Former Texas A&M basketball star Josh Nebo is forming elite pick-and-roll duo with Luka Doncic in international play
One word that I bet most Texas A&M basketball fans were far from associating with former Aggie star Josh Nebo when he was crashing the boards in Reed Arena? Slovenia. Yet, now, the former Aggie big man has become a staple player for their Olympic team.
Of course, the premier name associated with Slovenia when it comes to basketball is Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. The wunderkind and NBA MVP candidate is vying for the status of best player in the world, in large part thanks to his unparalleled passing ability.
As NBA fans saw in the period after the trade deadline last year, and as Mavericks fans have known for some time, pairing a solid-screening, hard-rolling big with Luka leads to great results, as #77 is perhaps the best primary-read pick and roll passer in history. Nebo has proved to be a suitable partner so far for Luka in exactly this role.
Put an athletic rim rolling big next to Luka and he’ll flourish. And Josh Nebo was that by all metrics in Euroleague… https://t.co/ftirkyM2vD
— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) June 29, 2024
The international game has been kind to Nebo, as he is a bit of a tweener when it comes to his size. The NBA has not been kind to players of that profile, but Nebo’s physical abilities and skillset are too much to be denied in other leagues.
This international play, bolstered by the presence of Luka, could lead to Nebo getting another chance in the association, however. The prerogative would be Nebo’s as to whether he would return, of course—he’s much more of a sure thing in international leagues, in my opinion—but getting another shot in the NBA could be in the cards if Nebo continues his stellar play. International teams are already gameplanning around the combination of he and Doncic, so his skillset is certainly gaining more and more notoriety.
Nebo and the Slovenian National Team play again today in an Olympic Qualifying Game against Croatia.