Jacob Pullen, who’s about to turn 24, will reinforce Barça’s exterior play in the upcoming 2013/14 season. The American point guard, who played college ball for Kansas State, won’t take up a non-European citizen position on the roster given that he has a Georgian passport. Along with Huertas and Sada, Pullen gives Xavi Pascual the option to choose what style the manager would like to play in almost any given situation.
Scoring and speed
Pullen isn’t a classic point guard. His strong suit isn’t directing the team, even though he can do so when needed. He sinks shots and he breaks up defences with his extraordinary pace. His height (1.85) allows him to rid himself of his mark easily. This is perhaps Pullen’s greatest weapon, he doesn’t doubt and he’s focused on scoring. His lower center of gravity allows him to jostle with stronger players, and he’s not afraid of making physical drives and taking the shot.
Quick hands
On the defensive end, Pullen isn’t known for being brilliant. However, his excellent lateral movement allows him to anticipate plays and cause doubt in the attacking team’s player.
His numbers
After two season’s in Europe – in 2011 he played for Angellico Biella – Pullen took his chance to sign for Barça. In his first season, the point guard averaged 16 points – and two three pointers per match – and an overall evaluation of 11.7 points. In the 2012/13 season he took on a new challenge and shipped off to Israel to play for Hapoel Jerusalem.
He made 19 appearances for the Israeli side in the league (12.6 points and 4 assists per match) and 6 Eurocup appearances, where he averaged 13 points per match. Finally, he finished out the season with Oknoplast Bologna, where he made nine appearances and averaged 20.7 points per match and a three-point accuracy rate of 47%.
