By Alex Madrid /info@eurohoops.net
Ariel Filloy wasn’t a household name until this summer despite the fact that he already had a prolific career in Europe. The Argentine-born player developed his game for a long time in Serie B, the second league of the Italian league system, before signing with Olimpia Milano in 2008. The point guard hardly played and he spent most of his time with the club on loan.
When Filloy was released from his contract in 2012, his luck began to change. The playmaker won the FIBA EuroChallenge in 2013 with Pallacanestro Reggiana and later on, he spent a couple of seasons with Pistoia Basket. Filloy came from winning the Lega A with Umana Reyer Venezia before signing with his current team: Sidigas Avellino. Then, the Eurobasket happened.
The naturalized Italian got the call from Ettore Messina and he earned a spot on the “Azzurri” yet. The 30-year old point guard proved soon that he was a battle-tested veteran. Marco Belinelli, Gigi Datome and Nicolo Melli would be the main names but Filloy became the leader coming off the bench.
With his Luis Scola look – but much lighter frame – he made his debut against Germany in the Eurobasket. His impressive performance -15 points in just 21 minutes on the court- starred in one of the most offbeat stories of the tournament
An Italian fan created a fake tweet in which LeBron James praised Ariel Filloy writing his name next to a crown. Italian and Argentinian media published the image believing that it was real.
Still, Ariel Filloy turned many heads and he finished his first big tournament with Italy with 9.3 points, 2.1 assists on average, shooting over 40% from three-point territory.
After “being crowned by LeBron James”, Filloy had made a definite step forward and he earned an important role in his new club. For the first time in his career, he is the starting point guard. And if we compare his numbers with last season’s performances, the change is notable.
The master of circus shots had 5 points (27 % shooting three-pointers) and 3.2 assists for Venezia last season. This year, his killer instinct is finally awake with Avellino and Filloy is scoring over 50% from beyond the arc, averaging 12 points each night.
His fun-to-watch style has led the Italians to the first place in the Legabasket but they are also a strong squad in the Basketball Champions League. Avellino holds a 5-5 record in the competition after an important win in Belgium and they are really close to secure his spot in the playoffs. So does age really matters?
Photo Credit: BCL