By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Sharing one of those popular “wrapped” posts on Instagram after winning the 2022-23 G-League with the Delaware Blue Coats, Justin Smith referred to one of the go-to moves included in his skillset: the floater. That became a force in the Play-Ins clash against Filou Oostende as well.
By just taking a look at the vast majority of shots he converted during the do-or-die encounter with the Belgian team, it can be instantly understood why he’s shooting floaters this much. The question, therefore, is easy: does Hapoel Holon’s highest scorer have the best floater in Europe?
“I’ll go with “one of the best”, I think”, he first replied in an interview with Eurohoops after pushing the yellow-and-purple powerhouse to the Round of 16 for the fourth straight Basketball Champions League season. “It’s difficult, so that’s why a lot of people don’t utilize it”, the 24-year-old added.
It may be a difficult shot to practice on, but once players get used to it, it could turn into a very efficient asset. “I also believe that if you work on it enough, it could become very easy and routine. Some people just don’t have the touch to be able to do it; luckily, I have that and I worked it”, he said.
“During my senior year of college, I got injured. When I was coming back, one of my graduate assistants [Jeremiah Bonsu, the current video coordinator for the Houston Rockets] told me that translating at a professional level would have been that important. Every day I step on the floor for practice, I’m always working on it to make sure the touch is still there”, the 24-year-old added.
Floater or not, Justin Smith was the reason why the purple-and-yellow Israeli team managed to overcome the Belgian side. In the do-or-die decisive Game 3, he was almost perfect from the floor (12/14), ending with 28 points and 9 rebounds. Now, he’s ready to deliver in the Round of 16.
Having zero expectations on how to start the BCL season
After playing with Indiana and Arkansas – sharing the court with current Golden State Warriors players Trayce Jackson-Davis and Moses Moody, while also with Al Durham, right now playing the EuroCup with Hamburg -, Justin Smith tried the G-League experience out.
He had a tough adjustment with the Raptors 905 and won the G-League in the 2022-23 season with the Delaware Blue Coats, but that’s where he didn’t want to stay anymore. “When I and my agent were figuring out what we were going to do for the next season, I knew I didn’t really wanna go back to the G-League”, he immediately revealed.
When Hapoel Holon was brought to the table, “it was a great selling point”. Having a deep and insightful conversation with the head coach Amit Schaerf, he was eventually convinced to jump on a flight and depart for Israel. Once he arrived, he was “really happy” with his decision. But then, October 7 happened.
With the start of the crisis within the country, the American players of the yellow-and-purple side were moved to Cyprus for security reasons. “It was supposed like a three-day trip, but it turned into a month and a half. It wasn’t what we signed up for, being away from the team for so long”, he admitted.
During that period, they still had the opportunity to play away games in the Basketball Champions League, for example, heading on the road to Germany without fans in the stands for the game against the reigning champions of Telekom Baskets Bonn. “We had absolutely zero expectations for ourselves honestly before the first game against Bonn”, Justin Smith revealed.
“We practiced just for a week before because half of us were in Cyprus, the rest in Israel. We didn’t practice for a whole month without any games; honestly, I think that’s probably why we won, because we played free, without overthinking. We went out there without being worried about anything else. Once we won, we realized we could do that and try to win some more”, he said.
That’s what they did, through difficult moments. They won “at home” in Riga against Rio Breogan and away in Bosnia and Herzegovina against Bursaspor, and lost away in Spain. At the turning point of the season, came the opportunity to come back. “They came to us after the 4th game in BCL, approaching us to come back to Israel. We were reluctant at first because we weren’t aware of how things were”, Justin Smith revealed. “But we trusted their analysis of the situation, they gave us the opportunity. If you aren’t comfortable, it’s okay for you to leave: we would like you to try. And so we did”, he added.
“Landing in Israel felt like home again”
The sense of relief came immediately after the plane came back to the ground. “I was glad, really excited. Landing in Israel felt like home again, just finally being back in an apartment and having a little bit more stability. We already played three games with this group, we were first in our group in BCL, and switching teams midway through the season is always hard so I didn’t want to go through that. As a team, we built something together through unfortunate circumstances and hardships, and I wanted to see that through. I’m glad I made that decision”, he said about staying with Hapoel Holon.
In the end, it all came down to a 3-3 tie: Bursaspor got eliminated, Hapoel Holon and Rio Breogan qualified for the Basketball Champions League Play-Ins, while Telekom Baskets Bonn got straight into the Round of 16. Without taking into consideration that the Israeli team was inches away from doing so.
While the Germans were losing against the Spanish newcomer, in fact, the purple-and-yellow side was up by five points (60-55) entering the last quarter against Bursaspor, but they couldn’t maintain the lead, extending their run for three more decisive clashes. “We were right up until the last ten seconds, we were determined to take first place. Playing in that type of game is a good experience as we continue to play more games in higher competitions, having that experience of playing those close ones”, he said.
Playing in a total of six countries [Germany, Latvia, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Belgium] between Regular Season and Play-Ins, Justin Smith will add Greece in the Round of 16, where Hapoel Holon will face AEK, Promitheas, and UCAM Murcia.
There won’t probably be Israel, and that’s the downside of his first overseas professional season. “There weren’t any fans in any of the arenas, besides when we played in Spain and Belgium. Playing in empty arenas was a weird adjustment, but it’s a pure form of basketball: it’s the team vs the team, not the away one vs the home one, with the crowd. Would have been great to have fans at away games but also for us, first being in Holon, and then to have fans. We had to go with the flow”, he commented.
Before jumping into the Round of 16, he acknowledged the toughness of facing Filou Oostende. “They were difficult for us to guard. The way our teams are made is very opposite, they are more small-sized and dynamic than us: it was an interesting matchup situation for us. We were able to capitalize on some of their deficiencies in the first game, using our speed and athleticism opening up the court”, the 24-year-old player analyzed.
Filou Oostende came back in Game 2, but Hapoel Holon closed things up at 2-1 mainly thanks to Justin Smith. “In the second game, they didn’t let us get out in transition, and they were able to use their size defensively to bother us, making it difficult for us. In Game 3 we were able to take what we learned from the first two games, applying it. They’re a well-coached and talented group, a good team. I’m glad we were able to win the series and have the experience to play against them”, Justin Smith added.
Finally, if he’s the main reason why Hapoel Holon keeps fighting in the Basketball Champions League, CJ Harris is the experienced asset they always need. The American guard, who has been playing with Hapoel Holon for many campaigns now, is putting up 11.5 points per game.
Moreover, his leadership goes off the court as well. “He has helped me personally through a bunch of stuff navigating what it’s like to play overseas. Drew [Crawford] also helped me and other guys adjust and keep our minds focused. Having played in the BCL multiple times, and having that experience, CJ [Harris] is never too high and never too low, he’s always very calm, and he’s a steady force for us. We’re fortunate to have him around”, he commented about the 32-year-old.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League