With one of the youngest backcourts in the competition, Bayern could be a problem for any opponent in the EuroLeague due to its physicality, versatility and scoring punch.
Bayern fills its backcourt with endless combinations
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FC Bayern Munich played the role of protagonist in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague summer market last week, bringing in four new players. One of them, center Devin Booker, is back in Munich and knows everything about the club and the city. Elsewhere, Bayern focused on getting young talents who are ready to grow under head coach Pablo Laso's guidance, with the club signing three new guards who matched that profile: Carsen Edwards, Leandro Bolmaro and Sylvain Francisco.
They join a backcourt that already featured Nick Weiler-Babb, Andreas Obst and Isaac Bonga. All six players are less than 28 years old; Weiler-Babb at 27 is the oldest of the group. Coach Laso likes high-tempo basketball and with so many fresh legs in Bayern's backcourt, the German side's fast pace should make it one of the go-to teams to watch on EuroLeague TV next season.
Last year's survivors
The best thing about it is that all six players are very different from each other. Bayern already had a do-it-all playmaker with strong defensive skills in Weiler-Babb, a tall ballhandler with great passing skills in Bonga, and a three-point specialist in Obst. Particularly in the case of Obst, he could play a similar role for Laso like Jaycee Carroll did at Real Madrid: coming off the bench as the team's first option to score the basketball as much as possible. This summer, it was important for Bayern to diversify its backcourt – and it did just that.
An all-action international
Francisco, who has arrived from Greek side Peristeri, is an intriguing player who is set to make his EuroLeague debut next season. The France international adds plenty of defensive intensity and has improved his court sense and basketball IQ by playing for coaching dean Pedro Martinez and former EuroLeague superstar Vassilis Spanoulis in the last two seasons. He can now read the game better, but make no mistake, Francisco is a physical player who puts pressure on opposition defenses and is explosive at both ends of the floor.
Unlocking potential
Bolmaro, an addition from Lenovo Tenerife, played in the 2021 EuroLeague Championship Game with FC Barcelona, losing against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Back then, as a 20-year-old, he showed signs of the player he could become: a tall guard with long arms who can be a nuisance on defense but also use his body to attack the rim with very solid driving skills.
Now 22, the Argentine is very different from all of his new teammates and that gives him even more value. Bolmaro can be the team's glue guy, able to play in multiple spots, while he – like fellow versatile swingman Isaac Bonga, who is 23 – still has plenty of room for improvement. Expect Coach Laso to try and unlock Bolmaro's potential over the next two years.
A top scorer candidate with lots of upside
Edwards is arguably the most interesting signing and, with more playing time, he could become an underdog candidate to claim the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy. Edwards has been an accomplished scorer in college, averaging 24.3 points in 36 games with Purdue University in the 2018-19 season.
He also found ways to score in the NBA and especially the G League, but the 25-year-old did not have a star role with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul last season, averaging 8.0 points in 34 games. Just like Bonga, Edwards now has a year of EuroLeague experience under his belt and knows the competition well. Don't be surprised to see him bounce back in Munich and prove that he can be an elite scorer at this level.
A fun season is in store
Looking at the picture as a whole, Bayern has a mix of great ballhandlers, sticky defenders, long-distance shooters and dangerous slashers in its backcourt, and that's even without mentioning its superstar and franchise player, forward Vladimir Lucic.
Players like Lucic, Booker and shot-blocking ace Freddie Gillespie can all finish above the rim, which is a perfect complement for Bayern's backcourt signings. If Coach Laso manages to make it work, Bayern has what it takes to be really competitive against anyone in the EuroLeague.