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After Ismael Kamagate’s scouting report, it is now time to analyze another interesting Euroleague rookie in the Italian landscape: Devontae Cacok, new center of Virtus Segafredo Bologna.
Cacok’s signing was announced on July,10th and, since the beginning, led to very different reactions among Bologna fans. On one hand, those who were and still are skeptical of a rookie, unxeperienced and undersized center for the Euroleague, on the other, those who believe that the American center might develop the potential shown in the G-League and at CSKA Moscow.
In this article, we’ll try to clarify what type of player Cacok is, what are his skills and the doubts surrounding him.
DEVONTAE CACOK: THE PROFILE
Devontae Cacok is a 26-year old center who lastly played for CSKA Moscow in the Russian League during the 2022-2023 campaign: this was his debut in the European basketball, coming from American-only experiences. Among these, both NBA and G-League are present.
In 2019, he signed an exhibit-10 with the Los Angeles Lakers, but was then waived to their G-League affiliates, and the same happened with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2021-2022 season. It was after his experience with the Motor City Cruise in the G-League that he moved to CSKA Moscow, being announced on February 11th, 2023.
During the VTB playoffs, Cacok averaged 9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.8 assist in 17.6 minutes, shooting with an excellent 70.6% from 2 but a poor 42.6% from the free-throw line.
Cacok stands at 203cm tall and weights 109kg, embodying the profile of the undersized center that is now widely used for tactical purposes at the Euroleague level.
The American center signed a 2-year contract with Virtus Segafredo Bologna, with the goal of establishing himself as a proven Euroleague player.
DEVONTAE CACOK: STRENGHTS
Over his career, Cacok has played at multiple positions: starting as a center with UNC-Wilmington (here an article of Bleacher Report), he had to re-define himself as a more perimetral player during his stint in the NBA, being excessively undersize to play at the 5, and even played as small forward in some games with the Spurs, but the lack of shooting from behind the arch made it very tough for Cacok to mantain himself at such a level. Things change a lot when talking about European basketball, though.
Versatility is indeed Cacok’s biggest strenght, allowing him to play the center position with dynamism and uncommon speed for a player in that role, which is what attracts Euroleague teams of him. Cacok is basically a forward for size, defensive skills (great at switching against guards with his quick feet) and dribbling ability, but completely lacks any option from distance in terms of shooting, while has proven to be an aggressive rebounder (expecially on the offensive boards) and one of the best 2-point finisher throughout his whole career.
This makes him a very interesting option to pair with both a perimetral power forward or a more low-post oriented “4”: it is in this context that the addition of Cacok makes sense from Virtus Bologna’s perspective, as Coach Scariolo will have the possibility to use Cacok either with Polonara or Shengelia.
Additionally, Cacok has an unusual set of movements when finishing at the rim, often using euro-step or reverse layups and dunks that make it difficult for bigger opponents to guard him, and the guy is very good at faking handoffs and drive the ball to the rim too, catching the defender not ready for such solutions.
Overall, we’re talking about a profile that is similar to other undersized centers in the Euroleague but with offensive skills that are very peculiar instead. It will be very fascinating to see if his gamestyle will adapt efficiently to such a high level or not.
DEVONTAE CACOK: WEAKNESSES
As previously mentioned, doubts over Cacok’s ability to play at Euroleague level mainly concern his size. Indeed, if it is true that the American center plays in a very dynamic way and is able to beat his opponent 1vs1 from the dribble and in the low-post, it must also be said that Euroleague teams always scout every player at the highest level before facing him, and it is therefore unlikely that they will be unprepared against Cacok.
This means that, mainly because of his lack of shooting, Cacok will have to score in the paint (or from the mid-range) against some of the best defender in the world around the rim, outlining a very interesting situation where one of the most efficient 2-point scorers (in terms of percentages) in the world will have to stay up to his level when facing all-time defenders like Tavares or Milutinov.
There are not other big weaknesses when talking about Cacok, but it is also evident that the size problem might turn out to be crucial when the physicality is so high, and the final response will be given only by the court.
DEVONTAE CACOK: COMPARISON
The very first player that comes to mind when looking at Cacok is a young Kyle Hines, with all the due differences of course.
Indeed, during his Olympiacos and CSKA stints, Hines was relying on an extreme dynamism that was allowing him to both guard opponent backcourt players and attack his direct rivals from the dribble or with his famous short roll, other solution that Cacok uses a lot and with success.
Compared to Hines, Cacok probably has more solutions around the rim and is more of a scorer, but obviously doesn’t have the same IQ and ability to protect the rim that made Hines a legend in the Euroleague.
All in all, the physical profile is similar and the verticality is there as well, but Hines proved that his ability to read the game was his true trademark, and allowed him to be one of the most winning players in Euroleague history, so it will be absoluitely crucial for Cacok to speed up his understanding of the game.
Being 26, Cacok has all the time to do so, but we know how difficult it is for rookies to adapt to the game, and some doubts are thus legit, keeping in mind that the American center might as well turn out to be a unique Swiss knife in the competition if things go for the best.
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