After lifting the Euroleague last season, the Fenerbahce of Saruns Jasikevicius Last summer, he was forced to undertake a major reform of his squad due to a significant number of departures, some of considerable magnitude.
The most painful goodbye was that of the ex-Azulgrana Nigel Hayes-Davis, After being chosen the 'MVP' of the last Final Four of the European competition, and being one of the leaders of 'Saras' in that triplet won last year, he packed his bags to return to America and the NBA with the Phoenix Suns.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, in a game with the Suns / AP
Horton-Tucker's arrival in European basketball
Given this practically obligatory change of squad, one of the big signings for 'Fener' was Talen Horton-Tucker. One of the usual landings in European basketball of players with NBA experience (more than 300 games), but integrating that group of players, increasingly extensive, with profiles with certain minutes in the American League (more than 19 minutes per game in their career), but who decide to land in the Euroleague to be lighthouses in their teams.
Talen Horton-Tucker, in a game with the Chicago Bulls / AP
At 25 years old, Horton-Tucker is a player with a lot of talent on his hands. With an apparently 'careless' physique that can be misleading, the American has starred in some of the most spectacular actions of the season, with some dunks in which it is obvious that he has plenty of 'springs'.
His numbers in Euroleague to date
For now, Fenerbahçe's outside is at 12.7 points, with a percentage of 51.3% success in the two-point shot, 31.7% from the three-point shot, and an improvable 67.3% (35/52) from the personal line. This annotation places closing the Top-40 of players with the best points average in the Euroleague, but the truth is that Horton-Tucker has not hesitated to 'shoot a triple' and name himself as the best player in the competition.
He is clear: “I am the best player in the Euroleague”
It was on the 'Triple Threat Show' podcast in which he made these statements. “Is it wrong for me to say to myself? He feels that I am the best player in the Euroleague. If he can continue to improve and feel a little more comfortable I will be able to show it,” Horton-Tucker confessed.
NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, The outside of 'Fener' has just had his best game in the Euroleague after scoring against him 24 points to Monaco in the victory of the Turks 86-92 in the reissue of the last final for the title.
Ahead, three highly demanding games for Horton-Tucker to show if he really is the best player in the tournament: Panathinaikos, Olimpia Milano, and Barça next December 23 (6:45 p.m. CET).
