By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Errick McCollum has played against hundreds, if not thousands of players throughout his 14-year overseas career. Entering his third season in the Basketball Champions League with Pinar Karsiyaka, he added another one to the list, who has been talked about by a lot of basketball people.
In Group C of this year’s International competition, each team has a referenced guard. Marcelinho Huertas is the veteran you need from La Laguna Tenerife, Errick McCollum gets the job done for Pinar Karsiyaka, and the debuting Kolossos Rhodes is hugely reliant on Andrew Goudelock’s contribution.
Another team that is making its first-ever appearance in the tournament is Saint-Quentin, which stole the show in last year’s LNB as newly promoted. They have on board the 2006-born Nolan Traore, who had 27 points and 5 assists in his BCL debut against the Greeks.
This past week, he went up against Pinar Karsiyaka, in a matching clash of generations against the 36-year-old American veteran. So, what was it like facing a projected Top-5 pick in next year’s NBA Draft for Errick McCollum? “I like his game. I think he has good size for the guard position, good length, he’s explosive, he’s quick”, he first opened to Eurohoops.
Nolan Traore didn’t have the best of nights with 11 points, 6 assists, and 6 turnovers seasoned with a defeat, but his opponent already knows he will have a bright future. “I think as he gets older and once he’s in the NBA, he’ll get stronger. He’ll get his body more ready for the physicality. He can shoot pretty well for his age, but he has to continue improving that for the next level”, McCollum added.
Just in case you were wondering if Nolan is still hot from his 27-point debut 🤷#BasketballCL | @SQBB_Officiel pic.twitter.com/ztGVJfZC1A
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 15, 2024
“But to be 18 years old, he played with very good poise and confidence. He showed his potential. I think in the NBA his game is better suited because he’s fast, he’s quick, he likes to push in transition, and he gets up and down the court extremely quickly”, he said before drawing up some comparisons.
“It’s hard to compare him to a player because everybody’s so different. I would say in transition I’ve seen some flashes of a [Russell] Westbrook: getting downhill, being aggressive, getting to that right hand, trying to impose that break. He also moves on the court to me like Lamelo Ball. Some of his movements, how he gets where he wants to go, how he’s a little bit patient. The way he moves on the court. LaMelo [Ball] has good control and a good pace“, Pinar’s guard added.
“He doesn’t seem to be rushed or to be sped up. And that’s not common for an 18, 19-year-old kid. If he improves his jump shot and his handle, with that athleticism he has, with that speed, that twitch, I think that he can continue to climb the ranks and have success at the NBA level. Because there’s more spacing, the game is faster, and when you’re athletic and you have those abilities, it’s going to open things up for you as long as you continue to hone and work on your skills”, McCollum also commented.
Moreover, Nolan Traore had to confront himself with a hostile crowd. “When you’re playing against grown men, you’re in a pressure environment, a gym like Karsiyaka, it’s not easy to be under control, to make decisions, to do the right things. And I felt like he did pretty well. Maybe he didn’t shoot the ball the best but I thought he had a solid floor game. He was solid on defense and he showed his ability to make some shots”, he finally touched on the likely BCL Rookie of the Year.
What brings out even more curiosity is if Errick McCollum prepares differently for an encounter if he knows he’s about to face a young prospect rather than a veteran like him. “I try to treat each opponent in each game the same, with the mindset of focusing on me, the things I have to do for the game plan, the coach, and what they want us to carry out. I think that handles itself”, he first answered.
“But when you do play a younger player, it’s difficult because oftentimes you’re not familiar with them and their game. I know how [Marcelinho] Huertas plays, I know how [Andrew] Goudelock plays, I’ve seen them for over a decade and we’ve played against each other many times. I don’t get surprised, I know what they do. But with a younger guy, I have to prepare myself”, McCollum continued.
“Watch maybe a little bit more film, check out some things on YouTube to see the tendencies, see how they move and what they like to do. Because I had never seen him play. I didn’t know who he was until I saw that we were in a group together. I heard that Saint Quentin had a prospect, but I had never seen him play”, he recalled about knowing anything about the 2006-born French prospect.
“And then the first time I saw him was when he went off against Kolossos. I was the big game there and I was like, OK, let me prepare myself to get ready for young guys. I know they’re going to come in hungry, eager, and ready to prove something”, he added. Considering his 21 points and 6 assists put up in the winning clash for the red-and-green side, he prepared himself pretty well.
Is Pinar Karsiyaka ready to compete for the Final Four?
Since when Errick McCollum moved to Izmir with Pinar Karsiyaka, the Turkish team has never reached a higher stage than the Top 16 in the Basketball Champions League.
His first season, in 2022-23, coincided with a 2-0 loss in the Play-Ins against UCAM Murcia, while last year they couldn’t advance from the tough Group K featuring both Final Four participants Tenerife and Peristeri, with also Hapoel Jerusalem in the mix.
This year, quoting McCollum, “They did a good job with the roster”, adding several pieces to the table. Most importantly, four other backbones to help the American playmaker: Daron “Fatts” Russell, James Webb III, Damien Jefferson, and Jerry Boutsiele. He analyzed them all.
“[Daron] Fatts [Russell] is just explosive. He’s the fastest player I ever played with. He goes where he wants, when he wants, no one can guard him. He’s mentally tough. You can count on him in the big moments, in the clutch time. He’s just a dog. I think he has huge potential and I think he’s a EuroLeague level talent caliber player”, he first praised his backcourt teammate.
“It would be a matter of time before he’s there, but he has that ability. And you’re seeing in the EuroLeague starting to give smaller guys a chance. You see it in TJ Shorts, you see it with Yago [Dos Santos], you see it in Carsen Edwards. You see it also with a few of the other guys who are having success and that’s good because it opens up the door for other smaller guys to get out. A lot of the smaller guys are really showing that they can be effective and they can impact the game at the EuroLeague level. And I think Fatts is on that level. He’ll be able to do that”, he added.
Their relationship goes even beyond the basketball court, having both brothers [CJ McCollum and DeWayne Russell] as basketball players too. “It’s just mutual respect. We both come from basketball families. We both love the game. You see it with us, you see it with our brothers. And then also whenever you play with somebody and against them, for two years I played against Fatts and you know he’s just a competitor. He always brings it and he just gets the job done”, he also said.
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“He took Manisa, which hadn’t been in the first league for long, to fifth place in the Turkish league, and got them to the Champions League. That’s the leadership he had. Anytime you see that, we had a mutual respect because he’s seen my craft, what I’ve done. I’ve just tried to take him under my wing and try to show him as much as I can because I see his talent, I see his potential. I think he’s just a talented player who also studies, breathes, and eats basketball”, McCollum added on the 26-year-old countryman.
“We’re always watching EuroLeague games, texting each other, and we’re dissecting certain things and what we see is just refreshing because he reminds me of myself when it comes to mentally how we approach the game and how basketball is around us 24/7. So I think just our love for the game, and our professionalism has kind of bonded us together”, he commented.
He then moved to other teammates. “James Webb is experienced, he can really shoot the ball, and he’s athletic. He’s a dynamic four, one of the few fours in Europe that can put the ball on the floor, that can rebound, that can shoot the 3 and defend. He’s a guy that has 3 skills but the length and the height of a 4 man. He gives us extreme versatility both offensively and defensively in what we’re trying to do”, he said.
“Jerry Boutsiele is just a force inside. He’s strong. I don’t think anybody can guard him one-on-one in the post, most teams go with the double team. But he was excellent in the short roll for us. He didn’t get many shot opportunities because Saint-Quentin doubled every touch. They didn’t even wait for him to dribble. But he had a good short roll game, he made the right reads and was on the offensive glass. He’s that force inside to kind of protect the paint for us”, McCollum shared about the French center.
He also touched on the former Filou Oostende’s forward. [Damien] Jefferson is an intriguing player because he’s strong, he has good size at the three positions, he can shoot and he’s finding his way, he’s getting his rhythm down. He had a really good game (18 points and 6 rebounds, ed) against Saint-Quentin”, McCollum said about another one of his teammates.
“I think that he’s going to continue to showcase his ability to close out the attack, to catch and shoot, and to make an impact for us because we have so many options offensively. It’s hard to just focus on one guy if you do you know the other guys can beat you as well. That’s why I like the team, because of the balance but also because of the multiple threats offensively”, he summed up on Ufuk Sarica’s team.
𝗞𝗔𝗙 for the blocks, 𝗦𝗜𝗡 for the dunk… 🟢🔴
KAF-SIN-KAF on a ROLL 🔥#BasketballCL | @KSKBasket pic.twitter.com/XFLHfEH6xS
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 15, 2024
Behind the scenes with the man of the hour, Saben Lee
Both Turkish teams, Pinar Karsiyaka and Manisa couldn’t have faced each other immediately in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season once Saben Lee was still there. However, the newest Maccabi Tel Aviv sensation did have an encounter with Errick McCollum, in the preseason.
What’s unknown is what happened before the Phoenix Suns player eventually moved to Europe, where in his first two Basketball Champions League games he averaged 39.5 points per game, even tying the All-Time Basketball Champions League Scoring record with 43 points in a single game.
“It’s a small world. My agent once called me and asked me for information about Manisa, because he was thinking about placing one of his players there. He told me the name, but it didn’t register because I’ve been overseas all these years. I don’t really watch a lot of games. Maybe only NBA playoffs or my brother’s team, because with the time difference is very difficult”, he opened.
“He told me there’s this guy called Saben Lee that he thought he could be really good there. Well, Manisa is the place where they let the guards go, there’s a lot of freedom, and it’s two games a week. So it could have definitely been a good exposure for him. Long story short, we ended up playing against each other in the preseason. My teammates who’ve played against him in the past said he’s a driver, he likes to attack strong and right. But he showed a lot more versatility offensively than just driving”, he added.
“He’s hitting pull-ups, he’s hitting threes. He’s getting to the hole, and I liked him because he was competitive. We chatted back and forth, little friendly trash-talking, and he had a really big game against us. I played well too, we got the win, but I saw something. He was different. You can tell he’s a bucket. He gets where he wants to get on the court, McCollum added on Saben Lee.
He believes we haven’t seen yet another of his high-level qualities. “I think what people don’t know is he can pass. You’re going to see it more now that he’s around higher-quality teammates as far as experience and talent by being at Maccabi. That’s the place where he’ll be able to flourish. He already showed that in his first game [against Partizan Belgrade]”, he added.
“[Saben Lee] is a really good player. The future is bright, and seeing someone adjust this quickly to Europe is extremely impressive. Because the game is so different in terms of physicality and spacing; he’s just jumped in and never looked back. It’s almost as if he’s been playing [here] for six or seven years. I wish him the best and I hope he continues to kill it”, McCollum finished.
He’s surely not the only guy who has transitioned from the Basketball Champions League to immediate results in the EuroLeague. Bonzie Colson, Chima Moneke, Sylvain Francisco, and TJ Shorts are just some of the examples in such regard. Errick McCollum touched on this too.
“I think it’s just about opportunity. Because there are a lot of talented players who maybe don’t choose the right situation going from the BCL to the EuroLeague, they’re not utilized correctly, they’re not given the opportunity to get minutes, or maybe the coach doesn’t trust them because they’ve had the same roster for three or four years, or maybe the game’s not flowing your way”, he first said.
Then, he brought out a name who could be next in line. “I really think [Daron] Fatts Russell is the next upcoming smaller guard [in the EuroLeague]. With his speed, his ability to pass, and score. Just seeing these guards show what they can do. I think TJ Short’s success, Yago’s success, all the smaller guards: how they’re hard to guard, they’re quick, they’re explosive”, he predicted.
“Especially when they’re passed defensively and doing little things. I think he has the potential to do something. He’s a game-changer. I wouldn’t be surprised if in two years he’s in the EuroLeague because he’s that type of talent”, Errick McCollum continued praising his teammate.
While the 36-year-old guard still believes Unicaja Malaga and La Laguna Tenerife are still a step above everybody in the competition due to their system continuing to be successful without major changes, he has high hopes this can turn into Pinar Karsiyaka’s year. Waiting to see what the future holds.
“I love the experience of being overseas, seeing different cultures, trying different cuisines, just being in different places. When you’re young, you take it for granted. As you get older, you realize that the clock is ticking, you don’t have as much time and these experiences are invaluable. I love seeing the world, but with that said, I’m also at a stage in my life where I have two children. One is four years old, one will be two in March. I have a wife, and I like to have some stability for them”, he first said about his future.
“We really like Turkey, they’re comfortable here. They know what to expect. We found a really good international school. The kids have been adopted, and I think stability is important for kids, so I would like to stay here. But this is my job and I’m a professional. If the opportunity or the right situation isn’t here in Turkey, then I have to do what’s best for my family and my career. I’m open to that”, he added.
However, if he could choose, he would like to prolong his stay in Turkey. “I know some things are out of our control. I’m playing at a high level, I still feel great and I’ve been blessed to have good shape and good rhythm. I work hard. But some coaches and some organizations don’t like old guys”, he laughed. “I always say in life you only need one person to like you. I only needed one woman to love me. I got my wife, I’m cool, nothing matters now”, Errick McCollum jokingly shared.
“You just need one team to love you. Hopefully, that’s Karsiyaka, but you never know. My plan is to write it out and stay here as long as I can, but I have to do my part. I’ve got to help the team win, I’ve got to continue to play at a high level. I understand the business aspect of it. It’s possible I could stay here but you never know: a lot of things happen that you can’t foresee or you never expect. Sometimes you’re forced to make decisions”, the American guard followed, leaving the door open.
“I’ve got to take it day by day. I learned just to enjoy the moment, and enjoy the time. I’m just blessed that I’ve been able to play for 15 years. I never thought I could ever make it this long. I love the game and I’ve been blessed to be injured free. This is the reward of that, I guess. I just thank God for that and I pray that he just keeps protecting me”, he concluded.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League