Sports Warm Winter Creation Season
Exum's European experience is the recipe for success
It's no secret that Luka Doncic grew up in the purely European system of Madrid and Slovenia, so what if he could be surrounded by other players with the same experience, a dynamic and high ball quotient, who are also good at running off the ball and not afraid of crunch time?
Such a player knows how to read the game, knows when to stand in the corner, when to cut to the basket, and takes away defenders to help teammates score layups easily.
Such a player has often faced the deafening noise and sometimes aggressive pressure of the European arena during his career. All of this has taught them to rise to the occasion, to face the spotlight, and to prove themselves.
You say it sounds a lot like talking about Doncic?That's right. But at the same time, it's a true reflection of the many players who play in the Europa League at the highest level in Europe and have accumulated a lot of experience there.
They have experienced a real "devil's home field".
Tempering in such an atmosphere is enough to completely change a person. In my opinion, the players who can succeed here, will succeed anywhere else.
This passage is from the Adriatic League, where Partizan Belgrade played Red Star Belgrade this year.
After World War II, the undercurrent of Yugoslavia's ** and reunification surged, making Red Star and Guerrilla become mortal enemies on the football field, and the duel between the two sides was called the eternal derby of Serbia, so incompatibility naturally continued to the basketball court).
The Partiz were the same team that Dante Exum played for in Europe last year, and the Mavericks hadn't signed him at the time, so that was the atmosphere he was in last season. Can you imagine the impact of such an environment on a player?
Last year was the first time in history that Partizan and Red Star met in the Champions League, just in time for Exum to catch up).
Doncic led Real Madrid to win the Champions League that year, and the background board of the final was the Red Star).
Dent Exum grew up in Australia, was drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2014 and also spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers before heading to Europe in 2021. From 2014 to 2021, he has been up and down in the NBA.
But in just two years with Europe's top teams, his growth has been incredible, including his consistent three-point shooting. He spent a year in Barcelona and then went to Belgrade as a guerrilla.
In the first round of this year's Champions League playoffs, Guerrilla once led Real Madrid 2-0, but in the second garbage time, the two sides clashed, Exum was directly injured by Yabusele, many people in both teams were suspended, and Guerrilla was also reversed by Real Madrid 3-2. In the end, Real Madrid was crowned Champions League again, but this reversal is hardly glorious).
This set him up to become a rotation team in the NBA, even starting the last four games of the season for the Mavericks. It's worth mentioning that when Exum started, the Mavericks were 4-0.
His consistent play, consistent control and playmaking skills, as well as a transmission that can both engage his teammates in the half-court and be able to push and shift at any time, have impressed the fans. He also deserves it.
In Europe, Exum's three-point shooting rate is not high, but it is quite impressive).
When Luka and Irving aren't on the floor, his confidence and playmaking consistency is something we haven't seen in a long time with the Mavericks. It's been a long time since the Mavericks had a player like this.
Even swinging to the number three position, he played a few times and looked great. Especially next to Luka, when he broke the bag, his efficient performance did a good job of freeing Doncic.
Exum is a great example of how players with a high level of experience in Europe can bring value to an NBA team. Eurobasket is a great place to develop role players who can help them understand where they fit in and how to contribute in the best possible way.
That's exactly what we're seeing from Exum right now. In fact, defenders don't pay as much attention to him as they do to Kyrie Irving, so he has been able to play next to Luka in a more effective way at times, and his style of play fits well with Luka Doncic.
Having a player next to Luka and Kyrie who is more than just a stumbling shot can make a big difference.
Head coach Jason Kidd agrees: "He's got a very high ball quotient. He knows how to play, he's not afraid of the moment, you can see that. He attacks, layups, playmaking. When you have a third ball-handler like Dante, it makes the game between Kyrie and Luka a lot easier. ”
Being able to stand next to Luca and think is a great skill. It's not enough to just stand there and wait for the ball to pass to you and shoot. If a team is to be truly invincible in the competition, it needs players who can read the game, play the ball and create opportunities for themselves and others.
Aleksandr Vychenkov was last year's Champions League MVP winner, and joining the Kings this season is his first NBA appearance. He's also a good example of the value of a European player, as the league is now increasingly demanding shooters who are not limited to catch-and-shoot shots. His playing time with the Kings is increasing little by little as he shows coaches how he can bring more value through off-ball movement, air cuts, and efficiency.
As the league continues to change and evolve, the best defenders today are good enough to cover an offense that relies solely on shooting, and a stagnant, frequent one-on-one offense is not a good idea to be a real contender.
It's too risky to rely solely on point-and-shoot threes to make the three-point line a life-or-death line, and without players who can shoot in crunch time and think for themselves, they don't have enough variables to beat a strong team or win a seven-game series.
Hopefully, in the coming years, players like the Mavericks' Exum and the Kings' Vychenkov will become the norm for NBA role players — provided coaches and crews are aware of their potential and value.
Lindsey & Exum).
I think it's likely that we're going to see more and more experienced European players coming to the NBA in the future, and that these players will be more recognized and valued in NBA teams.
As leagues around the world have evolved, the influx and flow of players has injected a new dimension and evolution into the game. Xi from the best leagues in the world to get the best possible output should be a common goal for everyone who loves basketball. The next generation of American and international players is emerging with eye-watering talent, and all that remains is up to them.