Welcome Georges Darwiche!

[goldsaint17]

In general, I worry about taking international prospects, as they often expect playing time from the get-go or leave (though I guess in this day and age that's no different from any other player... LOL).

Here's what I have pieced together with Darwiche:

He's very quick off the dribble and is able to get to the rim and create separation despite playing against grown men. Jump shot form is pure, and in the video below he demonstrates some ability to operate a pick and roll.

Unlike many players that come over from foreign countries, Darwiche has extensive experience playing with the senior team for both club and country. He plays 14 minutes per game for his club team, Steaua CSM Bucuresti, and is on the senior national team for Romania. He is the youngest player on his national team and second-youngest player for his club team. With Steaua, he is playing with guys aged 27-33 for the most part, with the exception of Brandon Taylor, who was a 10 ppg guy at Utah from 2013-2016 and is now beginning his pro career. With the national team, he is playing with a mix of veterans and younger guys. For a sample, Central Michigan star Giordan Watson (2005-2008), Alex Olah (Northwestern 2013-2016), and Emanuel Cate (20 year old considered a fringe NBA prospect) are among his teammates. 

I have found records for him playing with 3 different Romanian national teams. 2 summers ago, he played with the U18's in the European Championships, where he was the starting point guard. Averaged 7.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and led the team with 2.6 assists per game. Established himself as a key player for Romania during that event as it went on (15 points and 4 assists vs Ireland, 17 points vs Netherlands). The following summer, he played with the U20's in their European Championships, a tournament that Romania won, averaging 7 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 42% from downtown. That earned him a spot on the senior national team as they entered World Cup qualifying, where he has played in 2 games thus far. Averaged 18.5 minutes in those 2 games, averaging 4 points, 2 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per contest. He missed the next cycle of games with an injury, but has 2 games for the national team coming up this Thursday and next monday, so I'll post links for those games when they come around.

With Steaua, he plays 14 minutes per game for the senior team, averaging 3 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound per game while shooting 40% from 3. Before making the senior team, he was a star for the U18 team, where he won 2 national championships. Haven't found stats for those teams yet, but will post when and if I am able to find some.

To me, this guy is worth a shot. We need guards, and he looks good on tape. He's experienced and certainly won't be scared off by MAAC athletes.

One concern: he won’t get here until the fall. That means he misses all of summer workouts, which will be key for getting into shape and building chemistry. He should be in game shape given he’ll be playing with the national team as well as possibly the U20’s again, but he may not be in shape for JC’s system. Also always the possibility that he struggles to get cleared by the NCAA. .

www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2019/european-qualifiers/news/romania-youngsters-darwiche-nicolescu-take-off

[Quackman]

So I watched some video myself. Like most say, it is a highlight video so will show the best of the kids performance.

Two things stuck out:

1) SaintsFan's comparison to Jared Jordan was right on point. Not saying he is as good but his game resembles Jordan's a great deal, right down to his shot.

2) The competition he was playing against was good. There was a lot of size and athleticism on the floor both on his team and the teams he was playing against. The speed and athleticism
at the MAAC level shouldn't overwhelm him.

Low Risk, high potential reward recruit.

[SaintsFan]

Jun 25, 2018 11:54:42 GMT -5 Quackman said:

So I watched some video myself. Like most say, it is a highlight video so will show the best of the kids performance.

Two things stuck out:

1) SaintsFan's comparison to Jared Jordan was right on point. Not saying he is as good but his game resembles Jordan's a great deal, right down to his shot.

2) The competition he was playing against was good. There was a lot of size and athleticism on the floor both on his team and the teams he was playing against. The speed and athleticism
at the MAAC level shouldn't overwhelm him.

Low Risk, high potential reward recruit.

i did watch the highlight reels but you can also find full game videos... those i watched significant parts. Confirming what i posted

[mike60]

KK , What makes you think that the European players are vastly inferior to the Americans as your comments suggest. Your insulting comment suggests you have the Trump brand of Christian thought. What did you see in his video that technically he was not a good pick.

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2018 12:44:39 GMT -5 mike60 said:

KK , What makes you think that the European players are vastly inferior to the Americans as your comments suggest. Your insulting comment suggests you have the Trump brand of Christian thought. What did you see in his video that technically he was not a good pick.

European players, ESPECIALLY those who don't come to America in HS or prep, tend to need time to adjust to the American game AND American culture.

There's nothing wrong with them. It's just this kid hasn't even played in the US yet and often times there are clearinghouse issues even if they have. Some lose some eligibility because of where they played in Europe (Davis Martens)...some can't get cleared for 2 years (Aidas at Fairfield)...and others can't get thru at all.

His video is a highlight reel and he looks ok in it. However, what I don't see is a lot of him passing and I don't see high assist numbers from him anywhere...which suggest to me that he's a short combo guard...maybe a speedier Khalil Richard type....which we already have.

Essentially, if you're 6 foot and can't play PG...that makes you a career bench player on a winning team. I was under the impression that we have had enough of those.

[mike60]

But didn't people point out that J's system need good ball handlers which this kid certainly showed. He looked tremendous off the break with good court awareness. Made some very sharp passes at full speed. Did not show any hesitation.That is what I hated with some of the play in recent years. Too many time there was no instinctual play except for Nico.

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2018 13:00:56 GMT -5 mike60 said:

But didn't people point out that J's system need good ball handlers which this kid certainly showed. He looked tremendous off the break with good court awareness. Made some very sharp passes at full speed. Did not show any hesitation.That is what I hated with some of the play in recent years. Too many time there was no instinctual play except for Nico.

You're correct. JC's system needs many 'PGs'.

Smithen 6-3, Pickett 6-4, Carey 6-5 are all fairly big so you certainly could get away with a shorter combo guard in theory....

However, it seems to me on paper that this kid has never really 'run a team' like those kids maybe have. If a positive A/TO and great D for this kid wasn't really guaranteed when he was playing at a lesser level across the ocean, it would seem that there could be a better 'PG' fit found than this one with a bit less risk. A kid who averages 2.6 APG in Europe isn't really 'killing it' creating for his teammates.

All I'm saying.

And, as Goldsaint said, he'll also miss most of the summer workouts so he'll be joining the team late, be behind the rest of the team in conditioning, and be adjusting to life in America for the first time all at once... And who knows if he'll even be eligible in the first place.

[mike60]

Saints Fan Where do you find those full length videos?

[Quackman]

Jun 25, 2018 13:07:39 GMT -5 @saintkk said:

Jun 25, 2018 13:00:56 GMT -5 mike60 said:

But didn't people point out that J's system need good ball handlers which this kid certainly showed. He looked tremendous off the break with good court awareness. Made some very sharp passes at full speed. Did not show any hesitation.That is what I hated with some of the play in recent years. Too many time there was no instinctual play except for Nico.

You're correct. JC's system needs many 'PGs'.

Smithen 6-3, Pickett 6-4, Carey 6-5 are all fairly big so you certainly could get away with a shorter combo guard in theory....

However, it seems to me on paper that this kid has never really 'run a team' like those kids maybe have. If a positive A/TO and great D for this kid wasn't really guaranteed when he was playing at a lesser level across the ocean, it would seem that there could be a better 'PG' fit found than this one with a bit less risk. A kid who averages 2.6 APG in Europe isn't really 'killing it' creating for his teammates.

All I'm saying.

And, as Goldsaint said, he'll also miss most of the summer workouts so he'll be joining the team late, be behind the rest of the team in conditioning, and be adjusting to life in America for the first time all at once... And who knows if he'll even be eligible in the first place.

Did you watch any video on him? Seems like a pretty slick passer to me. Not sure what stats you are looking at but I believe he was playing "up" with the National team this past season.

Oh, and there is no way that Club level FIBA is a lesser level than high school basketball here.

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2018 14:06:06 GMT -5 Quackman said:

Jun 25, 2018 13:07:39 GMT -5 @saintkk said:

You're correct. JC's system needs many 'PGs'.

Smithen 6-3, Pickett 6-4, Carey 6-5 are all fairly big so you certainly could get away with a shorter combo guard in theory....

However, it seems to me on paper that this kid has never really 'run a team' like those kids maybe have. If a positive A/TO and great D for this kid wasn't really guaranteed when he was playing at a lesser level across the ocean, it would seem that there could be a better 'PG' fit found than this one with a bit less risk. A kid who averages 2.6 APG in Europe isn't really 'killing it' creating for his teammates.

All I'm saying.

And, as Goldsaint said, he'll also miss most of the summer workouts so he'll be joining the team late, be behind the rest of the team in conditioning, and be adjusting to life in America for the first time all at once... And who knows if he'll even be eligible in the first place.

Did you watch any video on him? Seems like a pretty slick passer to me. Not sure what stats you are looking at but I believe he was playing "up" with the National team this past season.

Oh, and there is no way that Club level FIBA is a lesser level than high school basketball here.

Lesser than D1 basketball. Yes, it is.
I watched the video. And I looked at stats from 2 or 3 FIBA years and what looks like most of his year last year.

While he had a good assist ratio last year...he only averaged 1.45 assist per game while averaging about 14.6 MPG over 44 games.

basketball.realgm.com/player/Georges-Darwiche/Summary/75989

That does not seem like a pure, creating PG. It seems like more of a combo guard.
In FIBA, he often struggled to have a positive assist ratio at all.

And as we saw last year with Oduro and the FF recruits, those stats translated pretty reasonably to what they did in D1.
So if a kid struggles with A/TO in FIBA...it's fairly possible that he'll struggle with it in D1 as well.

So, again to me, he's a bit of a wild card.

[goldsaint17]

Jun 25, 2018 14:25:18 GMT -5 @saintkk said:

Jun 25, 2018 14:06:06 GMT -5 Quackman said:

Did you watch any video on him? Seems like a pretty slick passer to me. Not sure what stats you are looking at but I believe he was playing "up" with the National team this past season.

Oh, and there is no way that Club level FIBA is a lesser level than high school basketball here.

Lesser than D1 basketball. Yes, it is.
I watched the video. And I looked at stats from 2 or 3 FIBA years and what looks like most of his year last year.

While he had a good assist ratio last year...he only averaged 1.45 assist per game while averaging about 14.6 MPG over 44 games.

basketball.realgm.com/player/Georges-Darwiche/Summary/75989

That does not seem like a pure, creating PG. It seems like more of a combo guard.
In FIBA, he often struggled to have a positive assist ratio at all.

The 2 players on Steaua who played D1 college basketball averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds at Southern Illinois and 10 points per game at Utah and have played multiple years of D1 basketball. When he’s playing for his senior club team, that level is clearly better than the MAAC. When he’s playing with the senior national team, that level is better than the MAAC. The U18 and U20 competition is probably about high school level but I’m not an expert in those levels of basketball so I couldn’t say for sure.

To me, the fact that he can contribute for the senior teams at both club and country tells me he should at least contribute as a rotation player for a MAAC program, provided he’s able to adjust to the American game. Whether he can be a true starting point guard remains to be seen, I personally don’t know. He’s playing next to a very good point guard in Giordan Watson when he’s playing with Romania, so he’s not being asked to run the show. Same goes with club play when he presumably spends time next to Taylor.

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2018 14:43:39 GMT -5 goldsaint17 said:

Jun 25, 2018 14:25:18 GMT -5 @saintkk said:

Lesser than D1 basketball. Yes, it is.
I watched the video. And I looked at stats from 2 or 3 FIBA years and what looks like most of his year last year.

While he had a good assist ratio last year...he only averaged 1.45 assist per game while averaging about 14.6 MPG over 44 games.

basketball.realgm.com/player/Georges-Darwiche/Summary/75989

That does not seem like a pure, creating PG. It seems like more of a combo guard.
In FIBA, he often struggled to have a positive assist ratio at all.

The 2 players on Steaua who played D1 college basketball averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds at Southern Illinois and 10 points per game at Utah and have played multiple years of D1 basketball. When he’s playing for his senior club team, that level is clearly better than the MAAC. When he’s playing with the senior national team, that level is better than the MAAC. The U18 and U20 competition is probably about high school level but I’m not an expert in those levels of basketball so I couldn’t say for sure.

To me, the fact that he can contribute for the senior teams at both club and country tells me he should at least contribute as a rotation player for a MAAC program, provided he’s able to adjust to the American game. Whether he can be a true starting point guard remains to be seen, I personally don’t know. He’s playing next to a very good point guard in Giordan Watson when he’s playing with Romania, so he’s not being asked to run the show. Same goes with club play when he presumably spends time next to Taylor.

Right, like I said. Combo guard...like Khalil Richard.

A small combo guard who doesn't rebound, create at a high level for others, or get to the FT line a lot.
And he comes with the typical challenges of an international player on top of that.

Maybe he's an Evan Hymes...but that didn't really get us anywhere.

Manhattan keeps recruiting these small combo guards too...and it's getting them nowhere just as fast.

Siena needs the all-around PG like Wright was. Guys like this and Seymour, again, look more like role players.

[SIENA1971]

Some in here always like to point out the negative so if player doesn’t work out they look like scouting geniuses and if it does work out they dish out the praise to b-ball coaches, conditioning & strength coaches for making players over achieve ... win-win all the way around 😉

[Quackman]

Looks like Georges has been to the US at least once for a camp in San Antonio.

[Quackman]

Jun 25, 2018 14:48:27 GMT -5 @saintkk said:

Jun 25, 2018 14:43:39 GMT -5 goldsaint17 said:

The 2 players on Steaua who played D1 college basketball averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds at Southern Illinois and 10 points per game at Utah and have played multiple years of D1 basketball. When he’s playing for his senior club team, that level is clearly better than the MAAC. When he’s playing with the senior national team, that level is better than the MAAC. The U18 and U20 competition is probably about high school level but I’m not an expert in those levels of basketball so I couldn’t say for sure.

To me, the fact that he can contribute for the senior teams at both club and country tells me he should at least contribute as a rotation player for a MAAC program, provided he’s able to adjust to the American game. Whether he can be a true starting point guard remains to be seen, I personally don’t know. He’s playing next to a very good point guard in Giordan Watson when he’s playing with Romania, so he’s not being asked to run the show. Same goes with club play when he presumably spends time next to Taylor.

Right, like I said. Combo guard...like Khalil Richard.

A small combo guard who doesn't rebound, create at a high level for others, or get to the FT line a lot.
And he comes with the typical challenges of an international player on top of that.

Maybe he's an Evan Hymes...but that didn't really get us anywhere.

Manhattan keeps recruiting these small combo guards too...and it's getting them nowhere just as fast.

Siena needs the all-around PG like Wright was. Guys like this and Seymour, again, look more like role players.

Why can't he just be a Georges? Looks like a kid with a good handle, shoots well, pretty good vision and sneaky with the ball.

Let's see what he able to do once he gets here.