Kongoanski džin dolazi u ACB

Novi Manute Bol, ovoga puta iz Konga, nalazi se na pragu potpisivanja ugovora i ulaska u najjaču evropsku ligu ACB. Bienvenu Letuni, dečak iz jednog kongoanskog sela udaljenog 250 kilometara od Kinšase, ima samo 15 godina, i visok je neverovatnih 224.cm!!! Za Letunija koji ima problema sa ubrzanim rastom, postoji interesovanje Huventuda, Kaha Laborala...

Ostaje da se vidi da li će Latuni proći lekarski preglede, pošto je očigledno da zbog svoje visine ima problema sa zdravljem. Kako je najavljeno u Badaloni pregledi lekara Huventuda odrediće da li će Letuni morati na operaciju kako bi mu se zaustavio rast...

Iz Konga već stižu dva poznata košarkaška imena. Serge Ibaka koji je već u NBA (Oklahoma) i Kristian Ejenga koga su draftovali Klivlend Kavalirsi i to u prvoj rundi drafta (odlučio se za novi ugovor sa Huventudom na 3 godine).

Letuni je primećen na "Adidas Ibaka košarkaškom kampu" koji je tokom leta održan u Kinšasi.

2008-09 stats: 18.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.7 apg
Only 23, Gay has shown signs of becoming the All-Star he's pledged to be this season. At 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, he's already one of the league's best leapers and most electric athletes, and he has a world of potential. Problem is, his stats dipped a bit last season with the arrival of O.J. Mayo, and there figure to be far fewer shots available now with Allen Iverson and Zach Randolph joining the Grizz. Maybe Gay should focus on becoming a defensive stopper. That's something Memphis really needs.

2008-09 stats: 20.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.3 apg
It was easy to ignore the Wizards last season. Playing, in essence, without a point guard or a center, Washington won just 19 games. But Butler turned in another superb season, averaging a career high in points, and continued to establish himself as one of the league's most versatile players. For Butler, who's missed at least 15 games in each of the last three seasons, the key is staying healthy. Same goes for Gilbert Arenas, of course, or it'll be another forgettable season for the Wiz.

2008-09 stats: 17.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.3 apg
It'll be fascinating to see how Artest fits in with the Lakers. They don't need him to be a high-volume shooter, which he's been at his last three stops (Pacers, Kings, Rockets). If he goes back to focusing on defense, like he did early in his career, he'll be a bigger, stronger, better version of Trevor Ariza, who signed with Houston. If he takes bad shots (40.1 FG% last season) and goes all Britney now that he's in L.A., he could screw up a good thing for the champs.

2008-09 stats: 19.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg
With Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut out, Jefferson had to do too much in his single season with the Bucks. He'll be better off as a second or third option with the Spurs, much like he was with the Nets complementing Vince Carter. He's exactly what San Antonio needs — an athletic wing player who can run with Tony Parker and create his own shots. The knock on Jefferson is that he's not tough enough, but he'll need to help Tim Duncan on the boards if the Spurs are going to be contenders.

2008-09 stats: 25.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg
Granger broke out in his fourth NBA season, finishing fifth in the league in scoring and winning the most improved player award. That doesn't necessarily bode well since most of the previous five award winners (Zach Randolph, Bobby Simmons, Boris Diaw, Monta Ellis and Hedo Turkoglu) haven't gotten much better. To keep improving, Granger needs to work on his defense, rebounding and playmaking. But at 6-foot-9 with a high, pure release on his jumpshot, he's already one of the toughest guys to cover one-on-one. The real question is whether the Pacers can improve the talent around him.

2008-09 stats: 16.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.9 apg
As he showed last season after Jameer Nelson went down, Turkoglu is more than capable of creating plays for himself and teammates. Other than maybe LeBron James, he's the best point forward in the league, and the Magic usually put the ball in his hands during crucial possessions of tight games. Having signed with Toronto as a free agent, he'll form a versatile and prolific forward tandem with Chris Bosh, and his numbers should go up. Just don't expect to see him in the NBA Finals again any time soon.

2008-09 stats: 20.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.6 apg
Unlike two seasons ago, when he won Finals MVP and led Boston to the title, Pierce looked tired in June as the Celtics played two seven-game series and fell to Orlando in the Eastern Conference semis. Does that mean Pierce, who turns 32 next month, is past his peak and beginning to regress? Maybe. More likely, it means he's fresher, happier and more productive when Kevin Garnett is around.

2008-09 stats: 25.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.8 apg
Kevin Durant over Paul Pierce? Yes. Remember, this isn't based on past performance. It's a projection for the 2009-10 season, and Durant — with his incredible progress in two pro seasons — is about to bust into the upper echelon of NBA stars. He erupted the second half of last season, scoring at least 31 points nine times in a 10-game stretch in February, then wowed the national team coaches with his play during Team USA camp. It's tempting to put him No. 2 on this list, but let's wait till he fills out his thin frame, improves as a defender and grows up a little bit. Remember, he won't be able to buy a beer legally until the end of this month.

2008-09 stats: 22.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.4 apg
For a couple games in the Western Conference finals, Carmelo battled Kobe Bryant to a draw and seemed ready to take his place among the league's superstars. But he stunk it up the rest of the series, meaning he's still a notch below the NBA elite, including two members of his own draft class (Dwyane Wade and LeBron James). Still, the 25-year-old Anthony showed signs of maturation as a player last season, thriving alongside a natural leader in Chauncey Billups. He paid some attention to defense and teamwork while becoming a fourth-quarter assassin on offense. Durability remains a question — he's missed 38 games the past three seasons.

2008-09 stats: 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg
LeBron got nothing but accolades and awe during most of his first MVP season, then a summer full of bad pub for his behavior after Cleveland's ugly dismissal from the playoffs. Now, all of sudden, he's a spoiled crybaby, an arrogant prima donna and a wannabe Kobe. Hmm. If he's motivated by the criticism, watch out. Already the league's most dominant player, LeBron, still just 24, should be physically stronger and mentally tougher this season. If Shaq takes pressure off him rather than get in his way — a big if — LeBron may be ready to lead the Cavs to their first championship.