Cassius Stanley who joined Hapoel Afula just as the season began prior to the war is no doubt one of the most intriguing players to come and play in the Holy Land. The Duke product is making his first foray overseas after having featured in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers who selected him 54th overall in the second round of the 2020 Draft as well as the Detroit Pistons while having also played in the G-League. Last season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Los Angeles, California native checked in with 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Since the Israel Basketball League returned to action, the shooting guard’s best performance came in his fourth game with the club where he checked in with 18 points and 6 boards against Hapoel Jerusalem. Stanley will no doubt be counted on to carry the offensive load after the departure of Kasey Sheperd due to the conflict with Hamas.

Roie Perel’s team also lost a number of other players including Yanick Morreira and Tyran de Lattibeaudiere but brought on board a pair of newcomers in Kameron Shelton and Marcellus Earlington to bolster the front line who have already played a number of games while Zach Smith just arrived this past weekend.

Upon his signing, Stanley said, “I’m happy to join a club where I will be able to contribute on both sides of the court, while creating winning plays and making sure that we are competitive in the Israeli league.

Perel spoke about his new recruit following the game back in October when they just came up short against Nes Ziona, “He has just joined us and we are in the midst of the holidays so it’s not easy to integrate a creative guard into the rotation. I do see some very positive things and we have to remember that he has come here after having played in the NBA and the G-League. It’s different basketball and he will learn the game that is played here. I hope that we will see some very good results after putting in the time and effort.”

Spencer Weisz also spoke about what Stanley has to offer, “He’s a smart guy and a great player. I’m looking forward to playing with him on the court.”

To learn more about Stanley, The Sports Rabbi was in touch with a number of his former teammates and media personalities and a scout.

G-League teammates:
Eron Gordon: He is an extremely talented player! Hapoel Afula will be lucky to have him he is an NBA talent.

Justin Turner: Cassius’s ability to effect the game with his gifted athletic ability offensively and defensive always stood out to me as his teammate. Also him being a strong versatile guard.

Shereen Rayan, Sports Broadcaster and Writer: He was a star before he ever stepped on a college basketball court. He stood over and above the 115 or so Pangos All- Americans, just an all-around athlete with mad basketball skills.

Tony East who covered Stanley during his time with Indiana: He didn’t play a ton. Super athletic and a good cutter, but he didn’t get many chances to show more than that with the Pacers.

Scout Manolo Athan: What I can say in general is that he was a wonderkid at high school and college level. He had some very high levels of athleticism. His professional career was disastrous, he was young and he neither had playing time nor the guidance and experience to bounce back. He still has talent but has not really improved.

Now what did I see from his spell in G League? I think he is better in a 3&D wing off-ball role. I don’t know how the coach thinks to use him. Maybe in Israeli league he can also operate as on-ball player. He can create his shot as well and has passing potential.

The biggest question marks are his 3pt shooting and scoring consistency. He has ups and downs and just personal instinct I see some signs of disappointment in his face. I hope that he motivates himself to bounce back.

In my opinion he can have impact at this level, I believe he could play even at a better team. The good thing is that he had promising performances in SL before he gets injured.