Caleb Homesley: another EuroLeague player in the making? / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: imago images/Eibner/Scanpix Credit imago images/Eibner/Scanpix

Now that we have reached mid-season, it is usually a good time to start examining some interesting profiles that EuroLeague teams might look at for next season.

Hamburg Towers / Schedule

Partizan Belgrade Hamburg Towers102-77 Hamburg Towers Joventut BadalonaWed18:30

We already saw how Zenit St. Petersburg picked up Tyson Carter from Basketball Champions League side Lavrio, but EuroCup can be another great place to look at for the future stars of the EuroLeague.

The talent level in this season's EuroCup is pretty high, especially when we look at teams like Partizan Belgrade, Virtus Bologna, or Valencia, who might not disappoint even in EuroLeague with their rosters.

But if we want to find some diamonds in the rough, we have to take a look at other teams, like Hamburg Towers.

With the German side, there's a player who's thriving under coach Pedro Calles' system: American swingman Caleb Homesley.

The 25-year-old is putting up some impressive numbers in the EuroCup, averaging 20.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. Homesley is also shooting at an impressive 43% clip from 3-point, showing that he has a very deep range and can be dangerous from virtually every position on the perimeter.

In the first part of the EuroCup season, Homesley has already scored 20 or more points on six different occasions, he had his career-high of 29 points in the game against Metropolitans 92, which he tied a few weeks ago against Turk Telekom Ankara.

With the German side, Homesley has a lot of freedom offensively and has often been used as a primary ballhandler.

In this dominant role, he has shown that he can score in many different ways, driving to the basket while attacking from the key, shooting off the dribble or in catch & shoot situations, and using his great body control to stop on a dime and pull up a mid-range jumper.

3-pointers this season

37%11,7Points made:11,7Accuracy:37,0%Place in standings:1Record max:15Record min:8Most made 3FGs:Caleb HomesleyTeamEuroCupStatisticsSchedule

"He has a really nice touch and can shoot from way downtown," an American scout told BasketNews. "He has always been a great scorer since his college days, and in his first time in Europe, he's been able to confirm all his offensive skills. I believe his offensive potential is already adequate for the EuroLeague level".

He's producing a 121,4 offensive rating, per BasketNews data, which puts him among the elite of the EuroCup. But together with backcourt partner Ray McCallum, Homesley has also shown good passing instincts, especially out of pick & roll situations.

The American swingman gifted with a 6 ft 6 frame can have a very good view thanks to his size and find teammates in the corner for open threes with a good rhythm. So far, Homesley averages 4.1 assists per game in EuroCup with a 12,3% assist percentage, which indicates his solid playmaking skills.

On the defensive end, though, there's still room for improvement for Homesley. The swingman is a decent defensive player on the perimeter, but despite his good physical frame, he's still not effective as a defensive player in post-up situations.

Furthermore, Homesley often gets stuck on screens and may lose some attention when he's guarding his man away from the ball.

Some of his bad habits on defense are a product of being used to a different type of defense in NCAA and G League, where the priorities on the defensive end are quite different from the European basketball.

With more time in Euro basketball, Homesley can improve on the defensive end because his physical skills and instincts are already good in several situations.

So, is Caleb Homesley already a EuroLeague-level talent?

"Offensively, he's definitely at the EuroLeague level," a EuroLeague scout told BasketNews. "What he can provide offensively, his shooting range, his confidence, those things are not so common, and he's proving in EuroCup that he can make a step forward."

"Maybe not for a Final Four contender, but other EuroLeague sides could definitely try to sign him and develop him," the scout added.

"I believe that teams with not huge budgets, like Maccabi Tel Aviv, Zvezda, Zalgiris Kaunas, or ALBA Berlin, could definitely use a young player like Homesley. Defensively he still needs to work on his game, but offensively he's ready to contribute at a higher level."

Another EuroLeague scout, though, expressed some doubts about the possibility of seeing Homesley in EuroLeague next season.

"Is he talented enough? Sure", another EuroLeague scout told BasketNews. "But my main concern is how he will translate his game in a different system, where he'll have less playmaking responsibilities and less time with the ball in his hands. Will he be able to be more of an off-the-ball scorer? I'm not so sure about that."

There's no doubt that as a rookie, Homesley is having a great impact in Europe. He already had his taste of the NBA/G League world. In the 2020-2021 season, he played 15 games in G League with the Erie Bayhawks, averaging 9.3 points per game.

In May of 2021, he had signed a multi-year partially guaranteed deal with the Washington Wizards, but he was later waived in August without playing a single game with the team.

There's a good chance that Homesley will play again in the Summer League this summer, sources told BasketNews. But despite the possibility of getting another NBA deal, there are almost no doubts that several Euro teams will make a call to his agency (Homesley is represented by CAA).

If you're a EuroLeague fan, you should take more time in the coming weeks to watch some Hamburg Towers games because Homesley might be a target for your favorite team soon.

Having won three of their last four games, Hamburg Towers are still in the mix for a playoff spot, so there might be even more time to watch Homesley and his teammates in the coming months.

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