His purchase perhaps went a little under the radar, either because the announcement came in those two fiery days, speaking in terms of communication, which experienced the Varese basketball at the end of July, either because all the attention a couple of days after his arrival was completely diverted to the official nature of the Cauley-Stein coup, but the fact is that Olivier Hanlan he is a player who will play a central role in the OJM 2023-2024.
Hanlan, above all, will be the designated heir to Markel Brown, for pedigree, technical-tactical leadership and charisma on the pitch. A structured player, the most “European” of the Americans who arrived at the foot of the Sacro Monte in the summer. A not too physically fit guard, 193 cm by 86 kilos but very, very technical, who makes offensive prolificacy his strong point as demonstrated by his career numbers.
Since the dawn of his basketball career, Hanlan has been able to show off his skills at the level achieved which allowed him in America to win a G-League championship as a protagonist in 2017-2018 with the Austin Spurs, closed with 14.7 points average and in Europe to live experiences of the highest level with the jerseys of Zalgiris Kaunas, Le Mans, Bonn, Iraklis, Aris, Valencia and Gazientep. Just read the names of these realities to understand how Hanlan is now experienced in high-level European basketball, in particular the adventures he lived in Greece with Iraklis in 2019-2020 and in 2020-2021, and Aris (20.9 points average) in 2021-2022, have been very positive, always played as a great protagonist.
An almost ten-year experience in Europe that has also allowed Hanlan to tread the stages of the continental cups such as Euroleague, Basketball Champions League e FIBA Europe Cup, the last two the next possible landings of the red and white. This is not a coincidence, given that for the return to Europe the OJM needed a player of his experience who could be the beacon, as Matteo Jemoli has defined him on this site, for young players but above all for fellow Americans who have never experienced the basketball from our continent, such as Brown, McDermott e Cauley-Stein.
Even the choice of number is not at all random for Hanlan who has taken the 21 of the unforgettable captain of the last few seasons at the Varese home Giancarlo Ferreroand who knows if the transfer of number also coincides with that of internal position, with the Boston product among the main suspects, together with Moretti, to “take the captain’s armband” in a metaphorical handover.
A player who prefers to take shots, from medium and long distances, starting from the dribble in stoppage and shooting, instead less inclined to receive the ball from a set point to shoot from three points, for example, as often happened to Brown last season but not for this reason he is not very prolific from the arc, mind you. Not only that though, because Hanlan is a guard who loves a lot look for penetrations in the area aiming at the iron, and in this very similar to Brown, striking with the speed of feet and ball handling skills his direct opponent.
Just the great dribbling property puts him in great relationship with the ex Brown, with the not to be discounted possibility that sometimes you can toggle in the cabin directing with Moretti e Shahidtwo other players who, on the other hand, due to their characteristics and versatility, can climb to the guard position and hit from the bow.
All qualities that make it clear that Hanlan is a very complete player in the role, even if perhaps the only flaw that can be found is in terms of less defensive inclination than Markel, a circumstance on which coach Legovich, designated to tactical management, will have to work on of the game in their own half of the Varese Basketball 2023-2024.
Alessandro Burin
2023-08-28 16:48:54
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