By Vangelis Papadimitriou/ info@eurohoops.net
Who will be Luka Doncic’s successor? The Mavericks star left Europe after first winning everything with Real Madrid, all the trophies and individual awards. Perhaps the most… unnoticed is the Rising Star award. And it’s a fact when we’re talking about an 18-year-old that emerged as the MVP of the regular season and the Final Four!
At any rate, the new… next protagonist is being sought and, with the regular season having almost come to its end, the time has come to see the players that will add their names to the list of the award’s winners. Let’s not forget that this list is full of brilliance. A few names will convince you: Andrea Bargnani, Danilo Gallinari, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Mirotic, Bogdan Bogdanovic!
This season, a total of 22 players meet the age criteria to compete for the top spot, with Goga Bitadze and Georgios Papagiannis standing out. However, there is plenty of talent among the younger ages and every week basketball fans have the chance to enjoy some of tomorrow’s protagonists.
Georgios Papagiannis
Panathinaikos | Center | June 3, 1997 | Greece
4.2 pts | 2.7 reb | 0.1 ast | 0.2 stl | 0.6 blk | 0.6 tov | 11:42 min | 5.5 PIR
Perhaps the nomination of Georgios Papagiannis wouldn’t make sense in basketball terms at the beginning of the season, but the end is always what makes the difference. Like the Greens’ center, who has put the poor performances of the first phase behind him and who is now one of the reasons for Panathinaikos’s comeback.
The 21-year-old big man upped his game when the Greens launched their streak of 6 wins, which essentially secured them a spot in the playoffs of the competition. Three double-digit performances and a double-double – with the high point being the best night of his career in Turkey – are elements that confirm the truth of the matter. And all of this always accompanied by a matching level of spectacle.
His stint in the NBA gave him a lot and, the more he’s part of his team’s rotation, the more we’ll be seeing from him. Like we said, he’s just 21 and his potential is boundless!
Goga Bitadze
Buducnost | Center | July 20, 1999 | Georgia
11.8 pts | 6.3 reb | 1.1 ast | 0.3 stl | 2.5 blk | 1.3 tov | 24:17 min | 25.9 PIR
The name was unknown but… not any longer. This season, Buducnost acquired Goga Bitadze, who was and still is the next big thing in European basketball in the position of the center. All 12 of his appearances in the second phase of the regular season in the EuroLeague confirmed this in the most deafening manner.
One look at his stats is enough to make you realize that we’re talking about a big man who can do everything. And all this from a player who’s not even 20 years old yet! In his best performance this season, Bitadze got 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks on Armani Milan’s home court, sending the first message as to everything that is to follow in the coming years.
Yovel Zoosman
Maccabi Tel Aviv | Guard | May 12, 1998 | Israel
3.1 pts | 2.1 reb | 1.2 ast | 0.7 stl | 0.2 blk | 0.8 tov | 15:04 min | 3.8 PIR
Yovel Zoosman is rightly considered the next real star of Israeli basketball. Maccabi Tel Aviv’s rookie hasn’t missed any of his team’s games in the EuroLeague and this only shows the faith that Ioannis Sfairopoulos has in him, but also Neven Spahija earlier in the season.
His stats may not be impressive but we shouldn’t forget that perhaps the most important thing at these ages is participation. And the 21-year-old’s 15:04 minutes are the absolute confirmation. Zoosman has made the most of every opportunity he has been given, proving that he can become one of Maccabi’s central figures in the future. The highlight was his amazing performance on CSKA’s home court, where Zoosman finished the game with 15 points (4-for-4 in two-point field goals, 2-for-2 in three-point field goals) and 6 rebounds for the 76-93 win!