Mfiondou Kampengele (26 years old, 2.08 meters) was the new bomb that exploded on the side of AEK. The “Union” proceeded methodically and with patience and won a player who – on paper – can increase their level.

Campengele is not an easy case. The nephew of the legendary Dikebe Mutombo (his mother is the Hall of Famer center’s sister) was drafted 27th by the Clippers in the 2019 NBA draft and – based on the original plan – plans to give him playing time. But things didn’t turn out the way everyone expected.

Campengele progressed through three NBA teams (Clippers, Cavaliers and Celtics). Overall, however, he only took part in 55 games. Over the same period, however, he emerged as one of the G-League’s best — and most prolific — big men awaiting his call, culminating in the just-concluded season in which he averaged 18.6 points, 10 .3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals scored with the Maine Celtics. .

The Sportish presents the profile of the new center of AEK:

A beast who can do a little bit of everything on offense

Starting with the basics. Campengele is an athletic (but not a top athlete), mobile center with a height of 2.08 meters and an arm span of 2.23 meters. He’s a dynamic center, has a good command of the court, and is bouncy (especially when kicking with both feet).

Campengele has always had the trademark of being a good rim runner. That is, a big man who knows the court well, who plays pick and roll very well, puts down good – and quick – dunks near the basket, and ends the phases dynamically. However, there were other interesting things in his game.

Campengele has good back-to-back footwork (something essential to Juan Plata’s philosophy), but what made him even more interesting was the fact that he had shown signs as a shooter. In college at Florida State, he shot 36.9% from 3-pointers (and 76.1% from field goals) his senior season, giving the impression that he’s shaping up to be a stretch big can compete in both major positions. But things turned out differently.

In the last three years, Campengele was initially “locked” in the middle position. He established himself as a great pick and roll player, sometimes playing from defense and shooting nearly three three-pointers a game. He had a 34.2% three-point ratio in the G-League last season, compared to 43.4% a year earlier! Here’s this year’s shot chart in the G-League:

So why didn’t he play in the NBA? The main reason was that by the standards of the world’s top league, he wasn’t tall and athletic enough to compete as a center, nor was he consistent enough to shoot and not over the flanks had steps that he could transform into a stretch-4 .

Still, none of that changes the fact that Campengele has at times dominated the G-League and all that that entails. He even seemed to be improving to some degree – not an absolute degree – in the realm of creation. By the time he left college, he was considered a bad passer. But now he can do some things by doing a short roll (staying at 4-5 yards after the screen and folding) or finding a teammate when he posts.

A rim protector that gives security to the back line

As a player who is characterized by his dynamic game, Campengele never shies away from contact. He just loves to challenge his opponents, which sometimes results in being showered with fouls.

Campengele’s main feature is that it is a rim protector. He’s a good athlete, not a top athlete, but he has good timing, instincts and long arms to help him. One can also make associations to his DNA as Dikebe Mutombo’s uncle was one of the greatest blockers of all time.

Campengele even has enough good moves to partially support the defense with changes. He has a weakness for consistently following perimeter stretch 5s (his close-out defense still needs improvement), but he can stay in front of perimeters for a few seconds.

It’s clear that Campengele sometimes has a problem with fouls. That’s the price of the energy and aggression he expresses on the pitch. However, there is a framework in which it can be protected, because AEK was built that way – it has three other players with the ability to compete (either full-time or as a support player) in the middle position (Hatzidakis, Kouzeloglou, Tilman) – so this has several solutions.

Another step at a high level

It’s no exaggeration to say that AEK’s moves into this year’s transfer market took the world by surprise. Juan Plata’s hiring caused quite a stir, but nobody expected what was to follow.

AEK started its acquisition modestly Yannis Kouselogloufrom Homer Netzipogloufrom Zoe Karabela and be Manoli Hatzidakis, but then came the explosion. its acquisition Ben McLemorefrom Mindaugas Kuzminskasfrom Jordan McRaefrom Langston Hallfrom Campengele and also the deal with Justin Tillman show that the bar has been raised.

In the year of their 100th anniversary, AEK will face what may be the most crowded squad (on paper, at least) since returning to the limelight. Even busier than in 2018 when it won the BCL and Greek Cup. The stars’ gold dust that will come to “Union” is a given.

The acquisition of Campengele caused a stir at AEK again. The most important thing, however, is that on paper each move of the “yellow-black” seems to be connected to the previous one. There is logic behind every decision, every player seems to agree with someone else, players who share the same position have different characteristics.

AEK has not yet completed its moves. He’s looking for a combo guardian that he can use to seal off the perimeter Chason Randle should be on their radar. The only thing that is certain is that the bar is now very high.