Photo from zyphbear via Flickr
More than anything else, the NBA lockout has denied fans their fix of top notch basketball from the world’s best basketball players. With those players being denied a chance to play against each other, some have chosen to take to other basketball leagues outside of the United States, where the competition may not be as fierce, but it is at least existent.
Well, it just so happens that this blogger lives in one of these “other” basketball countries, thus enabling him the chance to witness NBA players in the flesh for the first time since he was in MSG as this happened. So until the lockout is over, I will provide a (hopefully) weekly update about the adventures of the 4 NBA players who have taken their talents to Israel until the lockout ends – and other fringe NBA prospects, if they are interesting enough.
Officially, this was the first week of Israeli basketball. But while “games” are already taking place, these aren’t actual league games, but a (completely pointless) “tournament” called the Chance Cup. Essentially a shortened preseason, the Chance Cup is a knockout tournament which has no bearing whatsoever on anything. However, after an entire summer of no basketball, and until official Israeli League games tip off next Sunday, we take what we can get.
On to our NBA delegates.
Avery Bradley, Hapoel Jerusalem
Sadly, we have yet to see Bradley take Israeli courts by storm. The Celtics guard landed in Israel on Sunday, missing Hapoel’s game against Maccabi Ashdod, and was yet to be in uniform for their Tuesday matchup against bitter rival Maccabi Tel Aviv. Hope to see you soon, Avery.
Trevor Booker, Bnei HaSharon/Herzeliya
Booker didn’t take part in Bnei HaSharon’s Sunday loss to Maccabi Rishon Lezion due to an injury that will hopefully subside soon. We await his return/arrival.
Craig Brackins, Maccabi Ashdod
Finally, a dude who actually played this week. And boy, did he play. Brackins suited up for Ashdod against Jerusalem on Sunday, and though his team lost 75-64, Brackins had the jumper working all night long. The box score lists him at 17 points with 8 of 17 shooting (1 three), but most of these shots were incredibly difficult fadeaways with the shot clock winding down, and several went in anyway. No matter where on the court or who was defending, Brackins just rainbowed it in.
Brackins offered very little other than scoring, though, with just 3 rebounds in 29 minutes, only 2 free throws (both misses) and a +/- of -6. Though this is very, very, ridiculously early in Brackins’s European career, it was a perfect microcosm of why he’s problematic as an NBA player: the dude is first and foremost a scoring tweener forward. In Europe, where that tweener label goes off and he’s a full blown 4, he’s incredibly good.
Despite all this, I think he can definitely contribute in the NBA down the road. Getting major minutes as the focal point of a team will go a long way towards getting him there.
Jordan Farmar, Maccabi Tel Aviv
The biggest name Israeli basketball has had in a long time was also the best NBA player of the week. The numbers are nice, if not huge – 14 and 5 in 20 minutes against Barak Netanya during a ridiculous 51 point win, 13 and 4 on 3 for 9 shooting against Hapoel Jerusalem, and a total of 36 points and 14 assists in 3 games in the Adriatic League, in which Maccabi is a participant. But Jordan doesn’t need to be spectacular for Maccabi, whose main competition is top-notch European squads that they have yet to meet in these early stages. Though he brings the star power, all Maccabi needs Farmar to do is to run the show for an incredibly deep team with their biggest concerns manifesting in backcourt depth.
And so far, he’s done a fantastic job. Maccabi has destroyed everybody in their path, and the offense has run smoothly. Elite three point shooters such as former Duke guard Jon Scheyer, former USC Trojan and nationalized Israeli David Blu, and Guy Pnini have been getting one open three after another, the bigs led by Greek giant Sofoklis Schortsanitis and forward Lior Eliyahu (second round pick in 2006, Rockets hold rights) have been engaged throughout, and the entire machine is humming. Nobody has had a bigger part in this than Farmar, though it really has been a concerted team effort. It’s important to remember that Farmar was brought in partially for the glamour, partially with the hope that he’ll remain for Euroleague’s final moments later this season, but as far as actual basketball goes, he’s looking good so far.
Other interesting guys
Former Phoenix Sun D.J. Strawberry has looked great for Hapoel so far. D.J. has been extremely active everywhere on the court, bringing both athleticism and hustle, and even stroking the outside shot that prevented him from making it in the NBA. D.J. went off for 28 against Maccabi on Tuesday and is exciting the crap out of me.
Hapoel teammate and 2009 second round pick (Miami) Jarvis Varnado has left a similarly strong first impression. The NCAA’s all-time leading shot blocker is already swatting everything in sight, managed to completely take Sofo out of his game on Tuesday, and is also displaying a very nice passing game out of the post. Sadly, he can’t do much scoring and/or dribbling without losing the ball while there, but he can help (or, at the very least, not hurt) a team offensively while acting as a defensive savant. I think this guy has NBA potential as a defensive center who can set picks and make strong cuts on offense, though he definitely needs to add a lot of weight if he doesn’t want NBA big men to destroy him down low.
Final Hapoel player update (my Hapoel bias showing off incredibly early in this series) – Luke Jackson scored 20 points on 10 shots to go with 5 boards and 4 steals during a dominant performance on Sunday. He proceeded to be completely anemic on Tuesday (though he finished with 12), disappearing for long stretches and losing the ball time and time again when Hapoel inexplicably counted on him for ball handling. Don’t count on Luke Jackson for ball handling, folks.
Former Florida Gator and recent Jewish convert Alex Tyus played well next to Brackins in the first official game of his professional career. Tyus can’t score unless he’s dunking or laying it in – occasionally he even missing the latter – which, combined with his size, probably kills off any NBA chances. However, he is extremely athletic and active offensively, scoring off put backs and cuts. He looks like a potentially good defender as well, with his size being less of a weakness in the European game. He should be able to carve out a nice career in Europe. Perhaps even more importantly, the shape of his head and the speed at which he’s balding create a look that is eerily similar to Karl Malone, which is always good.
Not really close to being even a fringe NBA guy at this point in his career, but former Virginia Cavalier Devin Smith is shooting lights out for Maccabi so far this season.
Couldn’t catch Sylven Landesberg in action, but he scored 16 points in Maccabi Haifa’s 85-68 loss against Ironi Ashkelon. Landesberg remains incredibly awesome.
