Fox calls Sasha Vezenkov one of the best shooters in the world, others join praise / News - Basketnews.com

Kevin Huerter on Vezenkov's three-point shooting: "Sasha shoots the hell out of the ball. He's broken shooting records that we had last year."

Credit: AP - Scanpix Credit AP - Scanpix

Last season marked a turning point for the Sacramento Kings, as they ended a record-breaking 16-year playoff drought with a meticulously crafted roster under the guidance of head coach Mike Brown.

Kevin Huerter

Position:SGAge:25Height:201 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Maryland, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Opting to maintain continuity, the Kings largely retained their core players during the offseason and added one notable addition to their roster: Sasha Vezenkov, the reigning EuroLeague MVP, known for his exceptional shooting skills.

During the Kings' media day, Vezenkov's teammates showered him with praise.

Team's star De'Aaron Fox said Sasha is "one of the best shooters in the world."

"It's crazy how he shoots. One of our shooting drills, I think it's 150 shots, and I think he missed 7. Like he is up there with some of the best shooters in the world," Fox said.

"We want him to be comfortable. We want him to know that he has a green light to shoot the ball. Like I said, one of the best shooters in the world," he added. "That's why you are here. We want you to shoot the ball. If you think it's a bad shot, it might not be actually a bad shot. But once he gets it going, man, like even the nets are not even moving. It's crazy."

Kevin Huerter, a 38.5% long-range shooter in his career,acknowledged Vezenkov's impact by stating that he had already broken off-season shooting records.

"Sasha shoots the hell out of the ball. He's broken shooting records that we had last year," Huerter underlined. "He comes in, and he doesn't miss. A lot of us have some work to do to catch up."

Chris Duarte, another sharpshooter on the Kings roster, echoed the sentiment.

"He is a great human being. I talk to him every day, and he also speaks Spanish, which makes me a little bit more comfortable. But yeah, he can shoot the thing," Duarte said with a smile on his face. "He can shoot the thing. He is excited to watch."

Vezenkov's reputation for sharpshooting precedes him, particularly among those who have followed his performances with Olympiacos Piraeus in recent years. In the last EuroLeague season, he proved his proficiency by making 79 three-pointers out of 209 attempts, boasting a 37.8% success rate on 5.2 attempts per game.

Even three-time NBA All-Star center Domantas Sabonis expressed enthusiasm about Vezenkov joining the 2023-24 roster.

"I mean, he is EuroLeague MVP, and to do that with how his style of play is -- with shooting, not a lot of dribbles, cutting -- speaks enough. I just can't wait for training camp to start and get some time with him on the court," Sabonis said.

Vezenkov will start his first NBA season on Oct. 25 against the Utah Jazz.

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