If one can draw conclusions about the nature of the foreigners that Hapoel Jerusalem is landing this summer, then one can say that it brings in proven players and does not gamble, on the other hand it does not sign glittering names that will run the audience to purchase subscribers.
The two newcomers - Levi Randolph, as well as newcomer Kenneth "Speedy" Smith - arrive in their late 20s, experienced, but have more peaks to conquer.
Meaning: Both come with a great hunger for success.
Jerusalem apparently learned that not all that glitters is gold.
Recall one day last summer three renowned players were signed to the top of basketball, all three did not finish the season.
The summer trend meanwhile is different.
Coming soon ⚡⚡⚡ @ SpeedySmith_ pic.twitter.com/OqMsyPjDtJ
- Hapoel Jerusalem BC (@JerusalemBasket) July 10, 2022
Another advantage of 29-year-old Speedy Smith is the fact that he has already played in the country.
It happened in the Corona season or rather in the Corona League, after a long hiatus due to the spread of the virus, the league went back and went deep into the summer, and the teams had to bring in many new foreigners in place of those who left.
Among the following was the man with the long mane of hair - Speedy Smith who joined Maccabi Haifa.
The 19/20 season was also the season that gave him a boost to his career, even though he roamed three teams.
Smith is a kind of lite bloomer - he started small in the leagues in Latvia and Hungary, with them also playing in the NBA Development League.
During the season in question he moved to Charleroi, Belgium, where he first impressed a European factory, but then everything was shut down because of the corona and he later landed in Haifa and also made his mark there.
This season paved the way for the player to join the first French league in Limoges (previously playing for a short time in Antwerp), and last season - his peak season in European basketball came to Ritas Vilnius, a renowned and traditional club and shared a kind of history with winning the Lithuanian championship.
Smith.
History partner with Ritas, Photo: Twitter
To understand the meaning: as is well known in Lithuania a season without a championship of Zalgiris Kaunas is a rare event.
This was Ritas' first championship after 12 years, and Smith was a significant factor in the achievement, leading the Ritas players with a season average of 11 points, 49 percent for three and 5.7 assists (third in the league).
In Haifa he played for a short time, but was very impressive.
He led her to sixth place and the playoff quarterfinals, and he had some great games.
He finished with an impressive average of almost 16 points and 8 assists per game.
We learned that shooting for three is a matter of a day for him, there was a game in which he scored 6 threes in the half, and games in which he did not score threes at all.
A three-pointer worth a playoff ticket?
@SpeedySmith_ brought @MaccabiHaifaBC closer to the quarterfinals with his sixth lash from beyond the #winning_move_pick pic.twitter.com/AsZAPU2MHx
- Winner League (@WinnerLeague) July 5, 2020
He brings with him experience in three European enterprises (EuroCup, Champions Cup and EuropeanCup).
His grandmother gave him the nickname Speedy when he was born, and it turns out that this nickname fits exactly his character on the field which is based on great speed, and great activity on both sides of the field (worth 1.5-2 steals per game).
He is a player of high pace, mercury on the field.
justifies his reputation. Lives Up to his name.
The fast-paced style of play also comes at a price - last season he had over two losses in a game in both the Lithuanian league and the Champions Cup.
He is a coordinator who does everything on the field.
Team coach Alexander Djikic said: "Speedy has all the requirements we were looking for at the center. He will be able to help us find a healthy balance between shooting and creating for his teammates. His approach and competitiveness will be of great benefit to us."
Amit Ben-David, who was an assistant coach at Maccabi Haifa, says: "He was part of four foreigners who came during the Corona season to replace the foreigners who left.
He immediately went into isolation because he got stuck so the sequence was a bit interrupted, but the impression is very positive.
This is a player you want to have with you, he is very committed and very team.
You do not feel and suddenly he is with 7-8 assists.
In our case, he was not stable in shooting from the outside.
"A player who has no discipline problems and is very connected in the locker room. He has his own style. He does a little bit of everything and in the end gives a lot of things. He is very fast, likes an open field and is very, very energetic."
Amit Ben David and Daniel Savannah.
Remember him well, Photo: Oded Karni
Speedy Smith is not a big name, and does not have a bursting resume, but his qualities on the field can make him one of the most attractive players, one of the league hits.
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