The extraordinary mind of Trey Lyles, from 10 years in the NBA to being the most appreciated of Madrid | Basketball | Sport

From 662 games and 10 years in the NBA to his debut in European basketball as if nothing had happened. The transition from American League play to Euroleague style and rules is not always a quick or easy step. Except in men with special minds, players who learn lessons the first time beyond their physical and athletic abilities, conditions that are taken for granted in the United States. This is the case of Trey Lyles, a 2.06m tall, 30 year old Canadian striker, who turned 30 this Wednesday, who in a very short time has adapted to the pace of Real Madrid and European competitions.

Lyles was chosen 12th overall in the first round of draft in 2015 with Utah and in 10 seasons in the NBA he traveled between the Jazz, Denver, San Antonio, Detroit and Sacramento, the last stop where he met the Catalan Jordi Fernández, then assistant coach. Until this summer he decided to attempt the European adventure and landed in Sergio Scariolo’s new Madrid as part of yet another roster renewal. The Canadian wore jersey number 0, warmed up his wrist and immediately demonstrated that his baptism out of the American League didn’t need much recovery.

His service record speaks for itself. Lyles is averaging 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in 20 minutes per game in the EuroLeague. Only three praetorians such as Tavares, Campazzo and Hezonja walked on multiple tracks; Only the Croatian scores more (13.2), and in the second half he slightly surpasses the center (5.2). Above all, Lyles is the Real Madrid player with the highest rating in Europe (15.5 credits compared to 14 for Maledon and Tavares), the one with the best percentage of triples scored (8 out of 22, 36.4%) and the one who steals the most balls (0.9 per night, like Facu).

Scariolo praises him as much for what he gives as for what he can offer. “He has room for improvement. Physically he is not yet one hundred percent to give us that extra point of energy that he will be able to have when the time comes. And mentally I see him with a surprising capacity for understanding. For the number of repetitions of defensive and offensive actions, game plan and plays that he has had to study and practice in recent weeks, it is very, very high”, the Italian coach described him on Thursday.

The attacker shines in the great Euroleague showcase, a double-edged sword for Real Madrid. The Canadian is signed for just one season and with an exit clause that would allow him to return to the NBA if he receives and accepts an offer along the way. For now he is accumulating merit in a team that will visit Barça this Friday (8.30pm, Movistar) with the doubts of Tavares, Okeke and Kramer and which has lost the four European away games of the course: Virtus Bologna, Estrella Roja, Maccabi and Bayern Munich. For the whites, Palau appears to be the scene of a possible change of script and many balls are in Lyes’ hands.

Euroleague results and standings.