Chima Moneke names most underrated EuroLeague players / News - Basketnews.com

Chima Moneke, Errick McCollum, and Donatas Urbonas highlighted underrated EuroLeague players, with two Zalgiris Kaunas players -- Rolands Smits and Arnas Butkevicius -- making the list.

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix, Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS, Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix, Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS, Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Some players may not always be in the spotlight, but their consistent performances and unique skills make them essential contributors to their respective teams.

Bonzie Colson

MIN:27.85PTS:13.33 (56.02%)REB:6.2As:0.73ST:1.33BL:0.27TO:0.73GM:15ProfileEuroLeague2023/2024

That's where the talks shift to the most underrated players. EuroLeague has plenty of talent, but some players may not receive the same attention as the league's superstars.

In one of the recent URBONUS episodes, BasketNews Senior Staff Writer Donatas Urbonas, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz forward Chima Moneke, and Pinar Karsiyaka guard Errick McCollum shed light on the EuroLeague's hidden gems.

Rolands Smits | PF/C | Zalgiris

Chima Moneke kicked off the discussion by highlighting Rolands Smits of Zalgiris Kaunas.

"I will start with Rolands Smits," Moneke said. "And I thought this when I played against him when I was in Manresa, and he was in Barcelona. I felt like he did not make too many mistakes, and he was just consistent and reliable -- did what he did well. Now, he is taking it to a different level, and I still think he can do more with Zalgiris."

Smits, ranking as the second-highest scorer for Zalgiris after Keenan Evans, extends his impact beyond scoring, playing a significant role in rebounds and defensive presence.

As of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, Smits averages 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 14.6 PIR over 15 games. His offensive prowess has nearly tripled since his stint with FC Barcelona from 2018 to 2022.

Highlighting Smits' reliability, his durability shone through last season as he participated in a staggering 104 games, including appearances with the Latvian national team.

John Brown III | PF | Monaco

Continuing his rundown of underrated players, Moneke turned his attention to his former AS Monaco teammate, John Brown III.

Nigel Hayes-Davis

Team:Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulPosition:PFAge:29Height:203 cmWeight:105 kgBirth place:Wisconsin, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Despite some playful banter about their similar appearances, the Baskonia forward expressed deep respect for Brown's game, recognizing his defensive prowess as something that cannot be trained.

"No. 2 is John Brown III," Moneke declared. "I think he is as good defensively as anyone is good offensively. He is really special on that side of the floor. He just has things that you cannot teach.

"I hate him. I hate everything about him," Moneke said with a smile. "He wears my goggles, he has hair like me, like, 'Come on, man.' But yeah, I love him. He is definitely incredible."

Brown averages almost 10 PIR with 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game

Moneke personally experienced Brown's defensive prowess during EuroLeague Round 10, where Brown effectively shut him down.

It turned out to be Moneke's toughest performance of the season, concluding with 4 points (2/4 2PT, 0/3 3PT), 4 boards, 3 turnovers, and a PIR of 0 in nearly 22 minutes against Monaco.

Nigel Hayes-Davis | SF/PF | Fenerbahce

Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul entered the conversation as Moneke's third pick.

"The third person is Nigel Hayes-Davis," Moneke added. "Another person that was in Barcelona. He does not get enough credit for how consistent, reliable, and durable he is. He is a good person, and he is a good teammate. I have heard nothing but good stories about him.

"I remember some of the conversations some of the people had about him when he was in Barcelona and was not playing this well. It is just funny what people say about you when you are struggling. This is the Nigel Hayes that I am sure he knew he was the whole time. I am glad he is getting some recognition, but I think he deserves more."

Errick McCollum chimed in to validate Moneke's choice: "That's a strong list. A lot of people sleep on Nigel. That's a good pick."

Hayes-Davis' consistency goes through the roof, as he clocks in 34 minutes per game this season, consistently contributing 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 14.6 PIR.

Last season, he averaged 30 minutes over 39 EuroLeague games and scored 10.5 points per match.

Arnas Butkevicius | SF | Zalgiris

Donatas Urbonas added his input to the discussion by highlighting Zalgiris forward Arnas Butkevicius, even though he is currently sidelined due to injury.

Despite his absence, Urbonas commended the Lithuanian player for leaving a lasting impact in his EuroLeague debut season.

"On this list, I would add another Zalgiris guy, and it is very unfortunate for Kaunas team that he is injured. I am talking about Arnas Butkevicius," Urbonas said. "He made his EuroLeague debut last year, and even in Lithuania, we were questioning him because he is 92 [born in 1992] and he was playing on a lower level before.

"We were not sure what kind of player we were getting in terms of how valuable he might be in the EuroLeague," he continued. "Can he play big minutes? We thought that he was about to be a bench player. In my eyes, he ended up as one of the best defensive players in the league."

Highlighting Butkevicius' defensive presence, Urbonas pointed to an instance involving Mike James.

When Butkevicius was on the court last season, he effectively limited Monaco's star to 2 and 6 points, respectively. This season, with Butkevicius sidelined, James scored 25 points against Zalgiris and heavily influenced the game's outcome in crunch time.

Bonzie Colson| SF/PF | Maccabi

Errick McCollum contributed to the discussion by naming the last player -- Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's Bonzie Colson -- as an underrated athlete.

"One more person I have to add to the list is Bonzie Colson," the scoring ace shared his pick. "He is having a great year. He is averaging 13 points, over 6 rebounds, and 15 PIR. This is a guy who is getting it done. He can play the three to four. He can shoot it; he can stretch the floor; he is a good rebounder, and he can play well off the ball. There was a time when Wade Baldwin was hurt, and Maccabi could have stumbled, could have had some issues, and he kind of rose to the occasion, helped Lorenzo Brown, and shouldered that load.

"Obviously, you cannot replace a player like Wade Baldwin, but he covered some of that loss and helped them stay afloat in that playoff zone and range until Wade could get back. As Wade returned, he is still playing at a high level and showing his value. He is a guy I think is very underrated, and only in a second season in EuroLeague, he is showing his worth."

"Completely agreed," Moneke chimed in.

Colson currently ranks as the third-best scorer for Maccabi, following closely behind Brown and Baldwin. His big workload includes an average of 27 minutes and 50 seconds of playtime.

URBONUS episode with Chima Moneke and Errick McCollum:

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