Great news... and your right... if we can get multiple guys in the NBA who play decent minutes, then it should help us become a bit more legit on the world scene.

Andersen isn't that good. I doubt he would make an impact on an NBA team. 10th - 12th man at best IMO

Andersen is one of the best big men in Europe on what of the best teams.
Look at the impact other Euro centre's have had in the NBA. Dismissing him as being 'no good' is just plain ignorant.

That's funny considering he had just signed for Barcelona for the next three years.

http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/noticies/basquet/temporada07-08/06/n080621104657.html

FC Barcelona's basketball section has agreed basic terms with centre David Andersen and the ex-CSKA Moscow player will sign for three seasons after having his medical.

CSKA_FCB_3.JPGAndersen is 2.12 m tall and originally from Australia though he holds a Danish passport. He has spent the last four seasons at CSKA Moscow where he won four League titles, two Cups and two Euroleagues. Before his time in Russia he was at Montepaschi Siena for one season and at Virtus in Bologna.

If last Thursday's big story was Juan Carlos Navarro signing for five seasons, this Saturday it's the turn of David Andersen, one of the top players in European basketball. Nonetheless, the section's coaching staff are still looking for more ways to build a competitive team for the 2008-09 season.

what other aussies would we have in NBA with Jawai and Andersen though?

wat an idiot i forgot bogut hahahaha

I really hope we see a lot of David Andersen in this Olympics campaign.

It's a shame that someone who is essentially our second most decorated current player has been seen so by Aussie fans.

Andersen's signed with Barcelona for 3 years; no Atlanta for him

Yes he signed with Barcelona (as did Juan Carlos Navarro), but he still has an NBA out clause. He still wants to play NBA and can still do so next season if the right deal for him was arranged with Atlanta.

I think you can call the Barcelona contact as 'leverage'. See the story run yesterday on the foxsport site (if linky doesn't work).

Atlanta will probably take a risk on him, which we hope will pay off... see him being like Scola for Rockets... not much talk about him from other teams, but comes out firing and in couple of years ups his ante

I like the fact he is asking for big money. He wants proof of Atlanta making an investment and not pulling a 76ers on Bradtke type deal, where they sign a guy to use strictly as a bench warmer and in training for the big guys in the squad.

He's in a win win coz either he goes to the show with good coin and a guaranteed spot in the rotation, or he lives it up in Barcelona, again on good coin.

Good stuff.

Good to see another Aussie poised to play in the NBA. If Atlanta sign him, it will be interesting to see how much for as that will tell us if they see him as a key player or not.

They already have a centre in Zaza Pachulia, who was quickly relegated to the bench last year by Horford, who is rapidly becoming a gun player.

So Andersen will have two challenges if he wants to start: prove he is better than Zaza and then convince Woodson (coach) that they are a better balanced team with Horford at PF, Smith SF and Marvin Williams (2nd pick in 2005) coming off the bench.

Not sure that he will force Marv out of the starting line-up, but he has every chance of leap frogging Zaza to become the #1 centre for the team.

Can't see him being more than a role player, but I think if he is able to play good positional defence, box out and nail the mid range jumpers he gets, Atlanta will be very happy with his contribution.

A couple of quotes from an article about Andersen on the NBL site:

"I'll be with Barcelona after the completion of the Olympic Games," he said.

"If Atlanta comes to the plate, I do have NBA out-clauses with my contract and I could go there after my first or second year."

This suggests he wouldn't be able to go to Atlanta for a year or two.

There is also the problem of Atlanta being able to pay him enough. I'm not sure what limitations there are for signing 2nd round picks to contracts (Anderson was taken 2nd round) especially when 6 years have elapsed since Andersen was drafted.

Anybody know?