to'Olympia MilanAfter a bad first half of the season in the Euroleague and the Championship, in recent weeks he has put things right in order to recover in both competitions. If the team appears to have finally found its own identity on the pitch, more help could arrive from the transfer market soon. After the surprise (re-)signing of Shabazz Napier, Armani will be looking for a winger capable of compensating for the absence of Barron and Shields. According to ROM and Sportando, the correct name could be a noun Rodney McGruder, in negotiations with Olympia at the moment. But who is McGruder, and what can he add to Messina's roster? Let's find out with a short exploration.
An American goalkeeper born in 1991, if he lands in Olympia, Rodney McGruder will find himself facing his counterpart. The second experience in Europe. After 4 years of college at Kansas State, the Landover native did not participate in the 2013 NBA Draft. After his NBA career ended, he signed with Atomeromo in November 2013, playing 29 games in the Hungarian league. A year later, he tried again to participate in the world's first basketball league, and ended up getting a contract in the first division.
Two excellent seasons in the Development League, culminating in a championship win with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, gave him a tempting opportunity in the summer of 2016 as Rodney signed him to a contract. Three-year contract with i Miami Heat. Once he earned a roster spot, McGruder had a good first season, averaging 6.4 points in 78 games. Less used in his second year, the 2018-19 season was the season in which he had his best scoring average with 7.6 points in 66 games.
After his contract with the Heat expired, McGruder reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers in the season that was halted due to the Corona virus. He later signed with i Detroit Pistons, with whom he will play three seasons through 2023. His maximum number of games played comes in 2021-22 with 51 games played and an average of 5.4 points per 14 minutes. This past summer the Pistons cut him and partnered with McGruder Training camp Con I Golden State Warriors To try to win thirteenth place on the list. Kerr decides not to sign him, and so far the former Heat player has been stuck searching for a contract. McGruder's last regular season game dates back to March 22, where he scored 7 points in the Pistons' victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Summing up all his experiences so far, McGruder is therefore a background player Important past in the NBA. Therefore, his taste in Europe goes back ten years, but this does not necessarily affect its importance. The former Pistons player is a player who has already made the trip abroad, and this could certainly help him in his eventual arrival in Milan.
He is 193cm tall and weighs 93kg, and is listed by our partner Synergy Sports as a player. Spot follow shooting wing. In short, a wing whose basic characteristic is… I put my feet on the ground. In his NBA career, he played more as a guard, due to his smaller size compared to his American wing counterparts, but Europe could be an opportunity for him to return to playing on the wing. McGruder has always held up Good percentages from beyond the arc in the NBAAnd 45.8%, 39.7% and 42.3%, respectively, in the last three seasons.
If we take the games he played against the Pistons last season as a sample, the most important clue to understanding his game comes from Types of play Provided to us by Synergy. The American is the 2/3rd who finds his most widely used weapon, as previously mentioned, in Tiro in the spot-up (47% of possessions played last season). McGruder is producing .891 PPP in these situations: not stellar numbers, but nonetheless backed by excellent percentages from beyond the arc. However, it is used in other cases such as turnovers (16.1% of holdings at 1,452 PPP), exits from blocks (8.8% at 1,176 PPP) and from Processor From Pick'n'roll (6.2% to 0.833 PPP).
From this data, we can understand how McGruder is a player whose primary weapon is not putting the ball on the ground, or much less so, setting up the catch. But that's not what Messina will ask of him at Milan. His physical size coupled with good touch makes the former Pistons a player Effective in attack, if served, and positive in defence. The rebounding help he can provide should also not be underestimated, as numbers can approach college numbers (4.8 on average) in a context with bodies that are less dominant than those in the NBA. These are the words that Lorenzo Neri, the scout in our featured chat, had to say about him:
Experience, tactical readings and a great ability to play without the ball outside the penalty area, he has always been a very intelligent and prepared player in many aspects of the game. In the NBA, he didn't have the physical or athletic means to stand out in a noticeable way, but he always found a place in the league and the coaches who trained with him adored him.
From Milan's point of view, I expect a link player between the wings, who can provide greater threat when offloading and using spacing, who can take charge of 2 and 3 behind but above all increases the quality of defensive rotations.
The doubts about him are clearly related to his own doubts Its inclusion in the European context and in the context of Olympia. His shooting skills could certainly help Milan's attack in their minutes attacking drought, but we can't expect that from him load Exaggerated. The threat could also be Troy Daniels 2.0, but compared to the previous Lakers, we are facing a much more experienced player who is able to help on both sides of the court. There is potential for him to prove to be an important player on the Olympia board, especially in the absence of Shields and Baron. Only the next few hours will tell whether Milan will decide to strike or not.
“Award-winning beer geek. Extreme coffeeaholic. Introvert. Avid travel specialist. Hipster-friendly communicator.”
