No Summer League For Koponen, Freeland
By: Wendell Maxey Last Updated: 6/28/09 12:44 AM ET | 757 times read
When the Portland Trail Blazers announce their roster for the 2009 Las Vegas
Summer League in the coming weeks, their first-round pick Victor Claver won't
be the only one not bound for Vegas.
Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland – two of Portland's former first round
selections who are also stashed in Europe – apparently won't participate in
summer league this year according to General Manager Kevin Pritchard.
"Joel will not be at summer league – at least I don't think so," Pritchard
said.
"Koponen is under contract and his team can be a little hard to work with."
Both were back-to-back 30th overall draft selections in 2006 (Freeland) and
2007 (Koponen) and have been deemed "projects" by the organization, and there
was discussion prior to last Thursday's draft that Portland contemplated
renouncing their contract rights.
It never happened. Now it appears neither will a trip to summer league for
Koponen and Freeland.
A 6'4 guard from Finland, Kopenen made an impressive showing in Las Vegas
last July, leaving many to believe he could have made Portland's 15-man
roster over the likes of small forward Nicolas Batum if Portland hadn't been
so guard heavy.
But Kopenen's first pro season, where he played for Virtus Bologna, was not
as noteworthy.
He started 17 of 49 games and averaged 3 points, 0.9 assists in 15 minutes
per game, but raised his average to 5.8 points and 1.0 assists playing 18
minutes per game in 14 FIBA EuroChallenge cup games and is now in training
with the Finnish National team.
"Kopenen didn't play as much and hopefully he can get into a situation where
his situation changes next year and get better. Because then we evaluate it
year to year," Pritchard continued.
Freeland - a 6'11, 250 pound forward from England with length and versatility
– last played for Portland in the 2007 Las Vegas Summer League. This season
he averaged 10 points, 4.6 rebounds in 17 minutes per game (28 games) for CB
Gran Canaria of the Spanish ACB league.
"Joel's made some impressive improvements. He still wants to stay overseas
and come over when he's 24 or 25 (Freeland is 22, Kopenen, 21) and that's
okay. As long as there is a plan, and it's all about where they can improve.
"I want them to come over and have a chance to get out on the floor, and at
least have a chance to make an impact. What I don't want to do is bring them
over and have them not play."
As for reports the Blazers considered renouncing Koponen and Freeland's
rights as a draft day option?
Pritchard said it was not a "priority", noting their collective contracts
don't make a major dent in Portland's bottom line.
"They hit our cap, but it's such a small number. It's like $800,000 dollars.
It's not like a $5 million cap on us, so it's not that big of a deal," said
Pritchard.
"For me, it's where can they best get better and improve."
For Koponen and Freeland, such development will continue to come in Europe.
Source:
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13112
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