Ers…no, what’s really in a name?

International players have cemented themselves as the norm in today’s league, their names however continue to cause broadcasters to fumble, bumble, and even breeze over the pronunciations. This was made apparent last night in Miami when Heat commentators had a field day of mispronunciations with Kostas Papanikolou, a Greek rookie with the Rockets.

Bucks sophmore guard Giannis Antetokounmpo is known around the league as ‘The Greek Freak’, and in Milwaukee as “’The Alphabet”.  Longtime Bucks commentator Jon McGlocklin dubbed Georgian big man ZaZa Pachulia as “Z” or “Zaza” because four syllables are a mouthful in a fast-paced game like basketball, but it was a tweet made by the Milwaukee team account during tonight’s loss against the Bulls that really had me irked, and I mean Errrrked.

“Ers”? Really “Ers”? Ersan Ilyasova has played with the Bucks for six years and “Ers” is the best anyone has come up with? I’ve been open about my lack of support for the Turkish forward, whose style borderlines the five spot, but he’s been in Milwaukee more than half a decade. The man deserves a nickname, one better than his occasional monikers “Turkish Thunder”, and the overly- complimentary “Turk Nowitzki”. Considering he isn’t a dunker, the thunder is weak, and he ain’t no Dirk, so I’m not even going to contest that one. In the interest of witty word play, and because quite frankly those names eat it hard, here are a few handles that may better suit #7.

Ilyasova the Medioca- Because he doesn’t do any one thing particularly well

Turkish Rebound Hound – He recorded a career high rebounds with 25 against the Nets in 2012.

Ersan the Overpaid – 45 million for five years for a guy who was out for the second half of last season with an ankle injury, and just barely produces 10 a game.

Share your opinions and suggestions in the comments, if you think the guy deserves a nickname in the first place.

@WiTheNorth