A pure talent who has already enchanted in Italy and who now takes the Euroleague stage with the Alba Berlin shirt, Gabriele Procida is a talent who deserves a chance in the NBA.
For every basketball player on the planet, landing in the NBA is the first goal. Not only does the American basketball championship host the strongest players on the planet – American and international – but it guarantees a further physical and technical step that could allow a career at even higher levels and, what is not negligible, earnings well above those that are available outside the USA.
Gabriele Procida, who is the Italian talent who dominates in the Euroleague and is liked by the NBA – Ansa Photo – abruzzo.cityrumors.it
Since the 2000s, several Italian players have made their way to the NBA: Bargnani, for example, arrived with great fanfare as the first choice in the draft (first European in history to achieve such a result) in 2006, the year after winning the trophy as Rising Star of the Euroleague, so Belinelli, Gallinari, Datome, Mannion and Fontecchio arrived.
The Azzurri have had mixed fortunes in the NBA, with Bargnani and Gallinari capable of being top-tier players for some periods, but with Belinelli as the only one to be able to boast the champion title albeit as a rotation man. Currently the only Italian in the NBA is Simone Fontecchio (Paolo Banchero could have been added but in the end he decided to play for the USA) and soon Gabriele Procida (winner of the Euroleague Rising Star award last season) could also be added.
Gabriele Procida star at Alba Berlin and uncertain future in the NBA
Raised as a basketball player in Cantùthe class of 2002 is a 2-meter guard who combines explosiveness at the rim and the ability to get out of the blocks to free himself to shoot. Similar characteristics make him a big man (although by role he is a winger) of the highest level for European basketball and this is demonstrated by his performances in recent years in the Euroleague, a competition in which he showed off with the Alba Berlin shirt.
Gabriele Procida star at Alba Berlin and uncertain future in the NBA – Ansa Foto – abruzzo.cityrumors.it
Procida is a basketball player who has points in his hands both in the paint (attacking the rim or shooting in suspension) and from the arc, he also has good rebound timing which makes him valuable both for second chances in attack and for the defense of the rim . The problem is that of There are now many guards with similar characteristics in the NBA and the talent from Como is currently paying for the physical difference with the strong players from overseas.
The potential is high and in the USA they noticed it well before the performances with Alba Berlin, given that he was drafted in 2022 at 36th by the Pistons. Subsequently, following the trade that saw Fontecchio move to Detroit, Procida’s contract option passed to the Utah Jazz, who however have not yet formalized a contract request (exactly like Detroit before them).
If the blue guard were to confirm the progress shown in recent months, it is not excluded that he could be brought to the USA next summer, especially if Utah trades Markanenn, freeing up a useful space on the roster. It currently seems like an unlikely scenario, but any sensational performances from Procida could push the Jazz to free up salary space with the sale of their best player, creating a young team in which the blue player can play a leading role together with other emerging talents.
