'El Tortuga' accelerates: Deck is already at the level he was when he went to NBA / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: ZUMAPRES Credit ZUMAPRES

Gabriel Deck has better stats in the EuroLeague than last year and is regarded as one of the most decisive forwards on the continent.

Gabriel Deck

MIN:25.59PTS:9.83 (66%)REB:4.83As:1.17ST:0.83BL:0TO:1.33GM:6ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Some positive details can be taken out from Real Madrid's defeat in Turkey while playing against last year's champion Anadolu Efes.

One of them is Real, thanks to the fact that Bayern also lost, have guaranteed home-court advantage in the EuroLeague quarterfinal. Another is the good performance of some main players like Guerschon Yabusele and Deck.

The first one has been playing a few games reminiscent of the player who impressed everyone at the start of the season. The latter - to the shape he was almost a year ago.

Argentinian played his best game this season so far against Anadolu Efes this Tuesday when he played all 40 minutes of the game and posted a double-double with 23 points (9/13 2PT, 1/2 2PT, 2/2 FT), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, and 31 PIR.

Deck played the 40 minutes against Efes, something rarely seen in these times of so many rotations. According to the data from the EuroLeague, in the last five seasons, only eight players had played a full game.

Interestingly, three of them were in this season: Deck, Dyshawn Pierre (Fenerbahce) against AX Armani Exchange Milan, and Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's player Matt Costello against FC Bayern Munich.

Deck's last game with Madrid before going to the NBA was in early April last year in Istanbul against Fenerbahce. On his return to the Turkish megapolis, it seemed that nothing had changed. After his miserable experience with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he seems to have recovered to the level that made him one of the best forwards in Europe.

This season, Deck averages 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 12.5 PIR in the EuroLeague. Meanwhile, last season his numbers before leaving for the NBA were 8.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 10.3 PIR.

The Argentine player has rested his legs for a while, so the minutes will be good for him to get some shooting in after barely playing in the NBA.

"I'm feeling stronger every day, and I'm happy to get back up to speed and get in the team, which is something I was struggling a bit to do, but with the trust of the team, it's proving to be easy," he concluded.

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