Jiangsu Yannan Suke tabs Ondrej Balvin

Ondrej Balvin

Jiangsu Yannan Suke (NBL) signed 31-year-old Czech international 217cm center Ondrej Balvin, who is represented by Octagon Europe. Balvin played for Prometey in the Ukrainian Higher League for the past two years. In 19 Eurocup games last season, he averaged 11.1ppg, 9.2rpg (#3 in the league), 2.4apg, and 1.4bpg, helping them reach the quarterfinals. He also played 33 games in Lat-Est BL, where he averaged 11.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 2.1apg, and 1.2bpg.
He has tried to make it to the NBA and played in the NBA Pro Summer League in 2016.
Balvin has also been a member of the Czech Republic international program for some years. He has regularly played for the Czech Republic senior team since 2011 and previously for the Under 20 National Team in 2012.
Balvin also represented Czech Republic at the FIBA World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers last year. During this event he scored an average of 11.1 ppg and had 8.4 rpg.
He is a very experienced player, having played professionally in Germany (Bayern Muenchen), Japan (Thunders), Spain (Estudiantes, Real Betis, Gran Canaria, Surne Bilbao, and Baloncesto Sevilla 2nd team), and Czech Republic (USK Praha). His team was the regular season runner-up in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League in 2024, and he was voted to the Eurobasket.com All-EuroCup Honorable Mention in the same year.
His game is described as being a mix of skill and strategy, with a fine balance between offense and defense.
Ondrej is 218 cm (7'2') tall and has athletic predispositions, a huge wingspan, good coordination, mobility, and strong legs. He is one of the most prospective big men in Europe. Balvin is coachable, intelligent, and has a great working attitude. He has worked on his game both back and face to the basket and around the paint. Balvin has put on more weight and has a larger frame than last year. He fights for every rebound and space under the basket, making him one of the best rebounders in the Spanish ACB. Thanks to a great deal of personal contribution, he has improved his athletic skills and has become a very quick player for his size. Balvin has played several seasons in the ACB, having great games against Real Madrid and other Euroleague competition.
ACB: Most rebounds in one game - 17 rebounds (2016)
Eurocup: Most rebounds in one game - 19 rebounds (2015).


Tags : ONDREJ BALVIN, JIANGSU YANNAN SUKE, CHINESE BASKETBALL, CHINESE TRANSACTIONS