NBA players who underperformed in the Euroleague

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Kemba Walker

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Euroleague stats: 4.4 points, 1.1 assists, 38.9% FG After battling knee injuries and moving from several teams in the league, Walker decided to move overseas this past summer to play for one of Europe's best teams, Monaco. He signed a one-year deal with the French League champions, and European fans had huge expectations. Next to Euroleague MVP and former Brooklyn Net Mike James , Monaco was supposed to have the best backcourt in Europe. Well, that didn't turn out to be the case. Walker's injuries and the team's different style of play limited his role, as he averaged a mere 11 minutes per game in the Euroleague, coming off the bench. Despite that, Kemba has repeatedly stated that he has had an 'unbelievable time' playing basketball in Europe.

Anthony Bennett

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Euroleague stats: 1.2 points, 0.9 rebounds, 26.3 FG% Anthony Bennett was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. After underperforming in the league with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bennett bounced on and off the NBA and the G League. Eventually, he ended up in Europe in 2017, playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey. Bennett lasted just 10 games and averaged 1.2 points in six minutes per contest. Despite his numbers, though, he won the Euroleague title that year with the Turkish powerhouse.

Kenneth Faried

CSKA Moscow

Euroleague stats: 2.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 31.3% FG Kenneth Faried's European stint was short-lived. After signing with CSKA Moscow in October 2021, the former NBA player's time in the Euroleague lasted a mere two months. Faried appeared in just seven games for the Russian powerhouse before parting ways with the team on December 17th. At age 32, Faried had lost his explosiveness and place spot in the NBA. He never found his role in Europe either. Faried struggled to find his role, as European basketball's physicality and relentless pace, with smaller arenas, crowded paints, and high-stakes games night after night, differed vastly from the NBA style he was used to.

Emmanuel Mudiay

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Euroleague stats: 7.4 points, 3.2 assists, 32.5 FG% Emmanuel Mudiay came into the Euroleague as one of the biggest signings of the 2021-22 season. At age 25, Mudiay signed a one-year deal with Zalgiris in Kaunas (Lithuania) but lasted only a few months. He played in only five Euroleague games and didn't shoot the ball well (23.1 percent from downtown). European defenses rely on packing the paint (since there's no defensive three-second violation) and playing under screens against players with poor three-point shooting ability. Mudiay couldn't use his athleticism and strength in Europe, and eventually, he parted ways with the Lithuanian club.

OJ Mayo

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Euroleague stats: 5.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, 38.7% FG OJ Mayo came into the Euroleague in the later years of his career when he was 34. And while he had some moments, he generally didn't live up to the hype with UNICS Kazan. However, he played better in the VTB League in Russia and even had a great highlight of a game-winner against European powerhouse CSKA Moscow.

Wesley Johnson

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Euroleague stats: 3.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 34.7 FG% Wesley Johnson ventured into European basketball at age 32 signing with Panathinaikos, where he played in 28 Euroleague games under the guidance of Rick Pitino. However, Johnson struggled to adapt his game to the European style of play, particularly with the spacing and outside shooting, converting only 26.3 percent of his three-point attempts. In a recent interview with Eurohoops , though, he mentioned he loved the competitiveness while also stating the energy and excitement from the fans is one of one.

Ty Lawson

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Euroleague stats: 7.4 points, 1.6 assists, 42.8 FG% During the 2011 NBA lockout, Ty Lawson signed a one-year deal with Zalgiris Kaunas, where he appeared in seven Euroleague games. However, his stats of 7.4 points and 1.6 assists per game paled in comparison to his NBA numbers. One can argue the less playing time, differences in rules, spacing, and feel of the game played a significant factor in Lawson's level of play. Still, it was a big dropoff.

Juancho Hernangomez

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Euroleague stats: 4.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 36.7 FG% Juancho Hernangomez and his brother Willy were considered major signings last summer, with Juancho joining Panathinaikos in Athens and Willy signing with Barcelona. The Hernangomez brothers' arrivals were hailed as huge acquisitions for the Euroleague teams, with some even touting Juancho as a potential signing of the season. Well, with the regular season in the books, that wasn't the case. Although Hernangomez had a few games where he helped his team, overall, his performance has been poor. At a young age (28) and with experience in European basketball, Juancho is struggling with the three-point shot (28.3 percent) and lost his starting spot to Dinos Mitoglou.

Andrea Bargnani

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Euroleague stats: 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 48.9 FG% Andrea Bargnani begun his career in Europe, playing in his native country, Italy. For three years prior to making the jump to the NBA, he participated in 38 Euroleague games as a youngster for Benetton Treviso. Ultimately, after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, and playing for ten years in the Association, Bargnani returned to Europe to play for Baskonia. Despite scoring a season-high 26 points in his Euroleague return, Bargnani's stint with Baskonia fell short of expectations. He played 15 games, averaging 8.8 points per contest, a decent but unspectacular output for a player of his caliber. Despite signing a two-year deal with Baskonia at the start of the 2016-17 season, injuries plagued Bargnani, leading to an early parting of ways in April 2017.

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