Lorenzo Brown recalls a phone call that led Wade Baldwin to Maccabi / News - Basketnews.com

Before accepting the Maccabi offer, Wade Baldwin called Lorenzo Brown to make sure he thought that was a good idea.

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How will Wade Baldwin and Lorenzo Brown mesh in the same backcourt? Did Maccabi Tel Aviv just wreck their roster with Baldwin's addition?

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These were the big questions on basketball people's minds heading into the 2022-23 EuroLeague season after a massive rebuild in the Promised Land that brought there nine new players.

Despite proving their doubters wrong now, even they had doubts before teaming up in Tel Aviv.

Lorenzo Brown was the first to sign a deal with Maccabi in late June. Just a couple of days later, he received an unexpected phone call. That was Baldwin calling.

"Would you think this would be a great idea to join the team?" he asked.

"Hell yeah!" Zo responded enthusiastically.

He quickly explained his idea.

"We're kind of the same players, but with the opposites at the same time. He's more downhill, I'm more slow-paced. That benefits us more than anything because you don't know how to guard us," Brown elaborated in an interview with BasketNews. "Once he gets the ball, he's gone. That was what's been helping us a lot this whole year because teams don't really know how to defend us."

The best way to silence the doubters is by winning, and that's exactly what Brown and Baldwin did.

Their combined scoring and the points they generate through assists account for an impressive 57.7 points per game, making up almost two-thirds of Maccabi's total points per game (83.1).

Moreover, the Brown-Baldwin combo propelled Maccabi to the playoffs for only the second time in the past seven years. Before the last regular season round, they have a shot at clinching the 5th seed.

Virtus Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo was the first to give major props to the Baldwin-Brown duo in the EuroLeague.

Free throws this season

80%13,1Points made:13,1Accuracy:80,4%Place in standings:14Record max:26Record min:5Most made FTs:Wade Baldwin IVTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

"I think they have arguably the best backcourt [Brown-Baldwin] in the competition," Scariolo said in the post-game conference following the loss in Tel Aviv. "It's difficult to find the better one. This gave them a tremendous pace. Other players followed their leaders really well."

"They for sure been the best backcourt in EuroLeague this year," Alex Poythress, who shared the floor with Jamal Murray and Devin Booker in Kentucky, told BasketNews.

"I think what helps them gel, and what makes them work, is that they are two totally different guards and have two totally different personalities. Zo is all about pace, quickness, and shiftiness. While Wade is all about aggressiveness, speed, and athleticism. He can go from 0 to 100 and back to 0 in a stop of a dime," Poythress, 29, added.

"Zo is a pure point guard who doesn't mind playing off-ball because he can shoot it well. While Wade is a true scoring combo who can play the point really well. Also, their personalities are totally different too. Zo is laid back and chill, while Wade is really energetic and passionate. I think all these things included made them the perfect match for each other and for us," Poythress explained.

Brown was coming off an impressive season in Kazan and an incredible gold medal run in EuroBasket with the Spanish national team, making a case for an unofficial MVP of the tournament award.

But people were questioning his partner, Wade Baldwin, despite his solid season in Baskonia. The basketball community doubted his ability to play alongside another ball-dominant guard in a winning team.

Despite the criticism, Baldwin exceeded expectations and thrived while playing with Lorenzo Brown. If there were an award for the second part of the season MVP, Baldwin would be among the top contenders.

From Round 18, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game, making him the top scorer in the competition during this period.

This year, Baldwin achieved career-high statistics in points (16.9 PPG), assists (4.9 APG), rebounds (3.5 RPG), and efficiency (16.9 EFF).

"First of all, I just feel I could click with anybody," Brown explained his connection with Baldwin off the court.

Brown himself has also achieved career-high numbers, averaging 16.3 points per game, along with 5.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals.

"Wade's character speaks for itself. He is a dominant guy, but he also knows the game of basketball. That also helps me with the pressure that's on me as far as guys looking at me for creating plays or scoring a basketball. But sometimes, it's easy just to back up and let him do his thing," Brown said BasketNews.

"I know a lot of people question what Wade's attitude is like or what he's like as a person off the court. But from my experience, he's a great dude, man. He does his job. He works hard. And he wants to win. You can't ask for a better teammate," Brown concluded.

They have contrasting skill sets and opinions, especially when it comes to the shoes they like. Zo's a Puma loyalist, partly because Maccabi's sponsored by the brand, while Wade swears by Adidas.

But these differences didn't drive them apart. In fact, they brought them together. And their camaraderie has become infectious, spreading to the rest of the team. It just goes to show that sometimes, it's the contrasts that create the most beautiful harmonies.

"They bonded really well of the court. Well, we all have," Poythress told BasketNews. "We have been doing a great job of hanging off and on the court. Rather it is having game nights or dinners, we all really have been leaning on each other this year, and you can see it in the chemistry we have."

Ironically, Brown and Baldwin weren't the first options for Maccabi on the market.

According to Arale Weisberg of Walla Sport, Maccabi set their sights on Nick Calathes as their floor general, with Daryl Macon as the targeted scorer alongside him.

When Brown and Baldwin finally suited up for Maccabi, experts didn't expect them to click together on the court. But as we've seen, sometimes the most surprising partnerships can lead to the biggest victories.

"There's a lot," Brown replied to BasketNews when asked which backcourt comes closest to them.

"You have the guys over there in Partizan. Olympiacos, for sure. Monaco, for sure. You got Efes, but those guys are up and down this year. But Shane [Larkin] and Micic have been running through the league for the past two or three years. But right now, I feel like me and Wade have that title as the best backcourt for sure," Brown weighed in. "Based on what we've done in numbers we've put up this year and leading our team to the playoffs."

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