Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 12:52 pm Post subject: WOJ: FC Barcelona point guard Marcelo Huertas has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers
Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA 3m3 minutes ago
FC Barcelona point guard Marcelo Huertas has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Can he play or is he a camp body? _________________ Whenever the Lakers benefit all of a sudden rules need to be changed and trades need to be blocked.
After years of playing significant roles in the Euroleague and on the Brazilian national team, point guard Marcelo Huertas is planning a move to the NBA next season, Yahoo Sports has learned.
Huertas, 31, a savvy, athletic 6-foot-3 playmaker and a deft shooter, is expected to be aggressively pursued as a backup guard in July free agency.
Huertas has been anchored to the Spanish ACB League the past six years with long-term deals that contained significant NBA buyouts, but finally is free of those hurdles. He hasn’t ruled out returning to FC Barcelona next year if the right NBA offer doesn’t emerge, but Huertas is determined to take a serious look at joining the NBA.
“This is the right time,” Huertas told Yahoo Sports.
Huertas has played six seasons for FC Barcelona of the Spanish ACB, leading Barca to three consecutive Euroleague Final Four appearances. He’s averaging 7.4 points and 4.9 assists for Barcelona this season. Huertas is a career 87 percent free-throw shooter.
Huertas has been Brazil’s point guard in numerous Olympic Games, World Championships and FIBA America tournaments. He averaged 11 points and five assists for Brazil in the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The natural comparison to Huertas will be Houston’s Pablo Prigioni, an Argentinian point guard who came to the NBA later in his European career at the age of 35.
“Prigoni is the guy most likely to get compared to me, because our career trajectory had been similar in Europe,” Huertas said. “And like him, I can run a team without worrying about scoring.”
Nevertheless, Huertas is a more dynamic playmaker than Prigioni and far closer to his prime at 31.
“There’s so much more space in the NBA,” Huertas told Yahoo Sports. “It’s not like Europe now, where you have one guy full-time in the paint. Space is harder to come by. One of my strengths is playing in the pick-and-roll, finding open guys and making shots in the mid-range game off the dribble.
“I think that part is harder to find now, because you mostly have guys who get all the way to the hole, or they’re three-point shooters. And if I’m open, and I can get my feet set, I’m going to make a lot of those kind of shots.”
Huertas thinks he can make a difference in the locker room, too, by mentoring young players and meshing with veterans chasing playoff runs. Barcelona’s season could run into late June, especially given its standing as one of the Euroleague’s top teams.
“If you look at NBA rosters, there are unbelievable starting point guards, but maybe not as many guys who can come off the bench able to run the team, score the ball – as well as being able to be a leader for young players,” Huertas told Yahoo. “Those are things I know I’ll be able to bring with me.”
Marcelinho Huertas created 870 PTS in the pick&roll over 80 GP for Barcelona; would have ranked 13th in NBA after adjusting for game length.
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Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 931 Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:07 pm Post subject:
If he can play decent defense this could be a sneaky good signing. I liked what I saw of some of his film. Great court vision and some real highlight passes in there. Bit of a shotputter from behind the arc so will need space to get it off. _________________ |D||O| |I||T| |R||O||B|
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90307 Location: Formerly Known As 24
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:10 pm Post subject:
yinoma2001 wrote:
Apparently he can also shoot the 3. Nice pick up.
That's actually where he's pretty weak. But a great floor general who might be perfect for a rotation each half so CLarkson and DLo can play more together.
That's actually where he's pretty weak. But a great floor general who might be perfect for a rotation each half so CLarkson and DLo can play more together.
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90307 Location: Formerly Known As 24
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:13 pm Post subject:
ocho wrote:
24 wrote:
yinoma2001 wrote:
Apparently he can also shoot the 3. Nice pick up.
That's actually where he's pretty weak. But a great floor general who might be perfect for a rotation each half so CLarkson and DLo can play more together.
36% last season. Not bad.
On a shorter line. He's been around 29% lately. You can read about it in the link above.
That's actually where he's pretty weak. But a great floor general who might be perfect for a rotation each half so CLarkson and DLo can play more together.
Oh gotcha. Just saw a 35% career 3 point shooter in the Euro League without much other info. Good free throw shooter so he must be able to decently shoot? _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Love the signing, we needed some stability in our backcourt. I have seen him play many times and he is a fundamentally sound with a little flash. Can pass, shoot, and be a leader of the second unit. Little by little, Mitch is making sure that we have enough depth of talent to withstand a rash of injuries like we've had the last few years..
PG: D'Angelo Russell, Marcelo Huertas
SG: Jordan Clarkson, Lou Williams, Michael Frazier
SF: Kobe Bryant, Nick Young, Anthony Brown
PF: Julius Randle, Brandon Bass, Ryan Kelly, Larry Nance, Jonathan Holmes
C: Roy Hibbert, Tarik Black, Robert Sacre, Robert Upshaw
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