By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
“WHO?”. The most popular and commonly used word among NBA fans when hearing the name of “x European player” that gets drafted or signed by their favorite team.
Well, since the Olympics naturally attract a large global audience, it provides basketball fans with opportunities to familiarize themselves with some of these players. Perhaps help transform the “Who?” to something like “Oh, him”. Maybe even “Oh, him, he’s cool, right?”.
There are four European ballers competing in Rio that will introduce themselves to the NBA this year and one who returns to the best league of the planet, yet as a completely different player.
The Spanish national team generally has the lions’ share as the European squad with more NBA players, featuring no less than seven in its ranks. Three will make the transition to the other side of the Atlantic ocean this summer, but only two of them are league rookies.
For Sergio Rodriguez this won’t be the first time in the NBA. “El Chacho” had already been there from 2006 to 2010 playing for the Blazers, Kings and the Knicks. But make no mistake. Now we are talking about “Rodriguez MK II”, in comparison to the one who who chose to return to Europe in 2010. On his way back to the NBA world, the 30-year old point guard will carry in his bags a Euroleague MVP award (2014), the continental champion’s crown (2015), numerous individual distinctions and a pile of team titles with Real Madrid.
What matters the most is that the quality of his game justifies the “Spanish Magician” nickname more than ever. Not just a floor general, but a grand marshal who can control everything that moves in his team’s offense and being a prime representative of cogitative basketball, Rodriguez can bring beauty and substance to the max in the Sixers‘ playmaking. To get a picture of how important he was for his team, already many Madridistas (and not only) dub him “irreplaceable”.
The 2016 Euroleague Rising Star is another Spaniard ready to step his foot on the basketball courts of the NBA in the upcoming season. Alex Abrines comes to Oklahoma after the best season in his career so far. Among other things, his exploits included a 43.6% (90/206) three-point shooting plus a 25 points career high (with 6/10 from downtown) in a Euroleague playoffs game between Barcelona and Lokomotiv Kuban.
“Now there’s a guy who can come and bring these buckets from downtown” probably thought the people of Oklahoma when deciding to enlist him. The Thunder will earn much by posting him in sniper positions all over the perimeter and expect him to space the floor for their superstar, Russell Westbrook, to find even more room for his usual shenanigans. But they will get even more from him if they take advantage of his athleticism and penetrative strengths.
There’s also 22-year old center Willy Hernangomez in the Spanish national team. Although he didn’t get much playing time in Real Madrid this year, the Knicks decided to offer him a contract and team him up with his 2014/2015 Sevilla buddy Kristaps Porzingis.
Hernangomez averaged 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds, spending 11 minutes on court per game, shooting with a strong 64% from the field in Euroleague while fighting many battles against seasoned big guys of the European basketball elite. A solid test for his size, which he already uses quite well for his age and is a tool which his new team can sharpen to a great effect.
He is not the only player that the fans of the Knicks should be curious to see in the Olympic Tournament. They can also get a taste of who Mindaugas Kuzminskas is. A tall small forward from the great basketball school of Lithuania, he grew up as a player in Zalgiris Kaunas before moving to Unicaja Malaga. Under the tutelage of the same mentor, Joan Plaza, since 2012, Kuzminskas has been developing a wide range of skills that extend from showing his teeth from behind the arc, to schooling his opponents at the low post.
The 26-year old player has often cited Ramunas Siskauskas (among the most acclaimed European small forwards in the last decades) as one of his idols regarding the elements he wants to infuse his style with. While his athletic prowess is far greater than the one of “Siska”, further improving his moves will the ball in his hands is what can even transcend his game.
Last, but definitely not least, there’s a specific someone from the Croatian national team. When Aco Petrovic’s guys enter the stage in the premiere match against Spain, all lights will definitely be on Dario Saric. The man who is already expected as a savior in Philadelphia and will most likely receive Jesus status if the 76ers accomplish something like… let’s say make it to the playoffs.
Demonstrating a versatility that is reminiscent of the Yugoslavian legends of ages past, possessing leadership qualities and maturity which makes you think that he is wise beyond his years, Saric is already the focal member of team Croatia on both ends of court.
It’s not a coincidence that the 22-year old power forward has been perhaps the overseas guy who the world of the NBA watched more closely than anyone during the previous season. Not that he paid much attention to that. He has often said that he distinguishes the expectations of others from the ones he has for himself.
But given the way everyone welcomed him in Philly, he might be aware that his last year’s output probably increased the humidity surrounding the Sixers fans’ wet basketball dreams featuring him as a protagonist.
In Euroleague, Saric scored more points (11.7 compared to 9.9 avg.) while shooting the ball so much better (55.2% two-pointers shots, 40% three-pointers versus 48.6% and 30.6) than the previous season, even though he played for two minutes per game less. He saw a slight decrease in his rebounding and assists, but both remained in good standards (5.8 and 1.5 per game respectively).
Won’t be a surprise if during one of Croatia’s games in Rio, Bryan Colangelo and Brett Brown will be spotted rubbing their hands with glee.