34. Brandon Davies, C, Zalgiris
Nationality/College: American (BYU)
2017-18 stats: 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists per game (Zalgiris)
Career synopsis: You probably remember Davies best from college, when he was kicked off BYU’s team for honor code violations. But since, he’s forged a productive pro career. He had brief stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets from 2013-2015, but settled in to European basketball in 2015 with Varese, and worked his way up from there, to AS Monaco and then to Zalgiris. He was a featured player on Zalgiris’s Final Four team last season, and is looking to build on that performance in his second Euroleague season.
Representative Highlight Play:
What’s his skill set?: Davies emerged as a strong rim protector over the past few years, as his flexibility helps offset his height disadvantage to allow him to stick with guards off the dribble. Offensively, he’s a strong offensive rebounder, and can also create from the elbow thanks to his face-up game, a staple of Zalgiris’s offense.
What makes him special?: Davies esssentially is the blueprint for what Booker’s transition to Euroleague should look like. He struggled for a couple of months, but was phenomenal down the stretch for the Lithuanian club, and his performance defending Georgios Printezis in the playoff series against Olympiacos was a huge reason Zalgiris made the Final Four. He can solidify himself as one of the better two-way bigs in the league this year, and there’s potential than an NBA return could be on the horizon for him.