Ludde Hakanson and Adam Smith, a lethal couple at Surne Bilbao Basket
Ludde Hakanson and Adam Smith are currently the undisputed offensive references of a Surne Bilbao Basket that is going through a very sweet moment of play and results, fully involved in the fight to dispute the Cup with only two days to go before the conclusion of the first round. The dream and the American form a present day one of the fittest foreign teams in the Endesa League, pairing perfectly on the court and combining so that there is no lack of launches or moments of personal brilliance for each one, redounding these to the benefit of the collective.
Hakanson gladly assumed the reference chevrons from the dawn of the course while Smith, arrived a couple of weeks before the official start of the exercise due to Andrew Goudelock’s injury, went through a performance slump after a magnificent staging. Both one and the other have given a appreciable step forward in the last eight games of the domestic competition, since that resounding victory (109-82) against Carplus Fuenlabrada that ended a four-game losing streak and opened the current 5-3 record. Of these In the last eight games, this foreign duo has taken the top two places in scoring six times of the men in black. Only in the victory in Zaragoza, where Hakanson did not play and Smith stayed at eight points, two less than Denzel Andersson and Michale Kyser, and in the defeat against Obradoiro, with 22 points from the American but only 4 from the dream, was that consolidated trend
In the other six games, both have led Jaume Ponsarnau’s team in scoring. Against Fuenlabrada, the two added 22 points. Against Gran Canaria, Real Madrid and UCAM Murcia, the Swede led his team with 27, 29 and 25 points respectively -the American seconded him with 14, 19 and 20-, while Against Baxi Manresa and Unicaja it was Smith who led the way with 16 and 15 points, staying his main buddy from the foreign game in both duels at 14.
percentages
But perhaps the most striking thing when analyzing their numbers resides in relation to the hit percentages. After the first seven league days, the enormous mistake shown by all the components of the main rotation of the men in black from any distance. Hakanson and Smith did not escape a dynamic that has undergone a drastic improvement in these last eight games at a general level. After the first seven commitments, the Biscayan team he was last in both two-point (42.9%) and three-point (30.2%) shooting percentage. Currently, these figures have grown to 49.3% (16th in the league) and 34% (10th), respectively.
Focusing on particular cases, Ludde Hakanson has gone from averaging a very negative 23.8% from the 6.75 line in the first seven games to a magnificent 47.6% in the last seven (He did not play in Zaragoza). In addition, this increase has occurred by doubling the number of shots attempted (from 21 to 42), which has greatly benefited the collective. His improvement in two-point shots, from 37.7% to 64.2%, also speaks of an extraordinary current moment of the game in which he also maintains his outstanding pulse from the free throw line: 91.3 %.
As far as Adam Smith is concerned, his greatest improvement has come when it comes to connecting the opponent’s rim from short and intermediate distances. His horrible 25.5% success rate in the first seven games has become a very good 54.3% in the last eight, with a level of great specialist also from the three-point line, going from a rampant 32.5% to an excellent current 50% (22 of 44). Even the remarkable 71.4% he showed on free throws has grown to 88.8%.