A new challenge: Iffe Lundberg now has the responsibility to become a leader for Virtus Bologna / News - Basketnews.com

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On July 21st, when Virtus Segafredo Bologna announced the signing of Iffe Lundberg, many people were caught a little bit off guard. While other additions that the team had made in the past few weeks, including Jordan Mickey and Ismael Bako, were widely anticipated, Lundberg's one was kept under the radar and became of public knowledge only 24 hours before the official announcement.

Gabriel Lundberg

Position:PG, SGAge:27Height:193 cmWeight:92 kgBirth place:Copenhagen, DenmarkProfileNewsStatistics

Lundberg had received interest from other EuroLeague clubs, including Fenerbahce, but in the end, he had decided to join Virtus Bologna on a two-year deal, worth around $2.4 million plus bonuses, sources told BasketNews.

The Danish guard had impressive growth, especially in the past two years, and he became one of the most coveted players in Europe, proving that the EuroLeague level it's his environment.

The addition of Lundberg to Virtus Bologna's roster it's another signal of the ambitions of a club that wants to be immediately competitive in its return to the competition after so many years since the last time.

But to better understand how Lundberg reached the highest level of European basketball and how he's gonna fit into Virtus Bologna's system, we need to take a step back.

Background

Lundberg started his professional career in Denmark, in his hometown Copenaghen, where he also had built a reputation as a street baller. After Copenaghen, he moved to Horsens, where his performances started to draw the attention of teams from bigger leagues. In his final season in Denmark, Lundberg averaged 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, while shooting 39% from three-point.

In the summer of 2017, he moved to Spain to join BAXI Manresa. In his first season in Spain, he helped Manresa to gain promotion to the top Spanish league, the ACB. After the promotion to the top division, Lundberg remained in Manresa and was instrumental in helping the team in reaching the playoffs of the Spanish league, averaging 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.

After the two seasons spent in Manresa, Lundberg moved to Lenovo Tenerife in the summer of 2019. After his third season in Spain, Lundberg got a call from the Polish side Zielona Gora and that's where things started to change for the Danish guard.

Lundberg put together impressive performances and stat lines during his time in Poland, showing his talent also in the VTB League, against EuroLeague sides like CSKA Moscow and Zenit. In the VTB League, he averaged 20.4 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game with Zielona Gora.

The things he was doing with the club were not the only ones that gained attention. Lundberg started to impress more and more with his performances for the national team. During the EuroBasket qualifiers, he had sensational performances with Denmark, like the one against the Czech Republic in November of 2020. He finished with 38 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and shot 7/9 from three-point.

A few months after that performance, Lundberg got a call from CSKA Moscow, reaching the EuroLeague level for the first time in his career. The Danish guard quickly adapted to one of the top teams in Europe, becoming an important factor for coach Dimitris Itoudis.

At the end of the 2020-2021 season, despite some interest from the NBA, Lundberg signed a 2+1 contract extension with CSKA Moscow. During his time in Moscow, he played 39 EuroLeague games, averaging 10 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1 steal per game.

After the start of the war in Ukraine, Lundberg left the team. In the following weeks, he was able to achieve another huge accomplishment in his career. He became the first Danish player ever to sign an NBA contract, after agreeing to a two-way deal with the Phoenix Suns.

Although Lundberg didn't find much space in the NBA (only 4 games), that move helped Lundberg in cementing his position as one of the best two-way guards in Europe. He will now have the responsibility of helping Virtus Bologna regain its European coat of arms.

The fit

Lundberg's addition to the backcourt of Virtus Bologna looks, at least on paper, like a perfect match. Milos Teodosic (35) and Marco Belinelli (36), two of the most important players of the team, need to be protected defensively and, because of their age, they also need to have their minutes managed over the course of the season.

At 27, and with the ability to play effectively on both sides of the court, Lundberg is a great addition to Virtus Bologna.

Offensively, he can create off the dribble and has solid scoring skills (except for his season in Tenerife, Lundberg has always averaged at least 10 points per game during his career). Most of his points are created from pick & roll and iso situations, two areas in which Virtus struggled last season.

With a strong frame and the ability to finish at the rim, but at the same time a good composure under pressure, Lundberg can easily play both as a PG and an SG, based on the moment's needs. His three-point shooting numbers can be on & off from time to time, but as a volume shooter, that's something that cannot be completely erased.

On the defensive end, Lundberg is also expected to give an important contribution to the team. Before his arrival, Alessandro Pajola and Daniel Hackett were the only defensive specialists in the backcourt for Virtus. Lundberg might not be a defensive lockdown player but he knows how to be an effective stopper on the perimeter.

With CSKA Moscow, he often took care of star players like Mike James or Shane Larkin. He's not so tall that he'd be able to switch a lot on bigger players (Lundberg stands at 1 meter and 93 centimeters) but he has a good wingspan (206 centimeters) which helps him in contesting the shots.

Even off the ball, in a complex defensive system like the one of coach Itoudis, he has proven that he can be a positive factor for his team, showing good decision-making in terms of anticipation and ability to switch at the right time.

At 27, this looks like the perfect opportunity for Lundberg to become one of the best players in Europe permanently. He'll have more offensive responsibilities than in Moscow and also defensively will play a major role in creating the first line of defense on the perimeter.

In Bologna, he'll find two players that he already knows well in Daniel Hackett and Toko Shengelia, something that should speed up his adjustment process in the team.

For a team that's hungry for success and glory, the Danish guard looks like a match made in heaven for the Italian side. Now we just need to wait and see if the court confirms the good premise of this operation.

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