Revelations from the 2022-23 EuroLeague season

The 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season was one of the most competitive campaigns in history, with twists and turns at every corner, and it featured some first-year players who took to the competition like ducks to water. The end-of-season honors list featured a couple of these individuals, while others didn't take long to establish themselves as stars of both the present and the future. These seven EuroLeague rookies stood out all season long – or in the final part of the season in one case – and they will no doubt be looking to go to the next level again in the coming season.

Darius Thompson, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

One of the most elegant players in the EuroLeague this season was Baskonia guard Darius Thompson. The Spanish side came up just short in its push to make the playoffs, but the 28-year-old guard had a campaign to remember, averaging 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.7 steals and a 17.1 PIR, the seventh-best mark in this season's EuroLeague. Thompson ended his rookie year with six double-doubles, two MVP of the Round honors and a place in the All-EuroLeague Second Team, thanks in large part to his playmaking and the way he made Baskonia tick. What's more, his 227 assists this season mean that he comfortably ended the campaign with the second-highest total in the EuroLeague, just 4 behind Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos Piraeus.

Johnathan Motley, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

At the center position, it is not always easy to make an instant impact in the EuroLeague, but that's exactly what Johnathan Motley did at Fenerbahce. The 28-year-old is not your typical big man, and he concluded his rookie campaign with averages of 14.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and a 16.0 PIR. Motley was twice named MVP of the Round in the regular season and he was key in Fenerbahce making the playoffs, reaching double figures for points in 11 of the team's final 12 games. He continued his double-digit scoring in the postseason, scoring 15 points in both Games 1 and 2 at Olympiacos, as well as 14 in Game 5, once again in Piraeus. Motley scored a total of 521 points in the 2022-23 campaign, the eighth-best figure of any player and the most by any center.

Bonzie Colson, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

While some of Maccabi's other players drew more headlines, Bonzie Colson played an instrumental role in helping the Israeli side make the playoffs. The 27-year-old forward shined bright in his first year in Europe's premier basketball competition, displaying non-stop energy and averaging 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and a PIR of 13.1. Colson played all 39 of Maccabi's games this season and he helped form part of the team's Killer Bs, which consisted of Bonzie, Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin. His do-it-all approach to the game saw him endear himself to the Maccabi faithful, and he has been rewarded for his play on the court with a contract extension until 2025.

Yam Madar, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Winner of the 2022-23 Rising Star Award, this has been some season for Partizan guard Yam Madar. The 22-year-old point guard handled the jump from the 7DAYS EuroCup to the EuroLeague with aplomb, reaching double figures for points in 10 of his 33 regular-season appearances. Typically playing in more of a reserve role, with his highest minutes total being the 24:50 he played against archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 12, Madar also impressed with his defense, pressuring the opposition high up the floor. One sign of this pressure paying off was the fact that the Israeli had 2 or more steals in six games, including the playoffs. Don't be surprised if you hear even more of Madar's name next year.

Shabazz Napier, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

Prior to the mid-season arrival of Shabazz Napier, Milan looked lost at sea. Having had to deal with a plethora of injuries, Milan found itself way outside the playoff picture, but Napier inspired hope among the fan base. The American point guard averaged 15.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals and a 16.4 PIR in 12 games, having never played in the EuroLeague previously. Over that period, Milan went 9-3, yet the Italian side fell just short of making the playoffs. If Napier opts to stay in Milan and is able to keep up this level of play next season, a postseason berth could be a very real possibility.

Maik Kotsar, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Like Madar, Maik Kotsar is another player who successfully dealt with the transition from the EuroCup to the EuroLeague. But, perhaps more impressively, he did so while changing clubs. Kotsar immediately caught the attention of EuroLeague fans with an MVP of the Round-level performance in Round 1, while he later shared MVP honors with Panathinaikos Athens big man Georgios Papagiannis in Round 31. The 26-year-old Estonian averaged 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and a 13.3 PIR for Baskonia in the 2022-23 campaign, and he played in all 34 of the team's regular-season fixtures. In fact, in 22 of his 34 appearances, Kotsar had a double-digit PIR, which demonstrated his importance to the team.

Ignas Brazdeikis, Zalgiris Kaunas

When Ignas Brazdeikis decided to change the NBA for Zalgiris last summer, it was a chance to not only return to his birthplace of Kaunas but to also test himself in the EuroLeague. The 24-year-old ended up having a great debut season with Zalgiris, averaging 11.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and an 8.8 PIR while helping his side reach the playoffs. Zalgiris ended up losing 0-3 to FC Barcelona, but Brazdeikis was very impressive, scoring 14 and 20 points on the road in Games 1 and 2, respectively. Now a Lithuania international, having switched his international allegiance from Canada to Lithuania in May 2021, Brazdeikis became even more of a fan favorite thanks to his exploits with Zalgiris this season.