By Υiannis Bouranis/ info@eurohoops.net
In what seems to be a transitional season for the Europeans in the NBA, the old legends are still among the league’s elite, however the young blood is ready to take the mantle and make the next step.
While only one European player will be part of the All Star Game – Pau Gasol after the injury of his team-mate Jimmy Butler – the old stereotypes are gone and Europeans are no longer considered soft-long-range shooters, at least not all of them.
Times are changing and Kristaps Porzingis is the proof for that, but the old guard of Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker still is the measure, by which every European player has to be counted. Mark Gasol can look them in the eyes and only – unfortunately – an injury could and did stop him, but this is also the break-out year for many other European stars, as the top Euro-scorer in the NBA comes from Italy…
The best of the bests
Despite Denver’s mediocre season, the Italian sharpshooter, Danilo Gallinari, is finally healthy and is scoring like he should, averaging 19.83 ppg, the best number for a European in the NBA so far. Gallinari is scoring more than the German legend Dirk Nowitzki (17.55 ppg) who is still the focal point of Dallas’ offense.
The Gasol brothers are still the pride of Spain. Pau is averaging a double double (16,86 ppg, 10,90 rpg, 2 bpg) for the Bulls and Marc Gasol, before his injury, was Memphis’ leader, averaging 16,56 ppg, 6,96 rpg and 3,77 asp. The Spanish trio of quality big men is completed by Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who averages 12.47 ppg, 6.74 rpg, 2.17 bpg, while shooting 36,7% in threes!
In San Antonio, Tony Parker is still part of the big three and after a mediocre, for his standards, Eurobasket with France, he is doing his job with 12,02 ppg, on a great 43,2% three-point shooting percentage, and 5,08 assists per game, without playing at full speed at the moment. By the numbers this is a bad season for him, but the Spurs have the second best overall record in the NBA and he is a key player of this effort. His countryman, Nicola Batum, also bounced back in Charlotte with averaging 15,00 ppg, 6,53 rpg and 5,58 asp.
And after those established players, we have a lot of boiling new blood to go along with some trusty veterans. Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic (16,98 ppg, 8,85 rpg, 2,94 apg) in Orlando is steadily emerging as one of the best young centers in the world, the “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokoumpo (15,84 ppg, 7 rpg, 2,76 asp) in Milwaukee is the face of the franchise and Latvian rookie Kristaps Porzingis (13.93 ppg, 7,69 rpg) has taken New York by storm. In Toronto, Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas, despite his injury, is back and averages nearly a double double (12,35 ppg, 9.44 rpg), like Polish center Marcin Gortat does (13.48 ppg, 9.93 rpg) in Washington. Turkish forward Enes Kanter also belongs to the elite big men of the NBA, averaging 11.92 ppg, 7.64 rpg and shooting with 44,4% beyond the arc.
There’s are only two European players not named Gasol, who average a double double! Georgian Zaza Pachulia is having one of the best seasons in his career after going to Dallas, scoring 10 ppg and grabbing 10.70 rpg and French center Rudy Gobert is also doing damage in Utah with 10.34 ppg, 10,47 rpg and 3 bpg! Gobert is, of course, the best Euro-blocker in the NBA. The best passer is coming from Spain. In Minnesota, Ricky Rubio averages 9.53 ppg and 8.64 apg, along with 2,23 steals. And also another player from Orlando, Frenchman Evan Fournier (13.76 ppg, 2.88 rpg, 39,5% in threes), is making the cut for the Euro-elite, due to his great progress.
The middle class
Those are the players, who have a specific role, solid minutes on the court and, in some cases, are knocking the door of the top class. However, either they are not ready yet, or they have reached their full potential and can’t be considered stars.
Ersan Ilyasova, in his first year in Detroit, averages 27,6 minutes per game, 11.33 ppg and 5,42 rpg. He is still a solid player but, after years in the NBA, this seems to be his ceiling. In Sacramento, the trio of the Greek Kosta Koufos (6.75 ppg, 5,73 rpg), Israeli Omri Casspi (12.34 ppg, 6,36 rpg) and Italian Marco Bellinelli (11.04 ppg, 30,4% in 3p.) are solid contributors, but not anchors of the team.
The same applies to San Antonio for Frenchman Boris Diaw (6,67 ppg, 3,29 rpg, 2,48 asp) and fan favorite rookie from Serbia Boban Marjanovic (5,88 ppg, 3,73 rpg). In Diaw’s case, it’s a given that, if needed in the playoffs, he will step up.
In Atlanta, German guard Dennis Schroder (10,56 p. 4,54 asp) is still evolving and working on his game, while Swiss Thampo Sefolosha (6,73 ppg, 4,52 r.) can’t be considered more than a role player. In their second year in the NBA, Croatian Bojan Bogdanovic (9.40 ppg.) is one of the few bright spots in a really bad Nets team and in Chicago Spaniard/Montenegrin Nikola Mirotic (10.59 ppg, 5,86 rpg) is a solid bench player. Frenchman Joakim Noah (4,28 ppg, 8,79 rpg, 3,79 apg) has taken a step back, due to his injury, and that’s why he is stuck in the middle.
Russian Timofey Mozgov (6,31 ppg, 4,15 rpg) in Clevaland is doing his job, despite the unspectacular numbers and the same can be said for veteran Spaniard Jose Calderon (7,45 ppg, 3,1 rpg, 4,08 asp), despite him being considered by many the possible scapegoat for the Knicks issues. Denver has also a solid European role players duo in rookie Serb Nikola Jokic (9,53 ppg, 5,92 rpg) and French big man Joffrey Lauvergne (7,61 ppg, 5,12 rpg). The same can be said for Swiss Clint Capela in Houston (7,21 ppg, 6,87 rpg) and Frenchman Ian Mahinmi in the Indiana Pacers (8.41 ppg, 7,02 rpg).
The last three cases are bonafide stars and leaders with their national teams, but in the NBA this is not quite evident. Bosnian Mirza Teletovic is playing just 18,2 mpg in the dissapointing Phoenix, scoring 9,96 ppg, while Slovenian Goran Dragic has taken a step back in Miami behind Bosh and Wade, averaging 12,16 ppg and 5,25 asp, despite spending 32,2 mpg on the court. Τhe same applies in the same team for British Luol Deng (10.6 p., 4,7 r.).
The questionmarks
It’s obvious that only the top European players are making the jump to the NBA. However, an injury, a bad fit or a slow adaptation to the needs of the American league can create many issues.
The poster child for this can be considered last season’s Euroleague MVP Nemanja Bjelica. The Serb forward, in 18 minutes per game, averages just 4,56 ppg and 3.27 rpg for Minessota. His teammate, Croatian shooting specialist Damjan Rudez (2,67 ppg) has a also a very small role and Nikola Pekovic due to injuries in 12 games averages just 4,5 ppg.
Bosnian big man Jusuf Nurkic has also played only 16 games in Denver because he was coming from a surgery, averaging 5.88 ppg and 4,69 rpg, while in Phoenix Ukrainian center Alex Len is still trying to fit in (6.92 ppg, 6.22 rpg). The injury woes are also an issue for Lithuanian Donatas Motiejunas in Houston (5.57 ppg, 2,14 rpg) and in New Orleans, Turkish center Omer Asik (3.66 ppg, 6,14 rpg) and Frenchman Alexis Ajinca (4,55 ppg, 3.o5 rpg) can’t emerge as key parts of the team.
The list of the Europeans, who have a very limited role, is quite long: Russian Sasha Kaun in Cleveland (0,9 ppg, 1,1 rpg), French Damien Inglis in Milwaukee (1 ppg, 1,12 rpg), veteran Slovenian Beno Udrih in Miami (4,48 ppg, 2,58 rpg), also Slovenian Sasha Vujacic (3.76 ppg, 2.05 rpg) and Frenchman Kevin Seraphin (3,79 ppg, 2,24 ppg) in New York, German Chris Kaman in Portland (2,5 ppg), Swedish Jonas Jerebko (3,85 ppg, 3,3 rpg) in Boston, German center Tibor Pleiss in Utah (2 ppg, 1,25 rpg) and even Croatian rookie Mario Hezonja (5,23 ppg.) in Orlando.
And we can’t but make a special mention to Andrea Bargnani. The Italian forward is having the worst season of his NBA career with the Nets, averaging only 6.61 ppg and 2.11 rpg, considering the fact that he was the number 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft.