PF/C Kosta Koufos (CSKA Moscow)

[Buckskin86]

Former Ohio State center Kosta Koufos, with Jazz executives Randy Rigby, left, and Kevin O'Connor, says he is eager to raise his game to the NBA level. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune )

NBA dream prevails
Utah Jazz: Top draft pick Koufos spurned big offers from Greece for NBA
7-footer Koufos spurns big offers from Greece
By Ross Siler
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 06/28/2008


Even before he took his first class at Ohio State, Kosta Koufos already completed his major in international relations. All it took, in fact, was one offer the 7-footer received out of high school to play basketball in Greece.

There was a $5 million contract waiting for Koufos to sign and a beachfront villa waiting for him to call home. He could play for the Olympiacos club team in Athens, which would throw in any car of his choosing for good measure.

It wasn't the NBA, though, which was why Koufos could say he was living a dream Friday when he was introduced as the Jazz's newest member, selected with the No. 23 pick in the first round of Thursday's draft.

"With basketball, I follow what my heart says," Koufos said. "My heart told me to go to Ohio State because I'm going to learn and develop more as a player."

He spent Friday meeting with coach Jerry Sloan at the Jazz's practice facility - "He told me he's going to be hard on me, which I love," Koufos said - and posing for pictures with his new No. 41 jersey, last belonging to Thurl Bailey.

Koufos' mother, Kathy, said she had learned of two Greek churches in Salt Lake City while her son said he was confident in his abilities despite coming to the NBA after only one season at Ohio State.

"As a 19-year-old, yes, I'm young," Koufos said. "But at the same time, I feel like I can contribute to the program. Everybody's got something to work on and I'm going to do that and I'm going to work hard at it and raise my game to the next level."

At the very start of his NBA career, Koufos already has had to make a difficult decision. Instead of playing for Greece in an Olympic qualifying tournament next month in Athens, Koufos will play for the Jazz's summer-league team at the Rocky Mountain Revue.

If it costs him a chance at playing in the Olympics, Koufos didn't seem particularly bothered.

"For me, the priority's NBA," Koufos said. "Always will be. Whatever the staff needs me to do to excel on the NBA level, I'm willing to do."

Utah Jazz: Top draft pick Koufos spurned big offers from Greece for NBA - Salt Lake Tribune

Koufos fell and Jazz pounced
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter

At his new home in Salt Lake City, Kosta Koufos on Friday began to reap the joys that come with falling in the NBA draft.

It's never a bad thing when your new bosses believe they're just lucky to have you.

"In all honesty we kind of held our breath a little bit," Utah Jazz General Manager Kevin O'Connor said during a conference call / news conference that introduced Koufos to the state of Utah. "We were thrilled, obviously. We thought that two or three teams above us maybe would pick him."

Koufos fell and Jazz pounced- cleveland.com

Olympics notes: Revue or Olympics ? or both ? for Koufos?
By Tim Buckley
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, June 28, 2008

Greece's opening game in the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament is July 14, and the tourney runs through July 20.

Training camp for the Jazz's Rocky Mountain Revue opens July 14, and the NBA summer league itself runs July 18-25.

Awkward?

It sure seems to be for American-born Kosta Koufos, the Jazz's first-round selection out of Ohio State in Thursday's NBA Draft ? and a dual Greek-U.S. citizen who also belongs to Greece's national team.

Greece is hosting the qualifying tourney in Athens and is among 12 countries hoping to win one of three available berths for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Jazz brass on Friday told Koufos they fully expect him to take part in the Revue, which they consider essential to the development of young players.

"That's what we expect from our draft pick," general manager Kevin O'Connor said. "We've had a conversation with him about it."

Deseret News | Olympics notes: Revue or Olympics — or both — for Koufos?

 

[Buckskin86]

Kosta comes to Salt Lake
Newest Jazzman (and Mom) makes first Utah trip
By Jody Genessy
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, June 28, 2008

During his first-ever visit to Utah, which came a day after being drafted in the first round by the Jazz, Kosta Koufos was impressed by his future home's "beautiful" scenery, the cleanliness and the friendliness.
(And, yes, he was referring to Salt Lake City, and not Orem, where he potentially could end up with the D-League's Utah Flash.)

Greece native Kathy Koufos, the 19-year-old's mom, also "loved it" ? from what she learned about the "family-oriented community," to her son's new basketball organization, even down to how Salt Lake City has two Greek churches.

One can only imagine how excited these dual citizenship Greek Americans from Canton, Ohio, will be when they find out the area also has Mad Greek and Greek Souvlaki restaurants.

Opah!

"I'm just very blessed and fortunate to be here," said the 7-foot center, who spurned offers to play pro ball in Greece and was picked 23rd overall after his freshman season at Ohio State, while meeting Friday with media at the Zions Bank Basketball Center.

Deseret News | Kosta comes to Salt Lake

Utah feels fortunate to land Koufos
Saturday, June 28, 2008
BY Todd Porter
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

As pick after pick came off Kevin O'Connor's draft board in Salt Lake City, the Utah Jazz kept their fingers crossed. The big man Utah's general manager and Head Coach Jerry Sloan wanted still was there.

Kosta Koufos fell to the Jazz, and Friday afternoon their honeymoon together began. Koufos was introduced to Utah media and held up a No. 41 jersey as the newest member of the Jazz. Late Thursday night, Koufos did not seem irritated watching his draft stock, that was in or on the edge of a lottery pick, tumble before his eyes.

In Utah, he will play in a state where the Jazz are the only horse in the stable.

"The Utah Jazz are the main event here," Koufos said. "It's a great fan base. Basketball is important here. ... I feel I can contribute to this program and hopefully bring a championship."

CantonRep.com | The Canton Repository | Canton, Stark County & Northeast Ohio News, Community Events & Classifieds

Koufos' foot problems in the past, Jazz say
Utah's draftee broke foot as high school junior

By Tim Buckley
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, June 28, 2008

Last time a plummeting big man dropped to the Jazz, he had foot issues.
Major foot issues.

Curtis Borchardt ? selected 18th overall out of Stanford University in the 2002 NBA draft but expected to go higher ? was plagued by a stress fracture in his right foot while in college.

The 7-foot center missed his entire 2002-03 rookie season with the Jazz due to a stress fracture in the same foot, which was held together by surgical screws.

He wound up logging just 83 games over the next two seasons, and ? his NBA career cut short, in part because of the foot ? eventually embarked on a playing career in Spain.

Flash forward to Thursday.

The Jazz drafted 7-foot Ohio State freshman center Kosta Koufos, who was expected to go higher.

As it turns out, Koufos sustained a broken right foot that limited him to 11 games during his junior season at GlenOaks High School in Canton, Ohio.

That fact was considered but did not at all dissuade the Jazz from selecting Koufos with their No. 23 overall pick in the draft's first round.

"All the physicals show nothing," Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said Friday.

"We put it in the hopper ? but he played two years after that, and a lot of people have done that," O'Connor added. "It's not something that's happened recently, and he's played a lot of games since. It's a clean bill of health."
Koufos went on to average 25.9 points, 15.4 rebounds and 5.2 blocks during a full senior season at GlenOaks.

Deseret News | Koufos' foot problems in the past, Jazz say

 

[Buckskin86]

Draft-pick Koufos welcomed by Jazz
Canton native makes first Utah trip

Published on Sunday, Jun 29, 2008
From Beacon Journal wire services

It's hard to believe Kosta Koufos was once a point guard.

Somewhere around his early teens, Koufos outgrew the position and kept going from there. Now 7 feet tall, Koufos is an NBA prospect after going to the Utah Jazz with the No. 23 pick in the NBA Draft. The Jazz will make room in the lineup if Koufos shows he's really ready for the NBA at the age of 19, or the team can give the young center time to develop.

''You know what? This is a great situation for me,'' Koufos said Friday at a news conference to introduce Utah's first-round pick.

Barely a year ago, Koufos was runner-up in the Associated Press Ohio Mr. Basketball voting for 2007. Now he's about to try to make an impression with Utah coach Jerry Sloan, whose tenure with the Jazz began before Koufos was born.

Koufos was making his first visit to Utah, quite a different place from his hometown of Canton and not a destination where he expected to land. But he smiled throughout his introduction at the Jazz practice facility, knowing he had successfully made the leap from one season of college basketball to the NBA.

Koufos said he is the only member of his immediate family taller than 6 feet.

''This is my lottery,'' Koufos said with a grin.

Koufos averaged 14.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game last season at Ohio State, where he made the league's all-freshman team. He also has a good shot, especially for someone who is 7 feet tall. Koufos made 22-of-63 3-pointers for the Buckeyes and said his range extends to the longer NBA shot, too. He said his shooting ability comes from his days as a guard, which ended somewhere around eighth grade, when he was around 6-foot-7.

''I wasn't expecting to be this tall. I could always shoot the ball,'' he said. ''I just went wild with my height.''

Koufos' family is Greek, but he was born in the United States and has dual citizenship. He played for the Greek national 18-and-under team last summer and is an icon in his family's homeland, but said his goal has always been to play in the NBA, not overseas.

Koufos will play in the Rocky Mountain Revue, the summer league hosted by the Jazz, then have the rest of the summer to continue working out and get in shape for his first training camp under Sloan.

''He told me he's going to be hard on me ? which I love,'' Koufos said.

Whether he stays in Salt Lake City or spends more time in Orem, home of the Development League's Utah Flash, will depend on Koufos, said Jazz General Manager Kevin O'Connor.

He said Koufos, like most young centers, probably rarely had to go against players who were as big as he was growing up. He would face at least one every game in the NBA.

''It's really a change,'' O'Connor said.

Ohio.com - Draft-pick Koufos welcomed by Jazz

 

[osugrad21]

Rivals$

More from Kosta concerning the opportunity in Utah.

 

[osugrad21]

Rivals $

Brian Snow discusses the expectations that were placed on KK at tOSU.

 

[BuckNutty]

Utah Jazz Signs Kosta Koufos

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed center Kosta Koufos, the Jazz's first-round selection (23rd pick overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the offers were not released.

The 7-0, 265-pound center played one season at Ohio State University, averaging 14.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.81 blocks in 37 games (35 starts) while leading the Buckeyes to the 2008 Postseason NIT title. The 19-year-old earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors and was named to the league's All-Freshman Team, while also being selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Postseason NIT. A dual citizen of the United States and Greece, Koufos also averaged 26.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots while helping lead Greece to a silver medal at the 2007 UMCOR U18 European Championships. Koufos led the tournament in scoring and rebounding on his way to earning Most Valuable Player honors.

Koufos was the first Ohio State player ever drafted by the Jazz, and will also be the first former Buckeye to play for the Jazz.

Koufos will join the Jazz summer league team which begins practicing Monday, July 14 and will participate in the 2008 Rocky Mountain Revue, which takes place from July 18-25 at the Lifetime Activities Center on the Salt Lake Community College campus. He will make his professional debut against the San Antonio Spurs summer league entry on July 18 at 7 p.m.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Rookie money, even for the 23rd pick, is still nothing to sneeze at. For the first 3 years he'll average a little over a million per year.

NBA Rookie Salary Scale 2008 | NBA Rookie Salaries | NBA Rookie Salaries 2008

 

[Buckskin86]

Utah Jazz: Koufos makes debut tonight
By Ross Siler
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 07/18/2008

Having watched Kosta Koufos practice this week, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan acknowledged the obvious when it comes to the 7-foot center drafted out of Ohio State after his freshman year.

"I'm always amazed at 19 years old, a guy's out here trying to play at this level," Sloan said, adding that when it comes to the level of competition, "I don't think they have any idea what they're getting into."

Ready or not, Koufos will make his NBA debut tonight in the Rocky Mountain Revue against San Antonio. As the Jazz's first-round draft pick, he will be the featured attraction in the summer-league opener at Salt Lake Community College.

Koufos expects to play both center and power forward and likely will be paired with center Kyrylo Fesenko, the Jazz's second-round pick a year ago. Sloan said Koufos' shooting so far has been as good as advertised and that he's liked how he's run the floor.

If nothing else, Sloan couldn't have asked for a more serious player. Koufos has answered most questions from reporters by talking about being blessed and working hard. Some Jazz staffers have told him it's better if he doesn't call them "Sir" or "Mr."

Utah Jazz: Koufos makes debut tonight - Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz notebook: Sloan likes what he sees in first-round pick
By Tim Buckley
Deseret News
Published: Friday, July 18, 2008

The Jazz get their first almost real-deal look at first-round draft pick rookie center Kosta Koufos tonight when they open Rocky Mountain Revue play with an NBA summer-league game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Since Revue camp opened Monday, though, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has had an up-close peek during closed-to-the-media practices.

And he apparently likes what he's seen so far.

"He's only 19 years old and hasn't had the experience of being here," said Sloan, who had only seen Koufos play on tape when the Jazz drafted him last month. "But he has worked hard. That's all you can ask, and you let the rest of it take care of itself. He has some things that he can work on, as everybody does. But he has some things that can be worthwhile to his career.

"He runs pretty well for a big guy. He seems to have pretty good hands. He has the ability to be able to shoot the ball pretty well."

Sloan especially enjoys the 7-foot-1 big man's long-distance shot, even if it does seem to be a bit funky-looking.

"So was Larry Bird's. Larry Bird's shot was kind of ugly at times. Except it went in," he said. "I'll tell you one thing: When he (Koufos) gets the ball on the perimeter there and looks at the basket, you think it's going in. There are not a lot of guys (like that). But you think his shot's going in just about every time he shoots it."

Attitude seems to fall on the plus side, too.

"Obviously he's a young kid who's gonna have to work very hard to make himself a player. I mean, who else doesn't have to do that?" Sloan said. "Very few have come in this league that can just step out here and play. (But) he seems to be aware of the fact he's gonna have to work.

"He looks like a guy that can (make the league)," the Jazz coach added. "At 23rd (overall) ... he seems like to me a very good pick."

Deseret News | Utah Jazz notebook: Sloan likes what he sees in first-round pick

 

[Buckskin86]

Rocky Mountain Revue
Utah Jazz: Utah's Koufos stymied in debut
By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 07/19/2008

TAYLORSVILLE - Forty-five minutes before Kosta Koufos' professional debut Friday night, Utah Jazz vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor leaned against a wall outside the gym at Salt Lake Community College and made a prediction.

Koufos might not dominate the weeklong Rocky Mountain Revue, O'Connor said, but the Jazz's first-round draft pick from Ohio State would not be outworked.

"Our coaches . . . are pretty happy with how hard he plays," O'Connor said. "Now, how well he plays tonight, that might be a different story. But he always seems willing to compete."

In the Jazz's first game of the Revue - a lopsided 82-57 loss to San Antonio - Koufos might have been willing. But he wasn't able to do much, thanks mostly to early foul trouble that limited him to four minutes of playing time in the first half and only 14 for the game.

"He got into foul trouble and he pouted a little bit," said Jazz assistant coach Tyrone Corbin. " . . . He wanted be out on the floor.

"He wanted to score. He wanted to get his points. But he's got to let the game come to him and know - that if he gets in foul trouble - he can't be out there."

Koufos, the Big Ten's fifth-leading scorer and rebounder last season, admitted he must work on his defense, "but that will come. . . . I just have to play smarter. The NBA game is a lot faster" than college.

Despite Koufos' abbreviated court-time in his debut, O'Connor likes the potential of the seven-footer who was the 23rd overall pick in the draft.

"Any time you get a big player with skill late in the first round, I think you're happy," O'Connor said. "You know, it was a very unusual year. There were a great number of bigger players taken in the draft. . . . From No. 11 to No. 20, there were probably seven or eight who were drafted."

Utah Jazz: Utah's Koufos stymied in debut - Salt Lake Tribune

 

[Buckskin86]

Potential outpaces performance for Koufos
By Tim Buckley
Special to ESPN.com

Updated: July 19, 2008

Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images

If Kosta Koufos is the player Jerry Sloan seems to think he is, no one will remember his rough debut.

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah -- American-born Kosta Koufos holds dual United States-Greek citizenship, and could have been playing this week for Greece at FIBA's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

Instead he chose to join the Utah Jazz, who selected him 23rd overall in the first round of last June's NBA Draft, for the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league, which got under way Friday at Salt Lake Community College here.

His welcome to the NBA world -- an 82-57 loss to San Antonio in the Jazz's Revue opener -- proved to be quite the whirlwind experience.

"The two-a-days may have hurt him a little bit. Then the game picked up a little faster than two-a-days, so his head may be spinning a little bit,'' said Jazz assistant coach Tyrone Corbin, who worked Utah's bench as head coach Jerry Sloan watched from the baseline. "But he ought to figure it out pretty fast, because it's only going to get faster from here.''

The former Ohio State center had five points and four rebounds in 14 minutes, but he picked up two fouls in the game's first three minutes and 41 seconds -- and played only 32 seconds in the second quarter before getting called for his third.

"The NBA is a fast-paced game,'' said Koufos, who did manage to go 10-plus minutes in the second half with just one foul.

"I'm still trying to learn the system,'' he added. "Every day I'm getting better, feeling more comfortable.''

ESPN - Potential outpaces performance for Koufos - NBA

Rocky Mountain Revue: Koufos has 'long way to go,' Corbin says
By Jody Genessy
Deseret News
Published: Saturday, July 19, 2008

TAYLORSVILLE ? Let the trivia books show, Kosta Koufos' first shot in a pseudo Jazz uniform was a missed jumper.
And by the time Utah's first-round pick got another look in the second half, the 7-foot center had three fouls and two quicker-than-planned-on trips to the bench behind him.

If mom hadn't been sitting in the stands, she might not have received a very detailed letter from her 19-year-old describing his public NBA experience debut that about matched the Jazz's dreary 82-57 loss to San Antonio in Friday night's Rocky Mountain Revue opener.

Jazz assistant coach Tyrone Corbin, who's overseeing the Revue squad, didn't exactly give the rookie center a raving Revue review. Koufos, he said, needs to adjust to the quicker speed of this pro summer league and to the way NBA officials call the game. Not getting frustrated under adversity will help, too.

"He's got a long way to go," Corbin said. "Two-a-days might have taken some out of him."

Deseret News | Rocky Mountain Revue: Koufos has 'long way to go,' Corbin says

 

[BuckeyePride]

Utah Jazz: Top draft pick Koufos spurned big offers from Greece for NBA - Salt Lake Tribune



Koufos fell and Jazz pounced- cleveland.com



Deseret News | Olympics notes: Revue or Olympics ? or both ? for Koufos?

He spent Friday meeting with coach Jerry Sloan at the Jazz's practice facility - "He told me he's going to be hard on me, which I love," Koufos said - and posing for pictures with his new No. 41 jersey, last belonging to Thurl Bailey.

 

[Buckskin86]

Utah Jazz: Olympic hopes still alive for Koufos
By Tim Buckley
Deseret News
Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008

TAYLORSVILLE ? Jazz rookie Kosta Koufos' hopes for playing in the Olympic Games remain alive, as do those of Jazz 2008 second-round draft choice Ante Tomic.

The American-born Koufos holds dual U.S.-Greek citizenship, but the 19-year-old chose to play for the Jazz's entry in the Rocky Mountain Revue NBA summer league rather than for Greece in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

Greece beat the Puerto Rican team of ex-Jazz point guard Carlos Arroyo 88-63 in a FIBA semifinal game Saturday, earning a berth at next month's Summer Games in Beijing. Croatia beat Germany 76-70 ? despite a 30-point, 13-rebound showing from Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki ? in the other semi and qualified as well.

Puerto Rico, which according to an Associated Press report lost Orlando Magic free agent Arroyo to a torn leg muscle, will play Germany today for the last Olympic invite.

Koufos probably won't learn until sometime later this week if he'll be added to Greece's Olympic roster, though he has consistently said since the Jazz selected him out of Ohio State with the 23rd overall pick in last June's NBA Draft that the possibility remains open.

On one hand, he's widely regarded as Greece's best big man.
But, on the other, his age and his absence from the qualifying tourney could make him a national-club candidate only for the future.

"They're a great team," Koufos ? who had a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, but shot just 3-of-11 from the field, in Saturday's Revue loss to Atlanta ? said of Greece's now Olympic-bound national squad. "I'm happy for them. I wish the best for them right now, and I know they'll make a great run in the Olympics.

"Right now my focus is on the Utah Jazz," he added Saturday.

"I'm not thinking about Greece right now. But Greece has been a wonderful opportunity for me."

Deseret News | Utah Jazz: Olympic hopes still alive for Koufos

Sunday, 20 July 2008
Jazz big men show improvement in defeat
Kyle Flanagan - Herald Correspondent

For the Utah Jazz, the possibilities of what the floor could look like with second-year player Kyrylo Fesenko and 2008 draft pick Kosta Koufos seemed endless.

Two 7-footers, two defensive presences and two powerful bodies in the post -- reminiscent of the most famous 7-foot duo in San Antonio's David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

However, after the duo of Fesenko and Koufos combined for only five points and seven rebounds in the team's 82-57 loss to the San Antonio Spurs summer squad in Utah's Rocky Mountain Revue opener Friday night, thoughts of Fesenko and Koufos being the next famous pair may have been put on hold.

Enter Saturday night and Utah's second Revue game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Sure, the Jazz took the defeat vs. the Hawks by the count of 72-63, but the fans got a glimpse of what could be a very successful tandem.

"The one thing that was encouraging tonight was that Fes and Kosta fought back and both of them did very good on the rebounding, especially on the offensive boards," Jazz summer coach Scott Layden said.

Koufos recorded a double-double on the night, with 12 points and 10 rebounds (seven offensive rebounds). Fesenko, who finished with zero points in Friday's loss in just over 17 minutes of play, nearly recorded a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds (five offensive rebounds) on Saturday night.

Daily Herald - Jazz big men show improvement in defeat

 

[Brutus1]

David Robinson and Tim Duncan? This guy must not watch too much basketball.

 

[Buckskin86]

Around the NBA: Koufos impresses the folks in Utah
By Chris Beaven
GateHouse News Service
Sat Jul 26, 2008

It remains to be seen how much Kosta Koufos will help the Utah Jazz this season. But he made a solid first impression on his new team, including star point guard Deron Williams.

The 7-foot-1 rookie out of Ohio State finished as the team?s second-leading scorer in the Rocky Mountain Revue the Jazz hosted. Williams worked out some with the summer team and liked what he saw from Koufos.

?He?s still young. He?s still 19,? Williams told the Deseret News in Salt Lake City. ?I don?t know how much he?s gonna help this year. But you can definitely see how talented he is. He can run the floor. He can shoot the ball. Play with his back to the basket a little bit.?

Koufos played in all five games, starting four as the Jazz went 3-2. He averaged 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes a game. He didn?t shoot particularly well from the floor (12-of-35) but he hit 14-of-15 foul shots.

His most productive game came against Atlanta, which he started at power forward. He put up 12 points and 10 rebounds in 21 1/2 minutes, grabbing half of his boards on the offensive glass.

Koufos?s high skill level and ability to hit perimeter shots are often cited as his biggest strengths. But he did show some other aspects of his game. In a later game, Koufos passed up an open 15-footer he easily could?ve settled for because he saw the lane open up. Koufos immediately put the ball on the floor, drove in strong and threw down a right-handed dunk. He also showed some flashes of being productive on the offensive boards, which is a good way to earn minutes.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan isn?t expecting an instant impact from Koufos, just a willingness to work.

?It takes a long time for (big) guys,? Sloan said during a Jazz telecast. ?Everybody projects them to be stars as soon as we get them. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of hard work.?

Another view

Here?s what David Thorpe, an NBA analyst for espn.com, wrote about Koufos: ?Coordinated, but slow, with a good frame. Looks like he likes to face up and shoot, but his shot looks flat now. Does an excellent job absorbing contact on shots inside; keeps his shoulders square on finishes. His capacity for work is very high, so rapid improvement is a fair expectation.?

Around the NBA: Koufos impresses the folks in Utah - Carthage, MO - Carthage Press

 

[LitlBuck]

David Robinson and Tim Duncan? This guy must not watch too much basketball.

That probably is just a small stretch at this time. I will be very interested in how Kosta's NBA career progresses.