Ryan Turell hasn’t played much for the Motor City Cruise this season, but he’s made a splash when he has gotten into the game.
Turell is trying to become the first Orthodox Jew to make it into the NBA, and he has a following of yarmulke-wearing youngsters that follow his every move on the court. Turell has played sparingly for the Cruise, but many of the fans that show up regularly for games are his and they go crazy every time he steps on the floor.
The Cruise have had a poor start at just 2-6, but there have been some standouts. After dropping 34 in the win last night, Devontae Cacok is now averaging 21 points and 12.6 rebounds on the season, so he is a guy we could see called up at some point, especially if the Pistons keep suffering injuries.
But the crowd was there to see Turell, who led all college players in scoring last season. Even though he only played for four minutes in last night’s game, he may have had the highlight of the season and gave a glimpse of why his fans love him so much.
Detroit Pistons: Ryan Turell has the highlight of the year for the Motor City Cruise
Ryan Turell is not going to blow guys away with his athleticism or speed, but he is a smart and very skilled player who knows how to get buckets.
You can see that on display here, as Turell uses a pump fake to get a step on the defender and then a series of spin moves before he eventually lays it in. This move was just ridiculous:
OMG, RYAN TURELL WITH ONE OF THE NASTIEST MOVES YOU’LL SEE! 😵💫 @MotorCityCruise pic.twitter.com/d2PIK48Fjy
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) November 26, 2022
Turell is a long way from being ready for the NBA, but you can see the appeal, as he is very skilled with the ball and has the size to be an effective scorer.
The question is whether he can do anything else, as he lacks the foot speed to keep up with many NBA wings, so he is going to have to show that he can defend his position before he’ll ever get a chance for the Cruise, much less the Detroit Pistons.
But Turell is one of the best stories of the year, especially for an injured team that has the worst record in the NBA, so we’ll be keeping an eye on the Motor City Cruise highlight reels this season.