Mike James saw it coming: next big EuroLeague point guard emerging / News - Basketnews.com

Zalgiris point guard Keenan Evans is emerging as the next potential EuroLeague star.

Credit: KKF/K.Kavolelio - Scanpix Credit KKF/K.Kavolelio - Scanpix

It was supposed to be a story about Isaac Bonga, an elite lockdown defender in the EuroLeague that is here to establish his identity on the offensive end.

Keenan Evans

MIN:27.39PTS:16.73 (58.45%)REB:3.27As:3.87ST:1BL:0.2TO:2.13GM:15ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

However, things took a turn when Keenan Evans, #2 for Zalgiris, started sinking shot after shot.

Evans was simply unstoppable that night, scoring a historic 21 points in the first half alone - the most in Zalgiris history since EuroLeague play-by-play data has been tracked (2007).

Bonga, a 2.04m forward with a wingspan of 2.13m, is a formidable defender even for NBA players. But Evans took over the game with his shooting over Bonga.

He beat taller opponents like Othello Hunter, Augustine Rubit, and Paul Zipser off the dribble and finished with 32 points, making him the 4th-highest scorer in Zalgiris' all-time single-game list.

Justin Dentmon holds the all-time record for Zalgiris with 36 points (2013-14), followed by the iconic center Tanoka Beard (2003-04) with 35 points and Lithuanian forward Saulius Stombergas with 33 (2002-03).

EuroLeague legend and current Zalgiris deputy director Paulius Jankunas, who played alongside Beard and Dentmon and saw Stombergas' greatness firsthand, had high praise for Keenan Evans.

"All of them had the skill to create shots. But for me, the best thing about Keenan is how he's becoming our leader on the floor and taking over the team," Jankunas told BasketNews.

Keenan Evans is having a strong season in the EuroLeague, currently ranking as the 7th highest scorer with an average of 16.7 points per game on impressive shooting percentages of 56.2% from inside the arc and 45.6% from beyond it.

In the last 7 of 8 EuroLeague games, Evans has consistently put up impressive numbers, averaging 20.9 points per night.

Keenan Evans

Team:Zalgiris KaunasPosition:PG, SGAge:26Height:191 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

He stood out against the top defense in the EuroLeague (per BBallytics), EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, scoring 23 points, and also put up 20 points against Real Madrid. He capped off this stretch of games with a career-high 32 points against Bayern.

"When he arrived, it took two months for him to get accustomed. Maybe he didn't play that much in his last team. Maybe he was in a different role. But since day one, we encouraged him to take control of the team into his hands," Jankunas added. "Sometimes, he was too passive. Even though he played great in crunch time, he started slower. But we're witnessing how much he's developing. He always had these leadership skills, and it started blossoming."

Evans wasn't the top Zalgiris choice in the 2022 free agency. Chris Jones was. He's proving his value now in Valencia Basket (14.4 PPG, 5.1 APG).

But when Jones picked Valencia over Zalgiris, Jankunas and other Zalgiris decision-makers had to look elsewhere.

Nate Wolters, a proven EuroLeague point guard, was among the top names on Zalgiris' wishlist, but Panathinaikos Athens was also after him.

Watching him leaning toward the Greek club, Zalgiris started monitoring the player that wasn't expected to hit the market. It was Keenan Evans, who was already on Zalgiris' radar in 2021.

Evans signed a 1+1+1 agreement with Maccabi that summer. But approaching the deadline of his exit clause in 2022, Tel Aviv made moves that signalized Evans' departure. As soon as they started shaking up the market with Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin, Zalgiris detected Evans might get free.

While Evans had other EuroLeague options on the table, he ultimately couldn't resist the opportunity to take on a leading role in Zalgiris, an organization that had proven to be a great launching pad for Thomas Walkup a few years prior.

"I normally judge people when I play against them," Mike James recalled on the URBONUS podcast prior to the 2022-23 season. "And when I played against him [Evans], I felt he was a little timid because it was his first year. But he played hard. He guarded well. He had good athleticism."

"It seemed like he was figuring out how to pass. He worked on his jumper. I think this year, being in Zalgiris and getting a bigger role and having a ball a little more, it will be interesting to see if he takes another step. I think he has it. From what I've seen when I played against him and when I watched him a lot, I thought he could take the next step.

"I think he has the athleticism and drive, he's all-around. He played under Scottie [Wilbekin], who's been around and scored. Playing under somebody like that all year, you get to watch, take in the information and try to learn. I think this would be the year for him to try to put it together in a team more surrounded by him as the focal point," James continued.

Nothing was handed to Keenan Evans on a silver platter.

In a close fourth quarter against Virtus Bologna, he made three turnovers in just 70 seconds, bringing his total for the game to six with 5:35 left to play. Virtus converted his final turnover into two free throws, giving them a 62-58 lead.

Evans was visibly disappointed with his performance and sat on the bench, blaming himself for rushing the plays. Zalgiris head coach Kazys Maksvytis came over to offer a reassuring pat on the back, and veteran floor general Mantas Kalnietis chatted with the new point guard on the bench.

"The first home game is very unique. You could feel the team couldn't handle the emotions and lost confidence," Kalnietis recalled after the game. "We were lacking composure. During halftime, we talked that we're lacking ball movement. But we focused on it so much that we started overpassing in the second half instead of finishing plays. So we just talked that he should try to read plays. He calmed down, came back, and scored crucial points."

His teammates thought he was too shy outside of the game and lacked aggressiveness as a leader on the floor in the early EuroLeague outings. However, since then, he has become much more vocal and has even started getting the Lithuanian jokes in the locker room.

While he may not be the loudest person in the room, he has shown a different side of himself on the court, taking on the role of a floor general.

"He needed to believe in himself that he needed to become a leader. He needed to feel it in the EuroLeague rhythm. The team always supported him. It's clear that he has to be our go-to guy," Jankunas added, proud of Evans' development.

"We all encouraged him to take the team on his shoulders at the start of the season. He preferred to pass the ball when he saw somebody open. But he has great tools to execute 1-on-1. It's great to see him doing it so confidently now. We desperately needed a player like him," Zalgiris forward Arnas Butkevicius recalled in an interview with BasketNews.

Credit D.Lukšta

Zalgiris, one of the biggest surprises of the season, has a record of 8-7 and is currently fighting for a spot between the 7th and 10th seeds.

BasketNews previously listed five reasons to follow the team this year, citing their hustle and toughness as key factors in their success. In the 15 regular season games played so far, Zalgiris has often found itself in close battles, and if they come out on top, it is often thanks to Evans' clutch scoring on the offensive end.

He currently ranks 6th among the top fourth-quarter scorers with an average of 5.3 points in the last 10 minutes.

"I think it's his mentality and poise more than anything. Even if he is down or misses a couple of shots, he keeps the same composure. That, along with his skillset and ability to make shots and create for himself, separates him from a lot of players," a former NBA player Ignas Brazdeikis explained Evans' strengths to BasketNews.

"In one-on-one situations, he's very tough to guard. In pick and roll, he's very tough to guard. Credit to him, he puts in work each and single day. He's a great player, and it's definitely a pleasure to play with him," he added.

Unlike some other scorers, Evans is not a liability on the defensive end. When he is on the floor, Zalgiris allows 109.2 points per 100 possessions, compared to 116.4 when he is on the bench.

It makes him the third in most significant defensive impact on the Zalgiris squad, just behind two defensive specialists, Kevarrius Hayes and Arnas Butkevicius.

"It's essential to emphasize how good he is on both ends of the floor," Butkevicius told BasketNews. "Usually, scorers tend to rest in defense. But you can't say it about Keenan."

"You can't say he requires much help in the defense. Yes, sometimes we hide him on weaker offensive players. But this is normal to keep him fresh. He has talent and a great body to defend multiple positions. In my eyes, he's capable of stopping players from 1 to 3 positions without help.

Most importantly, he has a strong will to defend. He also reads the game well, which is very important in predicting your opponent's first move. All those things make him a great defender. But I was impressed the most by his desire to play defense. You can feel his leadership not only offensively but also defensively. The way he speaks, the way he gives orders defensively... It's crucial," Butkevicius added.

Credit D.Lukšta

Evans has established himself as one of the most promising point guards in the EuroLeague.

He is under contract with Zalgiris until 2024, but his deal includes a buyout clause.

The EuroLeague is a great platform for emerging perimeter stars. Several prominent point guards, including Kostas Sloukas, Luca Vildoza, Chris Jones, Pierria Henry, Maodo Lo, and potentially Facundo Campazzo, will have expiring contracts by the time the 2023 free agency period begins.

However, most of these players will be over 30, while Evans will just enter his peak at 27.

Despite still needing to work on his decision-making against switch-all defenses and improving the flow of Zalgiris' offense (currently at an 11 offensive rating per BBallytics), Evans is turning from a top under-the-radar signing into a potential EuroLeague star.

It won't be surprising if he joins the $1 million club next season.

While Evans can't get too ahead of himself, the future looks bright for Keenan Evans.

"Just continue to do what he's doing, and keep playing at a high level. Focus on each and single day," his good friend in Zalgiris, Ignas Brazdeikis, explained what's next for Evans. "He's doing a great job leading this team. As long as he continues to work on his game like he is, he'll definitely get better."

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