Darius Thompson and Baskonia's nose for backcourt talent / News - Basketnews.com

Darius Thompson is the newest addition to the list of Baskonia's great findings in the backcourt department. Over the years, the Spanish team had found some of the greatest talents in the backcourt when they were still untested at the EuroLeague level.

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix

Not all rookies are the same, just like not all teams have the same characteristics. Over the years, Baskonia Cazoo Vitoria-Gasteiz built a certain reputation in the EuroLeague environment. Since they're not among the richest teams in the competition, they developed a special talent for discovering some of the best 'diamonds in the rough' around Europe.

3-pointers this season

38%11,4Points made:11,4Accuracy:37,7%Place in standings:1Record max:19Record min:6Most made 3FGs:Markus HowardTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Talents who were still untested at the time they arrived in the Basque region have since become among the best players in Europe. The Spaniards seem to have a knack for finding varied talents in the backcourt.

Thinking about past players in that role from Vitoria, it is impressive to note the average quality of Baskonia's discoveries. Mike James, Shane Larkin, Luca Vildoza, Darius Adams, Pierria Henry, and Wade Baldwin. A truly impressive list.

During the last offseason, Baskonia decided to target another rookie at the EuroLeague level, American guard Darius Thompson. Coming from his experience in Russia with Lokomotiv Kuban, Thompson had already shown some flashes of his talent.

Still, not everyone was sure of his possible impact in the EuroLeague, especially on a team that had made other 'bets' on young players like Maik Kotsar and Markus Howard. But under coach Penarroya and his offensive style of basketball, Baskonia have exceeded expectations so far.

The home record is extremely positive, with 4 wins and only one defeat. Their offense, especially in the Buesa Arena, has been exciting to watch, and they're averaging 99.2 points per game in front of their home crowd.

Despite being a rookie at this level, Thompson has been a huge part of the early season's success of Baskonia. The 27-year-old guard is averaging 12.2 points, 5.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game in EuroLeague so far.

He's also shooting with an impressive 48.5% from the 3-point zone. In terms of efficiency, 3-point shooting, and assists per game, Thompson is currently among the best 15 players in the EuroLeague. Not a bad accomplishment for a player in his first season in the top European competition.

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz / Schedule

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz Zalgiris Kaunas93-73 FC Barcelona Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz96-84 Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz EA7 Emporio Armani MilanThu19:30

The American guard quickly adapted to coach Penarroya's system and became an integral part of it. His ability to find teammates, especially after pick & roll situations, is impressive. Every time he grabs a defensive rebound, he's always ready to push the tempo, starting a fastbreak to connect with a teammate in transition.

Coach Penarroya trusted Thompson with the keys of the team since the beginning of the season and was recompensated with some great performances.

With Markus Howard being more focused on the scoring side of the game and with the in-season addition of Pierria Henry, who added more defensive awareness on the perimeter, Thompson can fully concentrate on the point guard role.

Thompson can also add some great offensive performances thanks to his great shooting skills and ability to always remain in control.

In the Spanish league, Thompson is also putting some impressive numbers. So far, he's averaging 12.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game in the ACB, and his shooting numbers remain excellent (50% from two points and 44% from three-point).

Thompson started to draw some attention during his time in Brindisi. He spent two years in Italy after playing his European rookie season in the Netherlands, where he won the league title with ZZ Leiden and also became the scoring leader of the FIBA Europe Cup.

He had a good first year in Brindisi, but it was during his second season with the Apulian side that he really shined, becoming one of the most intriguing players to watch in the Italian league.

In the 2020-21 season, alongside his backcourt partner D'Angelo Harrison, he helped Brindisi reach the semi-finals of the Italian league after finishing the regular at second place, right behind Olimpia Milan. That season, Thompson was also selected into the All-Champions League Second Team.

But Thompson's time in Italy was successful not only on the court. The American player built a family in Brindisi, marrying a girl he met during his time with the Apulian club and becoming the father of a little daughter.

His performances in Italy earned him a call from Lokomotiv Kuban, a EuroCup side, which also allowed him to double his salary compared to his time in Italy. However, his experience in Russia was abruptly cut short by the war in Ukraine, which led him to leave the Russian club.

During the offseason, Thompson agreed to terminate his contract with Lokomotiv and become a free agent in his own right. Multiple EuroLeague clubs looked at him in the summer, with Zalgiris Kaunas and Baskonia showing more interest than the other ones.

In the end, Thompson accepted the 2-year contract that Baskonia offered him. For the Spanish team, Thompson made a lot of sense not only from a technical standpoint but also because of his status situation.

Since he married an Italian girl, Thompson has an Italian passport, which made him more attractive to Baskonia, considering that the club didn't need to spend an extra EU visa on him.

"Baskonia made a smart move when they decided to sign Thompson," a EuroLeague scout told BasketNews.

"He's a player who can contribute on so many levels: scoring, playmaking, defense. He's a very mature player, has excellent instincts, and his basketball IQ is extremely good. On a personal level, he's also the type of player you always want to have on your team. He's serious, works hard, and cares about his teammates.

I believe he's a great fit close to Markus Howard because Howard is more of a scorer, and having someone like Thompson who can feed him, it's a good combination. Coach Penarroya is definitely using them as a great 1-2 punch," he added.

Although he has been in Baskonia only for a few months so far, the fans of the Spanish team are already in love with him. Scrolling through Twitter, it's easy to see how many of them are excited by Thompson's performances and how he immediately became an integral element for coach Penarroya's side.

It seems that Baskonia's tradition of finding great players in the backcourt department will be enriched with a new name. Darius Thompson has already established himself as a key player for the Spanish team and as one of the main surprises of the first part of the EuroLeague season.

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.