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EasyCredit BBL is two games away and several players made noise during the first two rounds of the German BBL. Most of the players on the list made a strong statement at the start of the basketball Bundesliga last week.
Here are the players who could be a “must watch†this season:
Caleb Homesley – Tours from Hamburg
Caleb Homesley will get his first taste of away basketball this year, after spending last season in the G League with the Erie Bayhawks.
Homesley signed a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards, but he didn’t have a chance to make the squad as the Wizards had a pretty deep guard rotation.
Washington gave him the chance to show off his talent in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he played four games with the Wizards, averaging 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
It was enough for the shooting guard to land a German Bundesliga contract with the Hamburg towers. The 24-year-old goalkeeper has been excellent for Pedro Calles, despite Hamburg’s slow start to the league.
In both of his easyCredit BBL games, Homesley has shown his scoring ability shooting 40 percent from three runs and 40 percent from the field. He’s averaging 18.5 points, attempting 17 baskets per game.
If Homesley established his role as the ‘go-to man’ in Hamburg then it would be a ‘one to watch’ as ​​his scoring ability and size for the shooting guard position are hard to come by in the league.
Jordan Geist – MLP Academics Heidelberg
MLP Academics Heidelberg made a surprise start in the German BBL as they lead the table with two wins in the first two rounds.
Jordan Geist was a big part of the squad in the first two games, with his final game against Ludwingsburg, finishing an overall performance with 23 points (career best), seven rebounds and four assists.
Geist spent four years in Missouri, before making the jump to the German Pro A League with Trier. Heidelberg signed in the 2020 offseason and Geist has become an important part of the success of the squad that ended up carving out a place in the top German league this season.
Geist has just finished a year, where he averaged 15.3 points, shooting 39.4% in depth and an excellent 48.9% in two points.
He got off to a good start in his first two easyCredit BBL appearances, scoring 18 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists, while shooting 36% from the field and 33% from the three-point line.
Cristiano Felicio – Ratiopharm Ulm
Ratiopharm Ulm added Semaj Christon and Cristiano Felicio this offseason, significantly improving their roster with two potential ‘big number’ contributors.
Meanwhile, Christon seemed like a safe bet, having shown his abilities with Tofas and EuroLeague regulars Baskonia. On the other hand, Felicio made his first attempt to play abroad this offseason.
The former Bulls greats spent six years of his career in Chicago, before making the jump to Ulm. He started his “European adventure†on a high note, averaging 15 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
His best game so far came with Ulm’s loss to Niners Chemnitz in the German Cup, where he put in an impressive double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds.
While he also made an impressive debut against German Cup winner Bayern Munich with 18 points and seven rebounds in the easyCredit BBL opener.
Yovel Zoosman – ALBA Berlin
ALBA Berlin have signed up promising Israeli striker Yovel Zoosman to replace Rokas Giedraitis, who left for Baskonia in the last offseason.
Zoozman was considered a huge talent for Maccabi Tel Aviv, and he was the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year in the Winners League.
Despite his strong presence for the Maccabi and his attempt to make the leap to the NBA, Zoosman remained on European soil, signing a deal with German title holders BBL.
The 23-year-old forward has shown his ability to impact play on both sides of the pitch with ALBA, registering 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 interceptions during the first two matches of the German BBL.
Zoosman will have the chance to adjust to a different role in Berlin, as Israel Gonzalez may demand more production from the attacking side of the pitch.
So far, the promising striker has taken fewer offensive shots from ALBA; however, he remains effective shooting 60 percent from the field on 7.5 attempts per game.
If ALBA finds a way to take advantage of Zoosman’s size and make him more active on the attacking side, the Israeli forward could be in the path of having a breakthrough year in Germany.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright- Telecom Sneakers Bonn
Parker Jackson-Cartwright has the chance to shine on a bigger stage, playing for Telecom Baskets Bonn this season. The Arizona product has just had a great year with San Quentin in France’s second division league.
He was named the 2021 LNB Pro B MVP after averaging 15.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. He made his Bonn debut against ALBA Berlin leading the “Rhenish†to victory.
The 26-year-old point guard exploded for 25 points, adding five rebounds, six assists and six steals to a masterful performance.
He followed up his incredible performance with another full game against another German BBL powerhouse, the ambitious Ratiopharm Ulm. He finished the contest with 16 points, 5 assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Despite his size (1.80cm), Jackson is quite active at both ends of the pitch, finding ways to change the course of the game both in defense and attack.
Bonn may have found a diamond in the rough for head coach Tuomas Ilsalo, who led his side to two huge wins to a perfect 2-0 at the start of the easyCredit BBL.
Chris Coffey – Syntainics MBC
Chris Coffey made his presence felt early on in Basketball Budesliga, showcasing his incredible athleticism, ability to be an efficient roll-man and raw low-post skills.
The former Georgetown product and NCAA Champion made an incredible debut with Syntainics MBC, scoring 31 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in MBC’s 101-106 win over Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
Coffey spent the first season of European basketball at Ventspills, where he registered 12.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26 appearances for the Latvian club.
The 2019 NCAA Champion made the jump to easyCredit BBL this year. Syntainics MBC started with a 1-1 record in the German league’s opening two games, with Coffey being the centerpiece of Coach Jovovic’s plan.
The undersized (2.01cm) has the potential to shine in Germany, as the easyCredit BBL is known to produce players like Kyle Hines, who has grown into one of the best “little” big guys in Europe.
Coffey could follow Hines and model his game on veteran center Olimpia Milano. In his career high performance against Braunschweig, the Louisville native demonstrated his ability to put the ball down and attack the basket.
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