I was just reading about how Jonah Bolden is continuing to crush it in Europe. Cannot wait to have him over here next year.

cutz said:

https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/api/v1/article/amp/basketball/nba/jonah-bolden-has-been-balling-in-israel-giving-76ers-fans-a-glimpse-of-what-to-expect-next-season/news-story/2bdb688a5ad175113d1c031cbb72e595?__twitter_impression=true

Jonah Bolden has been balling in Israel, giving 76ers fans a glimpse of what to expect next season

Jonah Bolden has been showing out at Maccabi.

WITH one Australian 76er dominating in Philadelphia, it’s very easy to forget there’s another who’s looking extremely promising in Tel Aviv.

Jonah Bolden, who was selected by the 76ers with the 36th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has been a key player for Maccabi Tel Aviv over both their Israeli Premier League, and Euroleague campaign, showing glimpses of the talent he’ll be bringing to Philadelphia.

One person who clearly hasn’t forgotten about Bolden, is 76ers general manager, Bryan Colangelo, who travelled to Israel to see the Australian in action on Monday (AEDT).

From promising shooting performances, to dominant all-round efforts, Bolden has the looks of a player who’ll fit in perfectly with the 76ers’ versatile roster, when his time comes.

HOW BOLDEN GOT TO MACCABI

The 76ers’ post-draft thinking went through three phases.

The first was that of conviction; an adamance that the versatile, 6’10 forward would be stashed abroad for at least one year.

Then, Bolden showed his worth at NBA Summer League. That’s when things changed. The Sydney-native averaged 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, over eight Summer League games in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

 At that point, the 76ers began to search for ways to keep Bolden in Philadelphia for the 2017-18 regular season, according to multiple people close to the team. A two-way contract was off the table, because of the temporary nature of that sort of deal, and the team’s decision to bring Furkan Korkmaz back into the fold meant there were no roster spots left for Bolden.

After negotiations with Red Star Belgrade, Bolden’s former club, the 21-year-old was off to Tel Aviv, set to play for one of the most successful teams outside of the USA.

SHOWCASING TALENT IN TEL AVIV

Bolden’s debut was impressive, finishing with eight points and 11 rebounds in Maccabi’s win over Hapoel Eilat.

It took a few games for Bolden to find his three-point stroke — a part of his game that’s regarded as a defining part of his potential — with an impressive stretch coming at the end of October, when he followed up an 11-point effort, shooting 3-of-6 from behind the three-point line, with a career-high 20-point game, shooting 7-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-5 from downtown.

Since then, Bolden has been showing just how versatile his game is, scoring both inside and out, displaying the ability to guard multiple positions, while rebounding the ball at an impressive rate.

Bolden’s potential was truly exhibited in a game against Zalgiris at the start of December, posting six points, 10 rebounds, four assists, five steals, and four blocks in a win.

That’s the type of performance that gives us a glimpse of what Bolden can contribute to the 76ers. The 6’10 forward’s three-point game is continuously improving, which bodes well for the idea of playing him alongside both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid; both of whom can dominate the paint.

Bolden’s ability to run the floor is also advantageous when playing beside Simmons, as well as Markelle Fultz, when he’s healthy.

On the defensive end, Bolden’s ability to guard perimeter players at an admirable rate means Brett Brown could be able to throw out a dynamic, versatile lineup without sacrificing anything on the defensive end.

While questions will remain about Bolden’s jump-shot, which can go through hot and cold stretches, as well as his ability to effectively defend NBA-level big-men, he’s done as good a job as he can to quash those concerns at Maccabi, so the next step is seeing how that translate.

WHAT’S NEXT

Bolden decided to troll the world, after the 76ers finally traded Jahlil Okafor.

Okafor, along with Nik Stauskas and a 2019 second round pick, were sent to the Brooklyn Nets, in exchange for Trevor Booker, opening up a roster spot in Philadelphia.

That’s when Bolden struck.

Many began to speculate that Bolden was going to be ‘recalled’ by the 76ers, but that’s not going to happen, according to those close to the situation.

What it does do, is essentially guarantee that a spot will be there for Bolden, when he joins the team for the 2018-19 regular season, and all signs are pointing to that being the case.

Until then, Bolden is expected to finish his time in Tel Aviv. Maccabi has the remainder of their Euroleague schedule to play, with their next game against CSKA Moscow, while the team also needs to complete the Israel Super League season, where they sit atop the ladder.

Bolden has shown a lot of what the 76ers can expect from him, come next season, and he has ample opportunity to show even more.