Giricek (gor-DAHN GEAR-ah-check) for the remainder of the season, the team announced.

gotta love how they hit the ebonics for the name gordon. if any one of you dumbasses cannot pronounce gordon, let me be the first to tell you to kill yourself and save our welfare system tens of thousands of dollars.

and gene, i meant to give you a positive doohickey the other night and must have messed up 'cause you went red when i was done. i emailed sose and he said he'd take care of it. i will keep bugging him until you go green like you should.

my sincerest apologies.

[jkalldaway]

Actually, it isn't pronounced like the typical "Gordon" or GOR-DEN. There is an emphasis over the"DON" so that is why it is necessary.

[Spanky]

gotta love how they hit the ebonics for the name gordon. if any one of you dumbasses cannot pronounce gordon, let me be the first to tell you to kill yourself and save our welfare system tens of thousands of dollars.

LOL... that cracked me up. :mrgreen:

[scosuns]

I'm happy with the signing. We badly needed another shooter, and GG is a shooter. I think this definitely helps with spacing. Shaq will still draw his double teams and that leaves Giri open in the corner. Or it might be Amare. Whatever, point is, having a 3 point threat on this team is double the threat it would be on another team because of our caliber of players. I just hope Mike does give him enough minutes. Play him at the 3 when Barbs is in, and at the 2 to rest bell and Barbs.

[KingRex]

excuse me, but I believe its pronounced (gor-DAHN GEAR-ah-check)

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/ggiricek_080304.html

[Shabazz]

Actually, it isn't pronounced like the typical "Gordon" or GOR-DEN. There is an emphasis over the"DON" so that is why it is necessary.

Discussion of the pronunciation of Giricek's name is moot. A player of his caliber must immediately be given a hip-hop nickname (similar to the Hawks nicknaming their guys J-Cool and J-Smoove).

I nominated G-squared (or G2), but G-Unit, G-Money or The OGG will all be considered.

[misteradiant]

i vote for "G-you-better-hit-that-fucking-3-asshole."

[Shabazz]

That works too.

[scosuns]

GorDAHN get it DAHN(done)?

[Spanky]

He better hit the 'G-Spot'. Is the little bitch going to be in a uni tonight?

[In2ition]

He better hit the 'G-Spot'. Is the little bitch going to be in a uni tonight?

There you go, and then he can be an instant endorser for "The Gelato Spot".

I also liked Mister's idea :-)

[SunsFan4Life]

THE OGG...LOL if he becomes a key piece for us that should def be his nickname.

My brother is a Jazz fan and use to call him "Gordo" when he played there

[SwingMan]

i vote for "G-you-better-hit-that-fucking-3-asshole."

Second. :cool:

Or, maybe "G-you-better-not-turn-into-a-pixelated-likeness-of-JR".....

[SunsFan4Life]

Giri

[OrlandoGardener]

The Phoenix Suns today signed guard Gordan Giricek (gor-DAHN GEAR-ah-check) for the remainder of the season, the team announced.

gotta love how they hit the ebonics for the name gordon. if any one of you dumbasses cannot pronounce gordon, let me be the first to tell you to kill yourself and save our welfare system tens of thousands of dollars.

and gene, i meant to give you a positive doohickey the other night and must have messed up 'cause you went red when i was done. i emailed sose and he said he'd take care of it. i will keep bugging him until you go green like you should.

my sincerest apologies.

I'm gonna assume you meant phonics instead of ebonics, but if you didn't that just aint right. Ironic and humorous, but not right.

After calling out Wormwood, I may have started a precedent none of us will appreciate.

[misteradiant]

no, i meant what i typed. you got a problem with that? the funny part is that i misspelled his name and used an o instead of an a, which makes it "gor-dahn." so joke's on me. haha.

:cool:

[OrlandoGardener]

You know what, don't mind me. You either, Worm. I know you guys are cool. I'm just sick and grumpy and my judgment is not what it should be. Sorry for bringing it here. I'm gonna go take some meds and hopefully pass out.

[misteradiant]

you're cool, too man. even though i had to chase you from behind the bushes in my back yard as you were trying to get naked pix of me at my typewriter. i can't fault you for being interested, even if it was a little creepy...

:cool:

[ShelC]

This guys a scorer.

[Spanky]

Puke.. I wish we could say NEXT.