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David Muenkat aims high with his Frankfurt Skyliners. © Imago Sportfotodienst GmbH
It’s players like him who can make the difference. On which the hopes of a club rest. David Muenkat has what it takes to help the Frankfurt Skyliners return to the Basketball Bundesliga. The Canadian is still young at 23 and is playing his first season abroad. And accordingly he still goes through ups and downs.
On Easter Sunday he showed for the first time what he was capable of.
With 22 points – all scored in the first half – Muenkat led his team to a confident 91:60 win against Uni Baskets Münster. The Frankfurt team thus defended their second place in the second league. »It has a lot of quality and horsepower under the hood. When he gets it on the floor, he’s really strong,” says Denis Wucherer. However, the Skyliners coach has a caveat: »His season is going a bit in waves. He was once in a valley too. There are games in which he struggles and lacks self-confidence when he doesn’t hit the first two throws.”
The 95 kilo and 2.01 meter tall muscular package is a complete player. Robust in defense, with good throws and strong pull to the basket. He seems to be getting more accustomed to the league, where the pace is faster than in Canadian college. There he scored an average of 15.2 points, grabbed 10.2 rebounds and was ranked among the top five players in the rankings for St. Francis Xavier University last year. “Compared to my first games in Germany, I have become a completely different player,” says Muenkat about his development since the summer of 2023.
Small steps, big dreams
The coaching team around Wucherer and world champion assistant Klaus Perwas knows that they have a possible X-factor in the team with Muenkat. “We’re watching him and thinking about how we can use him to get consistency,” says Wucherer. Until now, the Canadian has often only been substituted on during a game. “We had the feeling that he could be someone who came off the bench and brought in a punch with his friend Cameron Henry.” Against Münster, Muenkat was in the starting lineup and got off to a lightning start with two three-pointers. “Maybe mentally he needs to be in the top five,” says the coach. He wants to be careful with the new professional. Muenkat is a very sensitive guy, bright and reflective, but sometimes not entirely focused. The 23-year-old feels very comfortable, he emphasizes. His teammate Joran Samare had already shown him the city. “I love Frankfurt,” says the winger, who grew up near Toronto.
He was hardly used in the second half against Münster. The Skyliners were clearly in the lead and Muenkat was able to save energy. The game in Paderborn is already scheduled for this Wednesday (7.30 p.m.). The third game in seven days follows on Sunday (3 p.m.) at home against Jena. Promotion with Frankfurt is Muenkat’s goal. The club has an option to extend Muenkat’s contract by one season. The Canadian firmly believes in his strengths. He wants to play at the highest European level at some point. “And who knows, maybe I’ll have the potential for the NBA one day.” Harald Joisten
2024-04-02 17:09:19
#Canadian #shooting #star #enchants #Skyliners
