By Utkan Şahin / info@eurohoops.net
Following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season with a spectacular showdown at the Cologne Final Four, Eurohoops focuses on the free-agent gems available on the market for the 2021-22 season.
So far, we’ve analyzed the top point guards, top shooting guards and the top small forwards, and now it’s time to take a look at the Top 10 available power forwards.
Note: Players with options in their contracts are also included.
10 – Aaron White (Panathinaikos)
Age / Country: 28 / USA
EuroLeague Career: 4 seasons – 118 games
Stats: 33 games, 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 9.0 EFF
Best game: 11 points, 8 rebounds, 20 EFF vs Anadolu Efes
Do you remember when Aaron White entered the EuroLeague with the Zalgiris Kaunas jersey in the 2017-18 season? While Zalgiris was making the Final Four that season, White was one of the most important parts of the team.
Even though his athleticism has always placed him in a different team among his 4 seasons in the league, he could not come to the fore as a player whose name we heard a lot.
Returning to the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos after a little Lenovo Tenerife adventure in between, White has had the chance to play consistently this season.
In general, while he did not perform as strong as before, though he achieved average work despite the mediocre course of his team.
9 – Kostas Mitoglou (Panathinaikos)
Age / Country: 25 / Greece
EuroLeague Career: 4 seasons – 93 games
Stats: 34 games, 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 11.3 EFF
Best game: 29 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 42 EFF vs Khimki Moscow
Konstantinos Mitoglou has taken a place in our memories as perhaps one of the EuroLeague’s most committed players this season. After 3 seasons of NCAA experience, Mitoglou, who was in the league rotation of Panathinaikos in the 2017-18 season, started to become one of the most important parts of the first team over the years.
Of course, Mitoglou, who has a long way to go at a still fairly young age, is actually an interesting player with his approach to the game and the physique that can be oversized for a power forward. The Greek player, who has become a monument of stability by playing in all 34 games this season, provided the maximum performance that his team would expect from him with 9.3 points – 5.4 rebounds averages.
His 29 points – 12 rebounds game against Khimki Moscow will be remembered. Contrary to what is expected from his physique, he is an important part of the future of Panathinaikos and Greek basketball with his quickness and awareness of rim defense. He is a player who can attract attention among the free-agent power forwards.
8 – Adrien Moerman (Anadolu Efes)
Age / Country: 32 / France
EuroLeague Career: 8 seasons – 183 games
Stats: 41 games, 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 8.5 EFF
Best game: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 27 EFF vs Crvena Zvezda
Actually, there is no need to explain Adrien Moerman at length. The French player, whom we have watched for years in teams such as Bandırma, Barcelona, and Anadolu Efes, is also among the power forwards to be released this summer.
Moerman, who has made a generally criticized performance in the EuroLeague this season, took the stage again in the final game and played as if to prove why he is one of the most critical parts of Efes. Thanks to his two-way contribution to the game, Efes has been playing strong basketball for three years.
Moerman, who is one of the best performing players of the season in the Turkish BSL, may be a valuable target for Efes in terms of keeping the same core for the coming season, despite the fact that his EuroLeague performances might have not been that effective.
7 – Jonas Jerebko (Khimki Moscow)
Age / Country: 34 / Sweden
EuroLeague Career: 4 seasons – 72 games
Stats: 28 games, 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 12.8 EFF
Best game: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 25 EFF vs Zalgiris
Jonas Jerebko was just one of the names whose departure from Khimki Moscow was unpleasant this season. Even if his advancing age is something that we think may be an obstacle for him, any GM, coach, or manager who is aware that players who have spent many years in the NBA are much stronger and more resilient, would want Jerebko in their team.
The general problems in Khimki’s structure and the chemistry that could not be established due to financial problems did not affect Jerebko’s individual statistics negatively, but it was still not a system that he enjoyed playing. He is one of the most experienced players among the free agents on the list.
6 – Derrick Williams (Valencia)
Age / Country: 30 / USA
EuroLeague Career: 3 seasons – 91 games
Stats: 34 games, 9.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 9.7 EFF
Best game: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 25 EFF vs Baskonia
Although Derrick Williams made a great start to his EuroLeague career with Bayern Munich, the continuation was not so glorious.
Williams is entering the 2021 free agent list as a player who is loved for his athleticism and efficiency on the offensive end, as well as his one-on-one playing ability and average three-point shot contribution, however, he lacks on the defensive end due to issues such as rebounding and concentration.
We’ll see who will push for the American player who had a decent season with Valencia.
5- Georgios Printezis (Olympiacos)
Age / Country: 36 / Greece
EuroLeague Career: 18 seasons – 340 games
Stats: 31 games, 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 8.9 EFF
Best game: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 23 EFF vs Valencia
He’s a legend. Will 2021 be the year of Giorgos Printezis’ departure from Olympiacos, the team he’s been playing since he was a teenager (minus some small breaks)? Or will he return home after the summer as a free agent?
Printezis is not just for Olympiacos. He’s a person we are confident he will be able to perform at this level for at least one more season since he’s an undisputed EuroLeague legend. Even at the age of 36, he can still contribute consistently above a certain level.
At the same time, his dedication to the game and his team have always been the most admirable. Almost every summer, we see extension announcements with Olympiacos and pictures with one or both of the Aggelopoulos brothers, like his partner Spanoulis. Will the same thing happen this summer? I invite you to say #BemYimBurasi with your club
4 – Nigel Hayes (Zalgiris Kaunas)
Age / Country: 26 / USA
EuroLeague Career: 2 seasons – 61 games
Stats: 33 games, 9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 9.8 EFF
Best game: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 30 EFF vs Maccabi
A player who has risen to the EuroLeague level from Galatasaray. He’s a player who you clearly know how much he can contribute and you can be really sure of what he can’t provide. Most of the time, it’s clear what he will do.
Hayes, a player who is fond of shooting the 3-pointer a lot, is now entering the free-agent market as one of Europe’s most valuable power forwards and it seems likely that top teams will be interested in him.
His offensive package has reached a solid level both with his face and his back to the basket. For Hayes, making it to an even higher level should be more than a dream
3- Will Thomas (Zenit St. Petersburg)
Age / Country: 35 / USA
EuroLeague Career: 4 seasons – 144 games
Stats: 39 games, 9.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 13.4 EFF
Best game: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 26 EFF vs Fenerbahçe Beko
Will Thomas also stands out as one of the most reliable veteran players among the league’s power forwards. There’s no doubt that you can count him among one of the biggest shareholders of Zenit’s success this last season.
The 35-year-old (his birthday is on July 1st) player has made bigger leaps than ever before into becoming more mature and more effective when it comes to his offensive efficiency.
Thomas is a serious candidate to be the biggest weapon on the floor with his back to the basket for any team. It would probably be the right choice for Zenit to keep him since the team needs to protect the assets that helped them come so close to the Final Four. By that logic, Thomas can’t be separated from them.
2 – Guerschon Yabusele (LDLC ASVEL)
Age / Country: 25 / France
EuroLeague Career: 2 seasons – 32 games
Stats: 30 games, 11.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 11.0 EFF
Best game: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 37 EFF vs Khimki Moscow
Guerschon Yabusele will definitely be one of the most popular free agents this summer. ASVEL has been doing a good job with its transfers these last two seasons and they reap the fruits of their work on the court. With the players they’ve been acquiring, they have performed energetic, dynamic basketball particularly in their home games.
Like Tonye Jekiri before them, the members of the team who have contributed to this type of basketball can make it to clubs of higher level. Yabusele seems to be one of these candidates in the 2021 class.
With a terrifying potential thanks to his physique and athleticism, Yabusele is a valuable player as a tall guy who can play the outside game well and attack the rim with the strength that his physical characteristics give him. He’s in our second place for a reason.
1 – Achille Polonara (TD Systems Baskonia)
Age / Country: 29 / Italy
EuroLeague Career: 2 seasons – 60 games
Stats: 33 games, 12.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 16.5 EFF
Best game: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 36 EFF vs Panathinaikos
Until the report about Achille Polonara’s agreement with Fenerbahce Beko becomes official, he will always be the name we’ll put in the first place among EuroLeague’s top free agents at the power forward position.
Polonara jumped to Baskonia after some years with Reggio Emilia and Dinamo Sassari and didn’t have much of an impact in his first season. That was until his tremendous assist for the basket that gave Baskonia its first championship title in 10 years. He literally put his mark on the last minutes of that game.
That was just the beginning of a spectacular rise for the Italian forward, who has earned his place in the elite power forwards of the competition.