Mike James debuts for Efes: 14 points, a preseason win, and reasons to wait and see

76-71 – a preseason scoreline easy to overlook amid dozens of exhibition games. But for Anadolu Efes, their win over Trabzonspor in Istanbul was more than just a result. It marked Mike James's debut under Pablo Laso and offered fans an early glimpse of how the attacking core might operate ahead of the 2026/27 EuroLeague.

I have followed European basketball for more than a decade, and one rule stays with me: never draw conclusions too early from a friendly. But I also do not ignore the first signals, because they often reveal a coach's tactical intent. In this game, Efes not only won; they showed how scoring responsibilities were divided among three key players.

Mike James scored 14 points, grabbed 2 rebounds and added 3 assists in his debut. Daron Russell led the team with 16 points. Dario Šarić contributed 11 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Together, the trio produced 41 of Efes's 76 points. That means more than half of the team's offense came from the three weapons designed to lead the system.

The point that interests me is not the victory or the scoreline, but how quickly Efes handed the offensive keys to three names at the center of the new project. Mike James is a proven EuroLeague scorer; Russell can create his own shot; Šarić brings flexibility as a forward who can pass, rebound and stretch the floor. Looking at the box score alone, it is too early to call anyone the main star. What is clear is that Laso does not want to build the attack around a single individual.

Mike James is the type of player who needs the ball to find his rhythm. He scored at a high level in Monaco and later shone with Panathinaikos. But Efes's challenge is not whether someone can score 20 points. The question is whether James can score without slowing down Russell, and whether Šarić can become the pivot in the middle of the floor. This game against Trabzonspor was a small test of that chemistry.

Caution also makes sense when looking at the opponent. Trabzonspor does not have the roster depth of Olympiacos or Real Madrid. The defensive intensity in a preseason friendly is much lower than in a EuroLeague playoff game. Therefore, James's 14 points, Russell's 16, or Šarić's near-double-double all have to be read with a wide margin of error. A player who scores well in open spaces often struggles when the defense tightens around him.

One could say a 76-71 win over a domestic opponent means little, while Efes has bigger goals in Europe. But I do not view this game as a measure of strength. I view it as the first survey of how Laso uses talent. A coach who won the EuroLeague with Real Madrid understands European basketball requires multiple scoring options, good ball movement, and someone who can make plays in crunch time.

In basketball, every scoring number is a story that has not been told properly. James's 14 points may come from shots created by the system, or from isolation situations when the offense is stuck. If it is the latter, that is valuable. If it is the former, he still needs to improve his defense and off-ball movement. Data never lies, but the person reading the data is what matters.

I want to see the next few friendlies before making a long-term judgment. If Mike James keeps scoring while Efes maintain offensive balance, this move could become a major boost. If the team starts depending on him too much, opponents will expose that weakness. EuroLeague history shows champions rarely rely on a single scorer; they need multiple ways to punish mistakes.

From a business perspective, this preseason game also sends a commercial signal. Mike James is a name that can attract fans to the arena, sell jerseys, and anchor media campaigns. But a club's success does not come from having a famous player. It comes from whether that player fits the system, the teammates, and the pressure of expectations. Pablo Laso understands that better than anyone.

For me, the most interesting moment was not a final shot or an impressive drive. It was how Laso arranged the lineup around Mike James in his first game. The Spanish coach did not let him play with total freedom; he placed him in a structure with Daron Russell handling the ball and Šarić acting as a screen and passing hub. That suggests Efes wants to build a sustainable system, not an individual highlight show.

I will keep watching how Mike James reacts when defenses become more aggressive in higher-quality preseason games. One game is only one piece. But small pieces, put in the right order, reveal the bigger picture of Anadolu Efes this season. The 76-71 win will soon be forgotten, but Mike James's debut will not. The real story is just beginning, and how Laso manages the James-Russell-Šarić trio will determine how far Efes can go.