International Superstar: G League Ignite's Izan Almansa Took Talent Stateside and Continues to Rise
When looking at teenagers that have played in FIBA competition, Izan Almansa is one of the more decorated international prospects in recent history. The Spanish big won MVP at FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in 2023, MVP at FIBA U18 European Championship in 2022 and MVP at FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in 2021.
What makes Almansa’s upside special is how he actually goes about impacting the game. This looks different night-to-night, but that’s ultimately what makes him so unique. At 6-foot-10 with tremendous skill, he can take over games on both ends and be a team’s top option. With that in mind, he can also play more of a complimentary role and still impact winning at the highest level.
Almansa is extremely unselfish and a natural connector on the offensive end. When he’s not the one actually making plays, he’s an auxiliary piece that ensures the offense is running effectively. He’s versatile in many respects, doing whatever the team needs to win. The Spanish big is smart, patient and poised for his age — likely a function of just how long he’s played in a professional setting.
To further quantify how versatile his game is and the different ways he can help his team, it’s interesting to understand who Almansa models his game after. He told Draft Digest that the two players he watches most and tries to emulate are Joel Embiid and Alperen Sengun. These two players are wildly different, but both highly effective. Blending elements of both players is what Almansa is targeting, which is scary to think about.
Full Izan Almansa Scouting Report
Before Almansa became an elite basketball prospect, he was really more into soccer. In fact, that was really his only focus until his best friend at a young age really convinced him to start playing organized basketball. He was finally convinced to take on a new sport, playing alongside his best friend and beginning a special basketball career.
“My mom tried to get me to play a couple times too, and I said no,” Almansa told Draft Digest in an interview. “But when my friend started playing basketball, I went with him.”
Luckily for the NBA teams that will have a chance to add the Spanish big to their roster in the 2024 NBA Draft, this friend was able to convince Almansa to start playing basketball. Who knows what would have happened otherwise.
Almansa was over 6-foot before he even became a teenager, so he was able to start dominating early on. With that in mind, he wasn’t limited to playing center. His coaches allowed him to play multiple positions which has led to him being the perfect modern big today with a vast skillset.
“They don’t really do positions. There’s no center, we do guard stuff and get moved around because we try to learn every aspect of the game. They try not to limit you because of your height,” Almansa said when thinking back to his early basketball days.
A natural soccer player, Almansa indicated that he credits a lot of his quality footwork on the basketball court to his time playing that sport. This is another attribute that really makes him stick out, as he leverages his large frame and good footwork to be effective on both ends of the floor.
While the Spanish big has one of the most impressive resumes for his age overseas, he opted to take his talents stateside in effort to make it to the NBA. Almansa was one of the earliest players to sign with Overtime Elite back in 2021, spending two seasons there playing and developing at a professional level facility against some of the best young talent in the world.
“Coming to OTE was like my best decision ever. I think that that was like the right step for me,” Almansa said. “OTE was like a new thing, so we didn’t know what to expect. I feel like that was the reason I was able to dominate at FIBA and play great, because of OTE. I was one of the first ones to go there, but it was a big risk. It worked out great though.”
Following those two seasons at OTE, he continued his path in the United States by becoming true professional, signing a deal in the G League with Ignite. He became part of the deepest class of prospects Ignite has put together to date, with upwards of eight players that could be selected in the next two drafts on the roster.
“My idea was two years at OTE, then to Ignite,” Almansa told Draft Digest. “But I had offers other places, like Australia from the NBL. But I feel like the G League is the best step to take before the NBA. You have to prepare like you’re in the NBA and have the best coaches and best teammates. They give you all the access and tools you need to be prepared for that next step.”
Almansa is truly a team-oriented player that wants to win games. Not only does he have the ability to thrive in a multitude of different roles, but he’s also willing to be that type of guy — which is somewhat rare these days for young prospects.
“I'm just trying to be like a team guy and just to try to help the team win however I can. If I don’t have to score, I don’t mind,” the Ignite big said. “I just want to help the team win and be as useful as I can to my team and to my coaches.”
Ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, Almansa will have the chance to establish himself as a lottery pick. For him, improving his jumper will be the key in improving his draft stock and maximizing his impact with Ignite between now and then.
“Right now it’s my shooting,” said Almansa on his primary improvement area. “I'm just trying to be more confident and I’m working on it a lot. So just to be able to show it in the game and shoot with confidence.”
Izan Almansa has a fascinating story, dominating both internationally and in the United States at Overtime Elite and in the G League. The next step for him will be the NBA, it’s just a matter of where he’s drafted in June.
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