By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
After skipping the whole of the 2016-2017 season, NBA veteran and 2006 champion with the Miami Heat Dorell Wright is resurging his career in EuroLeague with German club Brose Bamberg while dreaming of his return in the best league on the planet.
“That’s my ultimate goal. To get back in the NBA,” Wright told Eurohoops. “That’s where I want to be in.”
NBA clubs have always been heavily monitoring what the large pool of overseas basketball has to offer and the flow of “imported” players in the league has been remarkably increased in recent years. Europe, in particular, has been providing a constant conscription source, from youngsters to experienced guys, undrafted American players or former NBAers, like Wright, who have been grinding it out away from home with the hope of getting that phone call that asks them to come back.
Such was the case with ex Brose Bamberg forward Darius Miller who received an offer to rejoin the New Orleans Pelicans last summer, after spending two seasons in EuroLeague with the Bavarian team.
Wright knows that the all-seeing eye of the NBA front offices might also be fixed on him and would love to follow a similar route with Miller. But if that doesn’t happen, continuing in Europe is an option that also has its merits.
“Everybody is watching me. NBA is the goal. I’d rather be there with my family,” Wright said to Eurohoops. “But if I had to start my career again in Europe, I’m fine with that. I want to play at least four more years. If that’s going to be in Europe, I think I can be successful here.”
At the beginning of the season, Wright reemerged out of the sidelines where he stayed for one year, by signing with Bosnian club Igokea that competes in ABA League, together with other teams from the Balkan peninsula.
The American forward’s maiden European campaign included living in a whole lot different environment from what he had been used to. Igokea is based in the small city of Laktasi in the northern part of Bosnia and it’s not quite as glamorous as let’s say L.A. where Wright grew up, or Miami, where he spent his first six years in the NBA.
Still, basketball is basketball and all that the 32-year-old player cared about was showing that he has refueled his engines in his year off and was ready to get his motor running again at full speed.
“At the end of the day, I’m a basketball player,” Wright said to Eurohoops. “The previous year I took the whole season off. So I didn’t play. A lot of teams, including NBA teams, they didn’t seem me play. They didn’t know what the case was with me. They didn’t know f I was ready or even if I was healthy. Then, I had an opportunity to go to a great organization like Igokea.”
Wright was more than justified with the choice he made to join Igokea. In the three weeks he spent in Bosnia, he simply dominated in ABA, averaging 26.8 points and 4.3 rebounds over four games and helping the team grab victories over some of the league’s powerhouses: Montenegrin side Buducnost and Croatian team Cedevita.
The biggest reward was that he capitalized on these performances by attracting the attention of a EuroLeague club. Brose Bamberg offered him a contract and he signed a deal for the remainder of the season.
He departed for Germany with the blessings of Igokea.
“I got into tip-top shape in Igokea. And the doors opened for my next step with Bamberg. I appreciate those guys (Igokea) for allowing me to come here in the middle of the season. We got some big wins while I was there. This helped me a lot and they also helped me to get ready to go when I got here. I really appreciate these people.”
Even a well-traveled veteran might find the transition to EuroLeague to be an uphill battle. Wright, on the other hand, began his own venture in a more than satisfactory fashion, combining his debut with a game-high 20 PIR he registered thanks to 13 points plus 5 rebounds n a victory over Baskonia. His then-head coach Andrea Trinchieri proceeded to praise Wright’s display after the game.
Now, after 22 matches in the top-tier European competition, he has become the leading scorer of Brose Bamberg with an average of 11.9 points while also posting 5.9 rebounds per game.
Where does he attribute this quick and efficient adjustment? Just devouring every piece of basketball footage he gets his hands on.
“One of the things is that I study the game a lot. I watch a lot of films from the games and a lot of basketball and learning what I need to learn in order to go out there and be successful. Learning the rules and learning the little things that I need to in order to go out there and deliver. I just continue to be getting better. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for me. Sometimes I have bad games when I don’t play the way I like. It’s learning experience.”
Following his first NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, Wright evolved into a legit 3-point sniper, particularly blossoming during his stint with the Golden State Warriors when he also participated in the 2011 All-Star Game shootout.
It’s the same lethal behind-the-arc shooting (45/106 – 42.5%) thanks to which he’s posted five 20+ games in EuroLeague this season. These offensive displays have come in an effortless manner since Wright thrives on the team’s systems that produce many open shots for him and his teammates to consume.
Everyone is required to move the ball around in Bamberg and even Wright himself has often operated as a passer, especially in the last stretch of 9 games, where he averages 2.3 assists.
“This is a part of the whole learning experience. Every game is different. It’s kind of crazy. It’s not like the NBA when you know that you come into the building and you are going to score 20, 25 points. Here, it’s more of a team game here. It can be anybody’s night. And I’m learning that.The best thing about me being here is that I’m team player being here and making an extra pass. It’s been great throwing the ball to my teammates and knowing that they can knock shots down. It’s been a great experience so far. Especially considering that I came from the highest level of basketball to the next high level of basketball. I’m loving it and enjoying.”
On Friday (9/3) night, Dorel Wright registered a new EuroLeague career-high 23 points in a Brose Bamberg loss to powerhouse Olympiacos on the road. It was a result that changes little regarding the team’s future in the competition, where they are out of playoff contention, but it’s a hopeful sign of getting revamped and more competitive under new coach Luca Banchi.
“I think we are trying to build character right now in this moment of the season and hopefully we have a fresh face (Luca Banchi) here now. We have a lot of energy and will to learn a new system. Just playing as a team and a unit. Trying to get wins. Going against a great team like Olympiacos in their home and getting them a fight means that’s we’re good at building a character.”
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