Chris Jones’s return from injury and the addition of Amida Brimah make Valencia even tougher to beat
Chris Jones, Amida Brimah give Valencia even more weapons
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Valencia Basket was already cruising in the BKT EuroCup, but two of the stars of its 10th win of the season were late additions in what many could see as the rich getting richer.
Valencia used a big third quarter to pull away to a 78-86 victory at Veolia Towers Hamburg for a perfect 10-0 record – thanks to strong showings by Chris Jones and Amida Brimah.
Jones collected 12 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists while Brimah tallied 3 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocks, with the duo giving head coach Pedro Martinez even more weapons to work with over the past four rounds.
Jones was a star for Valencia in the last two seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but the 31-year-old star missed the first seven games of this year after undergoing surgery on a finger on his right hand.
As if Valencia didn’t have enough ways to beat teams already, Jones has shined with his all-around game in his first season in the EuroCup. In his second game of the season, Jones tallied 8 points and 7 assists and then he poured in 20 points in Valencia’s win over Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem.
Brimah meanwhile was playing his third game since joining Valencia during the national team break. He picked up 10 points in his opening contest against Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse and then chipped in 4 points and 8 rebounds in the win over Jerusalem.
The 30-year-old Ghana big man arrived from BAXI Manresa, where he was on a short-term deal. He had averaged 3.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in eight Spanish League games this season.
This is Brimah’s second season in the EuroCup after averaging 4.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for Bourg in 2022-23. He was fifth in the competition in blocks that season. And Brimah’s addition gives Valencia a real shot-blocking presence as Nate Reuvers, now out with a broken finger, had been the team’s only real threat to opponents attacking Valencia’s basket.
Besides his rim protection, Brimah also has a winner’s pedigree. He claimed the Belgian League and Cup double with Oostende in 2022 and lifted the G League trophy with the Austin Spurs in 2018. He also helped the University of Connecticut win the NCAA Tournament in 2014.
Jones and Brimah are two more reasons that Valencia is a main contender to win the EuroCup crown when it’s all said and done.