By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague rookies are the great unknown.
Whether discussing young prospects under the spotlight for the first time or veteran athletes at their professional peak coming to the highest competition in Europe for the first time, it’s difficult to project who will sink and who will float. Here are the 10 best EuroLeague newcomers for the 2021-22 campaign.
JOSH NEBO
8.8 points | 6.2 rebounds | 0.5 assists | 0.6 steals | 0.8 blocks | 12.8 PIR
One of the positive notes from a tough Zalgiris season that included changes on the bench, non-stop movement of players, and dreadful losing streaks. These setbacks seemed to matter very little to the American big man, who despite not being a particularly tall center (206 cm tall) finished as the sixth-best rebounder in the competition thanks to his gifted physical abilities.
JOHN BROWN
10.3 points | 4.8 rebounds | 1.2 assists | 2.8 steals | 0.1 blocks | 12.5 PIR
Without a doubt, one of the great sensations of the season. The best in steals in the competition (without even counting all the balls deflected and his influence due to his presence on the court) was one of the reasons for the great season that UNICS was having. John Brown’s first season in the top continental competition was a roaring success, as he was able to be a menace on both ends of the court.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA
6.5 points | 3.8 rebounds | 0.5 assists | 0.4 steals | 1.9 blocks | 5.5 PIR
One of the great prospects in European basketball is already a solid presence at the top level. He just turned 18, but the Frenchman finished the season as the best blocker in the competition, averaging a better number than stars Walter Tavares and Georgios Papagiannis. Despite a poor start, which is not unexpected considering that it was his first experience at the highest level, and an injury, Wembanyama managed to finish the season at a high level, showing everything he is capable of on the floor.
ELIE OKOBO
14.5 points | 2.8 rebounds | 3.9 assists | 0.7 steals | 0.1 blocks | 13.5 PIR
There was a time when the Frenchman was the hottest player in the Euroleague. Despite this season being his first in the competition, Okobo proved more than ready and ASVEL benefited from it. As the days went on, his numbers – as well as the numbers of victories for the French – started to fall, but that does not take anything away from his spectacular debut season, in which he finished as the seventh-highest scorer. He is undoubtedly one of the names to keep track of.
DANTE EXUM
6.8 points | 2.6 rebounds | 1.7 assists | 0.4 steals | 0.3 blocks | 8.8 PIR
The fifth pick in the NBA Draft made his debut in Europe and it didn’t take long to show his quality. The Australian, who started the season against Real Madrid, has gradually become indispensable for Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, helping to forget about the absence of the injured Cory Higgins. Vital in defense and unstoppable in the open court, much of Barca’s aspirations go through his hands and legs.
DEVON HALL
10 points | 1.9 rebounds | 2.1 assists | 0.6 steals | 0.2 blocks | 8.7 PIR
AX Armani Exchange Milan finished the regular season in third place and it did so thanks to great players in secondary roles like the Devon Hall. After several seasons in the NBA and the G League and a stint at Brose Bamberg, Hall has made it to the European elite and even started in 20 of the 32 games he has played with one of the EuroLeague contenders.
DONTA HALL
8.2 points | 5.2 rebounds | 0.3 assists | 0.5 steals | 1.2 blocks | 12.4 PIR
AS Monaco’s first season in the Euroleague has been historic, as the team managed to qualify for the playoffs by finishing seventh in the standings and players like Donta Hall are the reason. Despite being a rookie in the EuroLeague and having his first adventure outside his native United States, it didn’t take long for Hall to adapt to European basketball and leave his mark thanks to his outstanding athletic abilities. The fourth-best blocker in the competition, he sank 76.3% of the two-pointers he attempted, the second-best percentage in the entire competition.
DARYL MACON JR
13.1 points | 2.2 rebounds | 3.6 assists | 0.7 steals | 0.1 blocks | 11.6 PIR
Very few things can be salvaged from Panathinaikos‘s rough season and this young guard is one of them. After playing for AEK, he joined the Greens for a greater challenge and lived up to expectations by doing what was expected of him: scoring points. His shooting display against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 6 was an instant classic with him scoring 9 three-pointers and 34 points in just 25 minutes of play.
STEVEN ENOCH
9.5 points | 5.6 rebounds | 0.8 assists | 0.2 steals | 0.4 blocks | 10.7 PIR
Baskonia has fallen far short of meeting its objectives for the season and couldn’t make it to the playoffs. But not everything is bad news in Vitoria-Gasteiz, since one of the main bets for the 2021-22 campaign responded to the challenge. Enoch jumped from the NCAA to Obradoiro and from there to Baskonia, a gigantic step in the career of the big man with infinite offensive resources, who will surely be a pillar for the team in the foreseeable future.
DWAYNE BACON
13.8 points | 3.1 rebounds | 0.9 assists | 1 steal| 0 blocks | 10.3 PIR
Only Mike James scored more points than Dwayne Bacon for ‘La Roca Team’ this season. His contributions were key to finishing seventh in the standings. Of the 24 games Bacon played, only five times did he score less than 10 points and his season continues into the playoffs.