Maconda, Jacobs and Jarumbauskas: three “unknowns” in LEB Oro

Let no one take the title of this article wrong, with which we only want to present three players who join the LEB Oro without being on our monitoring radar but who can perfectly surprise this coming year.

Jose Dimitri Maconda
Netherlands – Angola / 2001 / 187cm
Juaristi ISB

Without the Baskonia – Iraurgi connection present this season, the Basque squad has had to opt for other ways within their humble project and that leads them to make certain risk bets. Maconda, currently in the orbit of the Angolan national team, was international for the Netherlands in training categories and, after going through training academies in his country, had his first experience in Spain in the EBA League (Óbila, 19/20) , but he could hardly be seen due to an injury. He returned to his country, where Den Bosch made a hole for him, and it was last season in a team from the middle zone (Aris Leeuwarden) when he enjoyed prominence (26 mi, 9.4 pt, 2.9 ace, 1.5 ro) .

Maconda, although fibrous, is a light player in his weight and, with flashes of projection, he is still in a maturation phase in his game. He is a vertical base, daring, with a good 1 × 1, change of pace and without fear. Capable of shooting 3s from standing still, he lacks some consistency on his outside shot. Comfortable in transition and in fast rhythms, as a director base and in a league like the LEB Oro it will cost him, being necessary to improve his decision-making. Without fear behind, attentive to theft and aid, although sometimes he lacks a better understanding of the situation.

With two point guards and assistants on the squad like Hevia and Aizpitarte, Maconda can find a good place for his training and continue his maturation in the game. However, the gap left by Cissoko is large, and clearly Maconda, who does not reach that profile or that projection, will have to take advantage of his opportunity. But this Gold does not forgive…


Chandler Jacobs
USA / 1999 / 191cm
Good Arenas Albacete Basket

It is being a summer in Gold with very few rookies NCAA, because only five have arrived: Ezekiel Alley (TAU Castello), romeo crouch (Alimerka Oviedo Basketball), John Harrar (Grupo Alega Cantabria CBT), Bourama Sidibe (Zunder Palencia) and Chandler Jacobs (Bueno Arenas Albacete Basket), whom we break down below.

Jacobs joins the renewals of the national block of Albacete’s promotion (Blat, Mejías, Víctor Ruiz and Juanjo Santana). With the arrival at last to Gold of the warrior Iván Aurrecoechea, after his experiences overseas after leaving the NCAA, the second reinforcement of David Varela’s men is Chandler Jacobs, a 2-3, 191 centimeters and very physical. The American stood out in NCAA-DII the four seasons he was at Dallas Baptist, with a last season 20/21 with great averages (20.8 pt, 7.4 re, 2.7 ace, 2.5 ro). With the possibility of playing one more year as a Super Senior, the DI tempted him and he went to Colorado State, where he had a gray year (18 mi, 5.7 pt, 4.1 re).

I think that, in a certain way, Jacobs could be a risk bet but with a profile that Varela likes and that can fit his style of play. A physical ‘two’ who can raise the defensive tone of the team with his physicality, help significantly on the rebound and go like a bullet into the open field, where it is very difficult to stop. He is a static player who can take advantage of the advantages, with good dribbling ability to reach the hoop and drawing many personal fouls (percentages above 80% TL). With good shooting percentages in his DII years, his three-point shot has given me some doubts regarding consistency and speed of execution, being able to score from standing still. He must also go further in his ability to generate his game from the Q&Asomething for which it has virtues.

The toll of your year rookie can take an initial toll on him, but his defensive and transitional ability, coupled with being a good driversare potential characteristics that Varela will take advantage of, but he will also have to trick his main shortcomings so that his rivals do not look for his defects.


Simas Jarumbauskas
Lithuania / 2000 / 198cm
Caceres World Heritage Site

With Roberto Blanco’s new project still in its infancy, it seems that Alberto Blanco as sports director is going to look at the Lithuanian market. From there comes a young U22, a regular in the training teams of his country, where he was important (note his passage through the U18 in the 2018 European: 11.9 pt, 4.6 re). He was trained in the Lietuvos Rytas youth academy, where he enjoyed importance in his subsidiary team, Perlas Vilnius in the NKL, highlighting the 19/20 (14.4 pt, 7.1 re). From there he went to the LKL, signing the 20/21 for Prienai, which opened a gap for him to enjoy greater prominence last 21/22 in Pieno Žvaigždės (22 mi, 9.0 pt, 6.8 re), from where he arrived to find his first international experience.

He is a ‘three’ with a very good physique, which sometimes makes him be called a false ‘four’ to do damage with his speed. With an eminently defensive cut, where he has good weapons to shut down rivals, and a good instinct for rebounding. In attack, his strong point is his mobility, playing well without the ball, holding contact well near the rim and beating slower and heavier players in speed, being very characteristic of his baseline play to reach the basket, which I am sure he will we will see for the Gold boards. He is comfortable in the pop and receiving on the triple line to catch and shootalthough its throwing mechanics are not good (23% T3).

It is a signing that has surprised me. In today’s world where more complete players are required, despite their physique, their defense and their good rebounding data, their shortcomings in outside shooting or ball play can raise doubts in such a tactically demanding league. , but due to the youth and style of play of Cáceres, it could be of benefit to Roberto Blanco.

We want to give thanks to the writer of this short article for this outstanding material

Maconda, Jacobs and Jarumbauskas: three “unknowns” in LEB Oro