By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce continued with their transfer moves in something more than a dynamic fashion as, after Joffrey Lauvergne, they convinced another player to leave behind the magical world of the NBA and make the trip from the other side of the Atlantic to Istanbul.
That player is none other than Tyler Ennis, the big new acquisition of the finalists in Belgrade last season, who want to fill the gap left by Brad Wanamaker’s departure in the most ideal way, after the latter went the opposite way, to the NBA.
Eurohoops sketches out the profile of the 24-year-old Canadian point guard, who, from the magical world of the NBA and the Lakers last year, will get to know Europe for the first time, following in the footsteps of his older brother.
Tyler is not the first Ennis to make the transatlantic journey. Last year, European fans got to know his older brother, Dylan, who played in the EuroLeague in the colors of Crvena Zvezda in 18 games (6.5 points), with stints in Mega Leks and the Spanish teams, Zaragoza and Andorra, in the second half of the season.
Why Obradovic picked him
Looking for the player who would fill Wanamaker’s gap, Obradovic surely wanted someone who would be able to respond to his needs. And this isn’t just in regards to his value as a player, but the ability and will of his players to… change and respond to what Zoc wants, every day, in every training session, in every game.
Tyler Ennis can respond to this, as he has the advantage of changing whenever it is required and in the way his team requires it. “It depends on what the team needs from me,” he has said since his college years and he means it, since the experts in the USA, Jonathan Givony of the DraftExpress first among them, have said characteristically that he was like a “chameleon,” that every season he’s a different player.
He’s characterized by his leadership skills on the court, as he clearly has the ability to score uninterruptedly, though he’s not considered selfish on the court but a team player, which is exactly what you need to get ahead in Obradovic’s teams.
On the other side, of course, a disadvantage that he has had from the beginning of his career, is the lack of speed with the ball and of athleticism, something he does manage to make up for with his concentration and his high basketball IQ.