IN THE GAME

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06 Feb 2009; Full article
Unicaja’s Marcus Haislip offers a highly intriguing skillset, as he is combining a lot of attributes that make a player on his position particluarly dangerous: He possesses A) a sweet stroke from beyond the arc, even if it has been a bit inconsistent [currently 25.0% in Euroleague, 42.8% in ACB] so far this season, B) freakish athleticism that enables him to play well above the rim, catch difficult lob passes, B) an extremely quick first step for a big man, which allows him to drive by his defender for the spectacular finish, and D) a not extremely efficient, but still relatively productive post game, with the turnaround jumpshot being his main weapon. Weaknesses: A below average rebounder, possessing the physical tools, but not the fundamentals [extremely weak on the box-out], subpar – mainly due to a lack of effort – defense, as well as a lack of toughness and winning mentality. The 28-year-old is a player who is not making enough of his incredible talent. Is the NBA an option for Haislip? It certainly is. Haislip is one of the better power forwards in Europe, but he is not among the elite on his position in Europe. He will probably again [he's currently making a reported 1.500.000€ net/year with Unicaja] get seven digit offers from here, but once an NBA franchise is showing interest in bringing him over, there is a great chance Haislip will be playing in the United States for 09/10.