The Brazilian playmaker impressed during the German side's road victory at Turk Telekom Ankara.
Georginho de Paula is hitting his stride for Ulm
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Competing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Brazil meant that ratiopharm Ulm’s star summer signing, Georginho de Paula, couldn’t join up with his new teammates until the end of September. However, the 27-year-old playmaker hasn’t taken long to find his rhythm during his first taste of European basketball.
De Paula made a solid contribution to the German champion’s first three games in the BKT EuroCup, averaging 8.7 and 5.0 assists, but Wednesday’s Round 4 trip to Turk Telekom Ankara could well be remembered as the night when he really arrived.
Setting the game alight in the second quarter
Specifically, his explosion of scoring in the second quarter showed exactly what the point guard is capable of. With Ulm looking to bounce back from a poor first quarter, Georginho set the tone with a three-pointer and proceeded to score a trio of inside scores for a total of 9 points in just over 3 minutes, leading a 2-18 run which turned a 7-point deficit into a 9-point lead. And he still wasn’t done, adding another threeball and a two-point strike for the final basket before the break, giving him a total of 14 points in the quarter.
Early in the second half, De Paula suffered a few tough moments when he committed consecutive sloppy turnovers, allowing Turk Telekom to mount a 6-0 run and threaten a comeback. But Ulm head coach Anton Gavel showed that he has faith in his new signing by keeping him on the floor, and De Paula rediscovered his composure to play a big role in the final quarter, adding 8 more points to ensure his team took a road win.
His importance is already felt
After finishing with 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocked shots for a PIR of 36, it’s understandable that De Paula was very happy with his role in the victory. And the fact that he spent 30:11 minutes on the court, more than any other Ulm player, underlines that he is already a key player.
Indeed, De Paula admitted that he’s now starting to feel at home, saying: “I feel great. I’m feeling like more a part of the team. I got here late so I’m trying to get the chemistry of the team, and right now it feels way more comfortable.”
That chemistry certainly looks to be in place, and so too does Ulm’s challenge for EuroCup glory.