This season, the leader of Boulogne-Levallois was one of the very big names in the championship. His impact on the game and the results of his team, his consistency and his individual talent made him the MVP of the regular season of Betclic Elite. Already distinguished (top scorer in the German and Greek championship), Will Cummings (1.88 m, 29 years old) continues to rise. A remarkable career for this native of Florida (Jacksonville), from a family… without any basketball experience, and never drafted. Basket Europe the encounter.
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We are three days from the end, a match in Cholet is looming the next day, and at the end of the morning, this Monday, the Metropolitans start the warm-up which precedes training. The atmosphere is relaxed, laughter and conversations are going well, and captain Lahaou Konaté triggers a mini debate… football, by comparing the respective merits of the game of PSG and Liverpool. “Liverpool is the best game you can see right now”, asserts Konate, an opinion which is obviously not shared by everyone. A little dropped on the subject, Vince Hunter engages by launching the conversation on the game of Golden State.
In the circle formed by Vincent Collet’s players around the physical trainer, Will Cummings observes all these little people, a slight smile on the corner of his lips, he works, conscientiously performs each movement, he says nothing. The only game that interests the leader of the Metros is that of his team, his will say his detractors, which is all the same a bit reductive, even if indeed the Florida leader has a disproportionate impact on his team. Yes the game of suburbanites revolves a lot around his talent, yes he is a real dominant player, in the league, where he squats the top 10 in several statistical categories : 4th scorer (17.3 points average), 5th in evaluation (16.9), 9th passer (5.0), and 10th in interceptions (1.5). And he was just as effective in the Eurocup, where he is the 2nd scorer (17.9 points) and the 2nd in the evaluation (21.1). He even left the competition on fireworks, during the elimination in the quarter-finals against Valencia (98-85) where he beat his career points record (31) and evaluation (37). ). But yes, Will Cummings needs the ball and is not a die-hard pass maker.
What his coach Vincent Collet does not deny. “But I spoke with him, so we could improve his game by using his skills and passing the ball more. Maybe his teammates will find that he doesn’t do it enough, but he does it a little more. But it’s also important to respect his nature, and let him make the best use of his strengths, trying to continue developing the rest.”analyzes the Metro technician, where Cummings’ grip on the game becomes even more crucial, since he is alone in the lead, since David Michineau’s injury in February.
The impact limited to the pass of its leader, Vincent Collet does not discover it. “In all the clubs where he has gone before, he is below four assists. He’s a scorer, he was top scorer in the Greek championship (with Aris Salonika in 2017), all this I knew. For us, it was also a guarantee, in terms of offensive aggressiveness, which always poses a problem for our opponents, by its ability to cross the defensive curtain..
Individual qualities made for modern basketball: “I hadn’t seen that since Tony” (Vincent Collet)
Will Cummings does not have to prove his formidable offensive efficiency. In penetration, in the finish, from a distance, he has a perfectly mastered and formidable register, of a gifted virtuoso, which may not please everyone. ” It’s my job to explain that to others too, when the crying office opens. It is important to be accepted in a team, to seek…
Photo d’ouverture : Will Cummings (Thomas Savoja)
