NBA FanHouse walks through the Valley of the Most Likely; we shall fear no topic.Last year was a break-out year for Sasha Vujacic. He made a name for himself by becoming the Lakers go-to bench scorer and resident defensive pest. It's the latter part that concerns me though.
Throughout last season, his irritating ways got under the skin of a ton of NBA guys. Sasha had physical confrontations (read: he got manhandled) with Baron Davis, Rafer Alston, Carmelo Anthony, and Renaldo Balkman. He also didn't make make the Cleveland Cavaliers too happy when he tried to infiltrate their huddle.
So what is it about Sasha that gets under the skin of so many NBA Players?
My colleague Brett Edwards investigated Vujacic's irritating ways last season. Here's some of what he came up with:
"I think it's a combination of things. First and foremost, Sasha is considered a one-dimensional, BS player by most of his peers. He's there for his outside shooting ability, and not much else. But defensively, he plays the up-close type of physical D that most players aren't that fond of. So they're like, 'who is this fool?' and then they elbow him in the face. It's also not helping his cause that he's a pretty-boy Euro with long hair, and doesn't exactly have the look of a legitimate NBA baller."And for those reasons, I just have a feeling that this might be the year that an opposing player goes "Philly" on the Machine. It will probably happen on a night when Sasha drops four or five threes and completely shuts down a much better player on the other side of the ball.
I mean, imagine if Sasha did that to Rip Hamilton. Rip -- ironically from Philly -- has been known to have a short temper. And Detroit has kinda been in fights in the past. I don't think Rip or the Pistons would ever have much patience for getting shown up by Sasha. I mean, look at him. Would you be happy getting balled up by that guy?
It really has to come down to Sasha's awkward Euro look, because Lindsey Hunter made a career out of doing what Sasha does. Yet, I can't ever recall people trying to start stuff with him the way everyone seemingly does with Sasha. Hope you've been taking some boxing lessons, Sasha.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I'd hate Sasha if I weren't a Laker diehard...he's the kind of a player you love to have, but if he is on the other team you despise him
I agree but we will see if we pay him enough to stick around after this year. I really hope so
I'm glad we have "a pretty-boy Euro with long hair" on our team because it makes me want to watch the Lakers even more!
The Machine is a less annoying version of Andres Nocioni (sp)
http://www.collegefastbreak.com/
Well, at least he doesn't cry like Ainge did!
He doesn't do anything like Ainge did. To put this euro trash scum in the category of Ainge is silly. Ainge was a cry baby and I would have wanted to punch him in the face too but he was much better than the machine......
I hope you ignight a brawl with Sasha. Tuff guy,lol.
People say other teams hate sasha because of his pesky defense that throws them off of their game....but isn't that the point....to get into their head and make them question their own offensive abilities?? Offensive and defensive plays have evolved over the years into what we see now. If we continued to play with the same "basketball 101" mentality, then the NBA wouldn't be where it is today. Creating new strategies gives your team the upper hand. It is the players jobs to figure out new plays against the opposing teams, different plays, other then the same ones that the other team already knows and uses. Opposing players hate Sasha for just that....he found a better way to outplay them. And you don't like him? Your not supposed to like him.....He's on OUR TEAM. Leave that job to us, the Laker fans, who applaud that Sasha cares enough about his game to come up with a strategy that will give us the win! And concerning his "look".....if all it takes is long hair and a babyface to get these players even more angry at him, then maybe these NBA players should be questioning their mental strength as well as their physical abilities. You wanna talk about legitimate NBA baller?? First off, tell me your definition of a legitimate NBA baller. I mean seriously, how many players today look like Magic, Kareem, West, or Chamberlain? None of them! Players looks have evolved just like their plays have. And Sasha doesn't need 30 tattoos and purple & gold hair to prove that he's a legitimate ball player! He focuses more on his game to win the respect as a baller and that respect is well deserved! So to all of these other players and their angry fans....don't get mad at Sasha for coming up with a better way to outplay you and your team. Take a look at yourself.....what have you done, or not done, to improve your game and secure the win?
All of the people that would dare look down on a player like Sasha, such as the one dimensional BS writer above, are the same ones whose peers think that the label; "white men can't jump" applies to inferior players... These idiots do not have the look or feel of having any legitimate NBA B-BALL prowess, let alone knowledge....
Note the following statement from the writer above; and for those reasons, I just have a feeling that this might be the year that an opposing player goes "Philly" on the Machine. It will probably happen on a night when Sasha drops four or five threes and completely shuts down a much better player on the other side of the ball. THIS STATEMENT, couldn't be more of an oxy-moron gobbily doo than doo-doo itself.... A player that drops four or five threes on his opponent and goes on to completely shut down his opponent is not an inferior player to that opponent...
Maybe you should actually try watching these NBA games instead of just talking about them cuz it's obvious you have no idea what your talking about considering you have the balls to say that not one of these NBA players have the feel of a legitimate ball player. Don't even know why I'm dignifying this ridiculous explanation with a response....so I'll just stop.
All I have to say is..if Sasha shut your a$$ down in a game...then you need to sit on the bench. I like Sasha, isn't that what he's supposed to do when he's playing ball? Be a pesk on the defensive side? It's like the New York Knicks saying pls MJ don't dominate us...it's crazy. I like your responses Tanya F.
that looks thing is BS. steve nash is a white pretty boy with long hair and is a pretty legit nba baller.
on the other hand, bruce bowen is bald, black, and really pisses everyone off.
it's about their GAME, dammit.
Do any of you even read? The writer above is *disputing* the notion that Sasha is just a pretty white boy. He's saying that that's the image that other players see, and that they're mistaken.
Sasha is a role player. He fullfills the need of the Lakers for a man off the bench.
He has a job in the NBA because he does what he is supposed to do...period.
If you remember the NBA players were getting their butts kicked by europeans, because they "TEAM" ballplayers, unlike the majority of NBA teams, where the game is set up for one on one ball - not team.
Hey Emma #14.... You in fact, are in complete denial of what the writer is emphasizing to a "T".... The truth is, you have chosen not to believe what everybody else is reading and understanding CORRECTLY... By throwing in your weak spin about the writer's intention is to "dispute a notion" or to look down upon and criticize the players that believe and/or see this so-called image; is and I state again, very, very, WEAK on your part... All I can say to you is: GET THAT WEAK SH** OUTTA HERE!!!!