Young player shines in key performance

Nathan Soliman, a 17-year-old center standing 2.05 meters tall, joined the JL Bourg during the off-season and is adjusting to the Betclic ELITE league. On Saturday, October 31, he had his best game of the season, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in 18 minutes and 36 seconds.

Team loses despite strong individual showing

Despite his strong performance, Soliman's team, JL Bourg, lost to Nanterre with a final score of 98-101. In the closing moments, with his team down by three points, Soliman hit a crucial three-pointer to tie the game at 98-98. However, Xavier Castañeda immediately responded with a three-pointer to secure the win for Nanterre.

Playing role due to team injuries

Soliman was primarily used as a forward in this match, taking advantage of a reduced interior rotation. This was due to the absence of Kadin Shedrick, who was left on the bench because of the team's limit on foreign players. Additionally, Lionel Gaudoux's shoulder injury early in the game further limited the team's rotation options.

Showcasing offensive skills

Soliman demonstrated his offensive aggressiveness, repeatedly attacking the rim to finish with dunks in traffic. This highlighted his physical progress and evolving approach to the game. Previously, he had been less aggressive, but now facing professional-level competition, he is beginning to leverage his athletic qualities while also showing he can adjust his outside shooting.

Balancing shooting efficiency

Against Nanterre, Soliman finished with 4-of-5 shooting from two-point range and 2-of-4 from three-point range. However, his free-throw shooting (3-of-7) limited his overall offensive impact.

Promising start to the season

This performance confirms a promising start to the season for Soliman on an individual level. After six games in Betclic ÉLITE, he averages 11.0 points on 57.1% shooting (including 47.1% from three-point range, on 2.8 attempts per game), 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists (with 2.5 turnovers), and 1.2 blocks in 20 minutes per game.

Fluctuating playing time

His playing time remains variable, having played 36 minutes against Saint-Quentin at the start of the season, but only around 15 minutes in each of the three games preceding the match against Nanterre. In the EuroCup, where Bourg has also played five games, his statistics are more modest: 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds on average, with playing time gradually decreasing until nine minutes against Chemnitz.

Future challenges ahead

The challenge for Soliman now is to maintain this level of performance over time. His ability to play both the forward and center positions, attack the rim, and score from beyond the three-point line is an asset for the JL Bourg rotation. However, it remains to be seen what role he will play when the JL Bourg returns to a more complete squad. The club is facing a difficult start to the season, particularly due to numerous injuries at the guard positions, which are disrupting their rotations.