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Yovel Zoosman

And-Ones: Marbury, Rush, Zoosman, FAs

June 25th, 2019 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA star Stephon Marbury has been named the head coach of the Beijing Royal Fighers in the Chinese Basketball Association, writes Kevin Wang of ESPN.com.

Marbury, a former fourth overall pick who made All-Star teams for New Jersey and Phoenix during his 13-year NBA career, has enjoyed a second act over the last decade as a star in China. As a player for Chinese teams, including the Beijing Ducks, Marbury won three CBA titles and was named a CBA All-Star six times. Now he’ll remain in China as a head coach in Beijing, having reportedly signed a three-year contract with the team, per Wang.

“Thank you for the opportunity. I will give everything I have on the sidelines just like I gave everything inside the lines,” Marbury wrote on his Weibo social media account. “The end is another start, I am back, are you with me?”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Brandon Rush hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2016/17 season, in part due to a heart infection, but he hasn’t given up hope on making a comeback, per an Indianapolis Star report. Rush is currently playing in the BIG3 in the hopes of proving he’s capable of returning to the NBA. “That’s the main goal for me right now,” Rush said. “I just want to show people that I can still hoop. I just want to show my athletic ability, showing that I still got a little bounce to me. (Show) that I can still shoot the ball and defend at a high level.”
  • Undrafted free agent Yovel Zoosman, who has spent the last several seasons playing in Israel, has reportedly received a four-year offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv, but remains primarily focused on finding a deal with an NBA team, a source tells JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
  • ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) shares his top-30 list of 2019 NBA free agents, with Jeremy Lamb, Delon Wright, and Tyus Jones among those who place higher than expected on the analytically-influenced rankings.
  • Jeffrey David, the former Kings executive who was accused of siphoning $13.4MM from the team and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, has been sentenced to seven years in prison, writes Samantha Maldonado of The Associated Press.
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Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Draft, Anunoby

June 17th, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers want to select someone in the mold of Landry Shamet with the No. 24 overall pick.

“[Shamet has] always been an overcomer and mature and very very self-aware,” senior director of scouting Vince Rozman said (via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “…I think those are the guys that tend to make it in that range, because they know their role and they know what’s going to be asked of them.”

Pompey suggests that Cameron Johnson fits the profile and speculates that the UNC product may slip in the draft because of his age. Johnson turned 23 in March.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

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Draft Notes: Zoosman, Obiesie, Eboua, Holman, Herro

June 10th, 2019 at 7:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Israeli Yovel Zoosman, a 6’6” small forward, will keep his name in the draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. Zoosman plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, which just advanced to the Israeli league playoff finals. Zoosman is ranked No. 53 on Givony’s Top 100 prospects list.

We have more draft decisions and workouts:

  • German point guard Josh Obiesie will stay in the draft, according to another Givony tweet. Givony has Obiesie ranked No. 64 overall and No. 10 among point guard prospects.
  • Forward Paul Eboua, Cameroon native, has withdrawn his name from the draft, according to Givony (Twitter link). He joins 11 other international players — Gytis Masiulis, Abdoulaye N’Doye, Digue Diawara, Aleksandr Balcerowski, Aleix Font, Zoran Paunovic, Dalibor Ilic, Louis Olinde, Jonas Matisseck, Tadas Sedekerskis and Vrenz Bleijenbergh — who have also decided to pull out of the draft. Matas Jogela, a Lithuanian forward, and William McDowell-White, an Australian guard, will remain in the draft, according to Givony (Twitter links).
  • Mississippi State forward Aric Holman worked out for the Raptors on Monday, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter link). He visited the Knicks last week and will work out for the Kings, Lakers and Cavaliers this week, Begley adds.
  • First round prospect Tyler Herro (Kentucky) has worked out for the Spurs and will also visit the Pacers and Timberwolves, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Herro is ranked No. 18 overall and No. 4 among shooting guards by Givony.
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Draft Notes: Zoosman, Pritchard, Stevens, More

April 9th, 2019 at 11:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Israeli wing Yovel Zoosman has submitted paperwork to the NBA to make himself eligible for the 2019 NBA draft, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The 20-year-old, who is currently playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli League and the Euroleague, is aiming to become the first player from Israel to be drafted in 10 years — Omri Casspi was selected in the 2009 draft.

“If I were fortunate enough to be drafted this coming June, it would mean the world to me to follow in the footsteps of Omri Casspi, Gal Mekel, and others, make my country proud and hopefully inspire young Israelis to follow their dreams as well,” Zossman told Givony.

The No. 58 prospect on ESPN’s big board, Zoosman is a top candidate to win this year’s EuroLeague Rising Star award, according to Givony, who notes that NBA scouts like the youngster’s size, length, shooting ability and basketball IQ.

Here are more draft-related updates on 2019’s early entrants:

  • Penn State junior forward Lamar Stevens announced on Tuesday that he’ll test the draft waters (Twitter link). “I think it’s a win-win,” Stevens said of going through the pre-draft process while retaining his college eligibility. “One way, I get to go and play professionally. (Or) I come back to a great school and really get to end my legacy how I really envision.”
  • Oregon junior guard Payton Pritchard tells James Crepea of The Oregonian that he’ll enter the draft while maintaining his NCAA eligibility. Pritchard came on strong in March, averaging 16.0 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 5.3 RPG during the Ducks’ Sweet 16 run.
  • Georgia State junior guard D’Marcus Simonds announced on Twitter that he’s entering the draft and signing with an agent. While Simonds can test the waters even after hiring representation, his announcement doesn’t make it sounds as if he expects to return for his senior season.
  • California Baptist sophomore guard Milan Acquaah is entering the draft without hiring an agent, the school announced in a press release. Acquaah averaged 19.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.4 APG in 31 games in 2018/19.
  • Howard junior guard Charles Williams Jr. will join teammate R.J. Cole in testing the 2019 draft waters, a source tells Steven J. Gaither of HBCU Gameday. Williams averaged 17.9 PPG on .446/.373/.856 shooting in 33 games in 2018/19.
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