Sasha Vujačić: Difference between revisions
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== Player profile == |
== Player profile == |
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Sasha has proven to be a quality shooter from beyond the arc, earning the nickname "the Machine" because of his ability to hit several three pointers in a row. His pesky defense is sometimes viewed as a strength, but often proves to be ineffectual. His primary criticisms are that he "camps" at the 3-point line too much (even if his team is on a fast break), his inability to drive to the basket and his reputation as a "flopper". |
Sasha has proven to be a quality shooter from beyond the arc, earning the nickname "the Machine" because of his ability to hit several three pointers in a row. His pesky defense is sometimes viewed as a strength, but often proves to be ineffectual. {{fact|please give a reliable source for this assertion.}} His primary criticisms are that he "camps" at the 3-point line too much (even if his team is on a fast break), his inability to drive to the basket and his reputation as a "flopper". {{fact|please give a reliable source for this assertion.}} |
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He is very involved with the game physically and emotionally, and refers to himself as a "Gym Rat". He is constantly in the gym or on the court trying to improve his game, and it is said he would meet Kobe Bryant at 6 in the morning before practice. |
He is very involved with the game physically and emotionally, and refers to himself as a "Gym Rat". He is constantly in the gym or on the court trying to improve his game, and it is said he would meet Kobe Bryant at 6 in the morning before practice. |
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Revision as of 05:50, 29 December 2008
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| No. 18 – Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard/Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 8, 1984 Maribor, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Nationality | Slovenian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2004: 27th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Playing career | 2004–present |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Aleksandar “Saša” Vujačić, usually referred to in English as Sasha Vujacic (born March 8, 1984 in Maribor, Socialist Republic of Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia), is a Slovenian basketball player. Though he has played the point guard position in Europe, he has found more playing time at the shooting guard spot in the Lakers' triangle offense.
Early career
Vujačić began his professional career at the age of 16, playing with Snaidero Udine of Italy. His father Vaso Vujačić is a basketball coach in Montenegro.[1]
Vujačić was also a member of the Slovenian junior national team. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 27th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.
Career highlights
During the 2005-2006 season Vujačić made the go-ahead three pointer to give the Lakers the lead for good during overtime in a win against the Utah Jazz.[2] During the 2006-07 season he made a clutch shot against the Dallas Mavericks to end their 13-game winning streak.[3] In the 2007-2008 season, Vujačić recorded a career-high 22 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets, and he tied it in a win over the Toronto Raptors.[4]
Vujačić shot 60% from beyond the three point line in the 2006 NBA Playoffs.
During Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals Vujačić scored a career playoff high, totaling 20 points off of the bench. Vujačić's 20, with the exception of Kobe Bryant, made him the only Laker to score in double figures.
Now after four years in the league, Vujačić has become a reliable scorer and 3-point shooter coming off the bench for the Lakers. Lakers' coach Phil Jackson has become a large supporter, after previously been quoted as calling him "the 11 A.M. shooter", meaning he is great in practice, but not showing the same in games.[5]'
In July 2008, he switched agents to Rob Pelinka. Later on July 25, 2008, Sasha Vujačić and the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a three year deal worth 15 million dollars.[6]
Player profile
Sasha has proven to be a quality shooter from beyond the arc, earning the nickname "the Machine" because of his ability to hit several three pointers in a row. His pesky defense is sometimes viewed as a strength, but often proves to be ineffectual. [citation needed] His primary criticisms are that he "camps" at the 3-point line too much (even if his team is on a fast break), his inability to drive to the basket and his reputation as a "flopper". [citation needed]
He is very involved with the game physically and emotionally, and refers to himself as a "Gym Rat". He is constantly in the gym or on the court trying to improve his game, and it is said he would meet Kobe Bryant at 6 in the morning before practice.
After a crushing defeat in the 2008 NBA Finals, where the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2, Sasha said that he wasn't going to wear green until the Lakers beat the Celtics.
Nickname
Members of the Los Angeles sports media gave Vujačić the nickname "The Machine". In a March 2008 article in the Los Angeles Times, T. J. Simers tracked down the origin of the nickname:[7]
[Tried to] get to the bottom of who came up with the nickname Machine for the Lakers' Sasha Vujačić. Checked with Lakers TV guy, Joel Meyers, who did a lot of hemming and hawing, well, more than usual. He said both he and his partner Stu Lantz came up with it together. Never took them for Siamese twins before. Apparently, neither did Lantz. "I came up with it," Lantz said. "And then Joel ran with it. I used it once, and never again."
As fans wondered where Sasha got the nickname from, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors, in a mock interview with Sasha, asked If the nickname "the Machine" was given by Paris Hilton. This was in reference to innocent public photos of Sasha and the Hotel heiress. Sasha just laughed at the humorous banter.
NBA career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Los Angeles | 35 | 3 | 11.5 | .282 | .270 | .947 | 1.8 | 1.5 | .3 | .1 | 2.9 |
| 2005–06 | Los Angeles | 82 | 4 | 17.7 | .346 | .343 | .885 | 1.9 | 1.7 | .6 | .0 | 3.9 |
| 2006–07 | Los Angeles | 73 | 4 | 12.8 | .392 | .373 | .878 | 1.5 | .9 | .6 | .0 | 4.3 |
| 2007–08 | Los Angeles | 72 | 0 | 17.8 | .454 | .437 | .835 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .5 | .1 | 8.8 |
| Career | 262 | 11 | 15.5 | .394 | .381 | .867 | 1.8 | 1.2 | .5 | .0 | 5.2 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Los Angeles | 7 | 0 | 18.4 | .423 | .600 | 1.000 | 2.4 | .9 | .6 | .0 | 6.0 |
| 2006–07 | Los Angeles | 4 | 0 | 10.8 | .556 | .250 | .000 | 1.0 | .8 | .2 | .0 | 2.8 |
| 2007–08 | Los Angeles | 21 | 0 | 21.7 | .399 | .392 | .857 | 2.2 | .8 | .6 | .2 | 8.1 |
| Career | 32 | 0 | 19.6 | .410 | .418 | .891 | 2.1 | .8 | .5 | .1 | 7.0 |
Personal life
Vujačić has two siblings, a sister named Nina and brother named Alijosa. His parents live in Rancho Palos Verdes in California, while he lives in Redondo Beach.In addition to basketball, he enjoys playing volleyball, tennis and soccer. [8]
References
- ^ Prominent Slovenian Athletes in the United States by Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, January 2007.
- ^ "Los Angeles Lakers/Utah Jazz recap [[December 1]], [[2005]] Thursday recap". 2005-12-01. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
{{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help); Unknown parameter|publication=ignored (help) - ^ "Vujacic, Lakers put end to Mavs' impressive streak". 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|publication=ignored (help) - ^ "Kobe watches 4th quarter from bench as Vujacic, Lakers bounce Nuggets". 2007-11-29. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|publication=ignored (help) - ^ "Lakers' Vujacic not just a morning person now". 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|publication=ignored (help) - ^ "Fantasy/Player News". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ Simers, T. J. "He leaves the diplomacy to China-bound Dodgers". Los Angeles Times.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ NBA.com : Sasha Vujacic Bio Page