Park Bites
Well-Known Member
http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...ng-euroleague-nba-free-agents-draft-prospects
Cory Higgins | 6-5 | SG | CSKA Moscow | Age: 29
Higgins was the top standout, scoring 20 points on 10 field goal attempts in a championship game victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul while proving impossible to take off the floor. Higgins -- who made the NBA for two seasons as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado back in 2011 -- is an unassuming player who impresses thanks to his poise, skill, basketball IQ and consistency.
A poor shooter early in his career, Higgins has turned himself into a lights-out marksman, emerging as a 47 percent 3-point shooter at the EuroLeague level through 129 games while making 85 percent of his free throws. He plays a variety of roles for CSKA, often being asked to bring the ball up and initiate the offense and play pick-and-roll. At other times, he's tasked with a spot-up role spacing the floor alongside other guards, which gives him nice positional flexibility. He's a lockdown defender who was a major key in CSKA's comeback victory with his ability to switch seamlessly from point guards to big men and hold his ground despite his slender frame. He has made a huge volume of big shots in his EuroLeague career, which continued to be the case this past weekend.
Higgins is the exact type of off-guard many NBA teams are looking for to pair alongside a star primary ball handler. He gives you just enough playmaking ability to keep defenses honest while bringing the type of knockdown shooting, steady defense, selfless attitude and feel coaches need from a role player. After signing a multiyear contract with CSKA, Higgins is finally a free agent this summer, giving him the ability to explore the NBA market and possibly finish his career in the U.S. His agent, Marlon Harrison of BDA Sports, told ESPN that Higgins is both interested in returning and is being pursued by quite a few NBA teams at the moment.
"Cory in his prime and is open to coming back to the NBA," Harrison told ESPN via text. "He's not a minimum guy -- he's the best American guard in Europe. Phoenix, Denver, Brooklyn, Utah, Detroit and Philadelphia have all expressed interest already. The top clubs in the EuroLeague will be after his services, including his current team CSKA, according to his co-agent in Europe Nikos Spanos, but he's going to do what makes the most sense at this point."
