German easyCredit BBL: Plenty of surprises, playing time for youngsters
Update after three rounds: Heidelberg and Chemnitz are major surprises while youngsters such as Jason George, Lorenz Brenneke and the Tischler twins Brandon and Nicholas are getting their chances.
The German easyCredit BBL league is three rounds complete and there are two major surprises so far - promoted MLP Academics Heidelberg and NINERS Chemnitz. The 2021-22 season also has seen a number of youngsters get a chance to play including Jason George, Lorenz Brenneke and the Tischler twins Brandon and Nicholas.
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Heidelberg? Really?
Let’s tip off with the surprises. And just a look at the league standings …
… is enough to see the biggest shocker thus far. MLP Academics Heidelberg have not yet lost this season - beating SYNTAINICS MBC, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. The biggest reason for that has been Jordan Geist, a 24-year-old American who has averaged 21.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals. This is the University of Missouri grad’s third season in Germany - and second with Heidelberg, playing in 2020-21 in the second division ProA. He played 2019-20 for Romerstrom Gladiators Trier and led the ProA in scoring at 18.6 ppg. Brekkott Chapman and Shyron Ely have been rock solid as well for the promoted team that came into the season as the number one candidate to be relegated to the ProA. But Heidelberg already have three wins that no one can take away - most importantly road (!) wins over teams they are expected to battle against the drop at MBC and Giessen.
Veterans, Weidemann have Chemnitz cooking
The other major surprise so far this season has been NINERS Chemnitz. The team actually came up with a couple of big wins last season in staying in the league in 2020-21, but Rodrigo Pastore’s team has already taken down some big names to open the season. They won at home over EWE Baskets Oldenburg and then beat Hamburg Towers on the road and followed that with a victory over ratiopharm ulm for their first-ever win in the German Cup. Chemnitz did lose in Round 3 to medi bayreuth for a 2-1 mark. The leaders have been the veteran duo of Darion Atkins and Frantz Massenat - especially late in games. Also a major reason has been the 22-year-old German point guard Nelson Weidemann, who is playing the best season (10.0ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2.0spg) of his career so far as he gets another change of scenery after playing the past two seasons on loan from FC Bayern Munich with Brose Bamberg and BG Göttingen. The 1999-born playmaker is on loan with Chemnitz for two seasons.
Youngsters getting their chances - George, Brenneke, Tischlers
Another characteristic of the 2021-22 season in Germany has been youngsters getting their chances - at most clubs.
Jason George - FC Bayern Munich
Bayern have been rocked early on with injuries and a Covid-19 outbreak, which has given Jason George a chance to show his stuff early on. Thanks to his athleticism and ability to defend multiple positions, the 20-year-old guard has averaged 17 minutes in two domestic league games and picked up 1.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists and also picked up 7 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist in Bayern’s win over Brose Bamberg in the German Cup. George also played 2:55 minutes and grabbed 1 rebound against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. It remains to be seen how much he will play when all of Bayern’s top players are back.
Lorenz Brenneke - Fraport Skyliners
While George has been with Bayern for years, it was a move to another team that has given Lorenz Brenneke his opportunity. The 2000-born big man left Alba Berlin after failing to get into the pro team and landed at Fraport Skyliners - a team that has for years been open to playing youngsters. Brenneke has been excellent thus far for Frankfurt. After opening the season with 2 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig, Brenneke had 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals versus his former team Berlin and collected 14 points, 9 rebounds and 1 steal against Hamburg Towers. He also picked up 9 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in the German Cup win over EWE Basktets Oldenburg. Brenneke also has been shooting lights out - connecting on 9-of-14 (64.2 percent) on 2-pointers and 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) on 3-pointers.
Brandon and Nicholas Tischler - Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Braunschweig opponents are seeing double this season as the team has brought in the Tischler twins Brandon and Nicholas. The 2000-born wings signed contracts until 2024 after leaving the Bamberg system where former GM Wolfgang Heyder called them “the biggest talents from the region”. Just like Brenneke - the Tischlers have both have taken well to the change of scenery and produced already this season. Brandon is averaging 5.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12:54 minutes to go along with 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in Braunschweig’s German Cup game while Nicholas is picking up 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 12:40 minutes and had 8 points and 3 rebounds in the team’s German Cup game.