McCollum: Powell is a great signing and could really ease Fenerbahçe's offense

Former Fenerbahçe player Errick McCollum evaluated the yellow and navy blues' performance against Baskonia and Dwight Powell's first EuroLeague game on the Euro McCollum Show. McCollum said the Baskonia game came at exactly the right time for Fenerbahçe, which had been struggling on offense. He said the team could get its offense moving again by exploiting the weaknesses of an opponent that has problems with roster depth and experience. He praised the 52 points scored in the first half and the good ball movement.

Saying he did not worry much about the drop in offensive rhythm in the second half, McCollum said the early lead gave Sarunas Jasikevicius a chance to expand his rotation and try different options. He noted that although the team scored 11 points in the third quarter, the large margin allowed players to rest and some of them were able to gain confidence.

McCollum does not think Fenerbahçe needs to produce such high offensive numbers in every game. Pointing to the team's defensive quality, the former player said 40 to 42 points per half will be enough in most games, and an 80 to 85 point range is enough to win most matches. He added that more may be needed against explosive offenses like Panathinaikos or Real Madrid.

Stating that the team's offensive potential has not fully emerged yet, McCollum said the real question is when the team's offense will start to flow. He also found Jasikevicius's sets and plays out of timeouts positive.

McCollum is quite optimistic about Powell. He believes the Canadian big man, who creates value in the NBA through a specific role, can adapt to Fenerbahçe with the same qualities. He said Powell is experienced, physically strong and athletic, and will set screens, roll to the basket, defend and fight, and finish around the rim. He also stressed that Powell should not be expected to score 20 points every game or become the focal point of the post-up offense.