Latest news with #Yabusele
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Boston big man Guerschon Yabusele on what's changed since Celtics stint
A lot of things have changed for former Boston Celtics big man Guerschon Yabusele since he returned to the NBA to after going back to Europe to play. The most obvious, of course, is that he is back in the league that Boston drafted him into with the No. 16 pick of the 2016 draft, having signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for a reserve role that ended up turning out to be much bigger than expected thanks to a litany of injuries besetting the Sixers last season. And we can add to that in that this time around, Yabusele has a good shot at landing with an NBA team for the 2025-26 season as well on the strengths of his play with Philadelphia. The 6-foot-8 Frenchman put up a very solid 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game with the 76ers last season, shooting 38.0% from beyond the arc as well. That's a big jump from the pedestrian 2.3 points and 1.4 assists per game he logged with Boston in his first, two-season NBA stint -- and the growth as a player has him well-positioned to continue playing in the league. What's changed for Yabu as he hits free agency? The Dreux, France native recently sat down with HoopsHype's Cyro Asseo de Choch for a wide-ranging interview that touched on that stint with the Celtics -- and another thing that has changed for the Dancing Bear. "It was a completely different mentality ... when I was in Boston, because ... I was drafted first round, 16th pick, so my standards and what I was hoping was completely different from right now," he explained. "I didn't have that much experience, too." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle "I was really just young, and I wanted just to play," recalled Yabusele. "And when I didn't have that chance to play, my reaction to it was more and more frustration, because I couldn't understand why I was not playing." What went wrong with the Celtics? The problem, according to the former Boston big was, surprisingly, "nothing -- It just happened," per Yabu. "Boston is an organization and a team that (had) a lot of players. That was my situation. I had Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, and Al Horford in front of me. Those guys have been around in the league for so long, and they're experienced players." "I couldn't take it the wrong way, saying, 'Oh, I should have been in front of him.,'" he added. "No, that's not true. I was really just hoping that the situation could be a bit different, maybe that they can use the bench a little more, playing me and a couple of the guys that were there." What did he learn from that experience? "I played through it," said Yabusele. "And even though I was not with Boston anymore, I learned so much from that season ... it helped me for the second part of my career after that. It really pushed me." "I had that mentality of loving that basketball, because I know I love basketball," recalled the Celtics center alum. "But if you're in a situation that you don't play, it's hard. I missed it. And I was like, 'You know what? I want to play now'. I want to be somewhere where I always play, so I always try to pick the right situation now for me." In the end, that mentality worked out for Yabusele, with a return playing real minutes for the Sixers checking off that particular -- but critical -- box for the former 16th pick. And after the season he had with Philly, he might just have a shot to do it again, but with a contender.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Guerschon Yabusele explains what he's looking for in free agency
Guerschon Yabusele explains what he's looking for in free agency The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves a steal in the form of Guerschon Yabusele. Out of the league for five years, Yabusele put on a show in the 2024 Olympics while playing for his native France and put himself on the NBA radar for his next opportunity. The Sixers swooped in and signed him to a 1-year deal worth only $2.1 million. The Dancing Bear then put on an impressive performance as he averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 38% from deep. Yabusele averaged 27.1 minutes per night playing in 70 games with 43 starts playing both the power forward and the center spots with so many injuries. When it comes to free agency, Yabusele will demand a big market. The Sixers want him to return, but one has to wonder if they will have the cap space to do so. In a sit down interview with HoopsHype, Yabusele discussed what he's looking for in free agency: Now that I've been on the team where I played and a lot of minutes too, I want to be in a situation where I can play too. I'm not asking to play 40 minutes a game. That would be crazy. But just to be in the right situation for me, for the team, having a goal that we can achieve and have a bunch of guys looking to the right direction. And if it's with the 76ers, I'll be more than happy. This has been a great, great season and time for me. the fans have been showing me nothing but love, even the organization. If I have to go back there, I'd be more than happy. And then if you've got to be somewhere else, I'd be happy, too. I just want to be on a team where we compete and we have the same goals. Yabusele is going to be a coveted player when free agency begins on June 30. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens with him and his future, but one has to believe that Philadelphia will find a way to clear some cap space to bring him back. The Sixers have some easily tradeable contracts to clear the way to bring back both Yabusele and Quentin Grimes.
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Former Boston big man Guerschon Yabusele on season with 76ers, stint with Celtics
Former Boston big man Guerschon Yabusele on season with 76ers, stint with Celtics Former Boston Celtics big man Guerschon Yabusele returning to the NBA last season was one of the best comebacks of the season, and fans of the Dancing Bear were happy to see him back in the league. But the moment was not lost on the French forward after a half-decade spent playing abroad, and wondering if he might get another crack at the Association. "I think the main thing for me when I decided to go back to the NBA was to enjoy this time," said Yabu in a recent interview with the Basketball Network. "Because the first time when it stopped, I didn't realize it stopped that fast, but when it did, it took me five years to come back." "So I really decided the main thing was to go over there to enjoy it, to really gain experience and try to get better. I was happy that I was able to perform," he added, alluding to his season with the Philadelphia 76ers. "Obviously, that's not the season that everybody thought we would have at the beginning of the season." How Yabusele sees last season with the Sixers "Injuries are part of the game," offered the Philly big man. "You've got to learn and try to get back to it and get better. I think having Joel (Embiid) back, Paul George, this is going to be big for us. And when we had those guys, and we had that run, we felt that we could beat everybody." "That was really interesting, to have that part of the season, because at least people know that if they (were) healthy, that would have been a different scenario," suggested Yabusele. On how he stayed motivated in his limited run with Boston "Everybody has got to understand that it's hard, first of all (...)," he explained. "I remember ... I was playing a lot of minutes ... in France and in China, so my whole life I play minutes, so going for playing let's say like 20 minutes to zero minutes, it's a shock. So my first season, I had to to go through this and and it's pretty hard. It was hard for me to find the balance mentally because you you have a lot of questions." "Especially (because) I was drafted in first round at 16, but also also it comes from having the the right people around you that keep you motivated. You don't want to have somebody that asks you the question, 'Why don't you play?,'" said Yabusele. "You want somebody to just say, 'You know what, keep working, it's going to come.'" "I remember for me, we had a couple of guys in my situation. We had Semi Ojeleye, Daniel Theis, Shane Larkin, Abdul Nader. So we had a couple of guys that we could, let's say, help each other (...) I got so much experience from that because I was lucky enough to be with the Celtics, and we made the conference finals two years in a row." What's next for the Dancing Bear It remains to be seen what the future holds for Yabusele with his deal with Philly last season for just a single season. But with the way he played for a decimated Sixers squad, he doesn't expect to return to Europe -- nor should he, with 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game having been logged with Philadelphia in 2024-25. "My plan is to try to get another contract in the NBA," said the former Boston forward in an interview with Basketnews. "I don't want to lie. "But I do keep an eye on the EuroLeague for sure, just to see how it's going, what the level is like."
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Final 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers player grades: Guerschon Yabusele
The 2024-25 season is in the books for the Philadelphia 76ers, which means it is the time to look back on the season that was for each player. The Sixers finished 24-58 as they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season amid a slew of injuries. The Sixers used a grand total of 30 players throughout the season and an NBA record 53 starting lineups. This series will focus on the 15 players on standard deals and the three on two-way deals to finish the season--not anybody who finished the season on a 10-day deal. Advertisement Up next in this series is big man Guerschon Yabusele who was a surprised many with his strong and constant play. The Sixers could rely on Yabusele on a nightly basis to give them energy, a presence on the offensive end of the floor, and was able to play in 70 games. Here is the final overview and grade for Yabusele in the 2024-25 season: Yabusele's 2024-25 stats Category PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% Yabusele's numbers 11.0 5.6 2.1 0.8 50.1% 38% Yabusele's overview The Sixers have to like what Yabusele was able to do on the offensive end. He immediately gave them somebody who can space the floor and produce on high volume as he took 3.9 3s per game and knocked them down at an efficient rate. The Dancing Bear was able to give the Sixers somebody to rely on in terms of availability as he started 43 of the 70 games he played and gave Philadelphia scoring, rebounding, and a much-needed energy for a group in need of all of those traits. Yabusele's highlights The best performance Yabusele gave came on Jan. 31 in a showdown with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. He went for 28 points and seven rebounds with three steals while shooting 12-for-17 from the floor and knocked down four triples on seven attempts. Final grade As mentioned, Yabusele was the one constant for Philadelphia all season. The Sixers knew what they were getting from him on a nightly basis and he came to work with no complaints every night. He played a lot of center when his natural position is at the 4 and one has to believe Philadelphia will do everything it can to retain his services. Final grade: A This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Final 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers player grades: Guerschon Yabusele
USA Today
04-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Final 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers player grades: Guerschon Yabusele
Final 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers player grades: Guerschon Yabusele The 2024-25 season is in the books for the Philadelphia 76ers, which means it is the time to look back on the season that was for each player. The Sixers finished 24-58 as they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season amid a slew of injuries. The Sixers used a grand total of 30 players throughout the season and an NBA record 53 starting lineups. This series will focus on the 15 players on standard deals and the three on two-way deals to finish the season--not anybody who finished the season on a 10-day deal. Up next in this series is big man Guerschon Yabusele who was a surprised many with his strong and constant play. The Sixers could rely on Yabusele on a nightly basis to give them energy, a presence on the offensive end of the floor, and was able to play in 70 games. Here is the final overview and grade for Yabusele in the 2024-25 season: Yabusele's 2024-25 stats Category PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% Yabusele's numbers 11.0 5.6 2.1 0.8 50.1% 38% Yabusele's overview The Sixers have to like what Yabusele was able to do on the offensive end. He immediately gave them somebody who can space the floor and produce on high volume as he took 3.9 3s per game and knocked them down at an efficient rate. The Dancing Bear was able to give the Sixers somebody to rely on in terms of availability as he started 43 of the 70 games he played and gave Philadelphia scoring, rebounding, and a much-needed energy for a group in need of all of those traits. Yabusele's highlights The best performance Yabusele gave came on Jan. 31 in a showdown with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. He went for 28 points and seven rebounds with three steals while shooting 12-for-17 from the floor and knocked down four triples on seven attempts. Final grade As mentioned, Yabusele was the one constant for Philadelphia all season. The Sixers knew what they were getting from him on a nightly basis and he came to work with no complaints every night. He played a lot of center when his natural position is at the 4 and one has to believe Philadelphia will do everything it can to retain his services. Final grade: A
