Devon Goodman (184-PG-1997, college: Pennsylvania) is a 25 year old 184cm point guard from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania playing his second professional season and first in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf. Last season he played he was a rookie with S.C. Lusitania EXPERT (Portugal-Liga Betclic) averaging 14.6ppg, 3.7rpg, Assists-4 (5.2apg), 1.9spg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 47.3%. he began his basketball career at Germantown academy and then played at the University of Pennsylvania (NCAA) from 2016-2020 playing a total of 114 nCAA games and in his last 2 seasons averaged 13.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 56.4%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 68.7% and 13.8ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.0apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 27.8%, FT: 58.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after helping lead Rhondorf to a 103-82 win on the road in herford with 28 points and 7 assists.
Thanks Devon for talking to germanhoops.com. What a huge win for the Dragons in Herford 103-82. How tough has this pre season been not being able to practice on your home court?
It’s been a strange unconventional preseason not being able to practice or play on our home court. And will be even more strange when we have our first home game there which will probably feel more like an away game for us too.
How has the team mentality been in general not knowing when you will play your first home game? Do you feel there is an even bigger urgency to win on the road?
Not having a home court and having all of our preseason games on the road I believe has been somewhat of a positive. Winning on the road is always a challenge, so the preseason definitely prepared us for our first win vs Hereford and when we finally are able to play on our home floor I think the guys will be even more amped up.
How happy were in general about the first season win of 103-82. What is your summary of how the club played for 40 minutes
I am very happy with how we played. I think we competed well on both ends of the floor, especially defensively in the second and third quarter. There are still things we need to work on but opening the season with a Win is always a great thing!
The first quarter was wild and high scoring. Rhondorf scored 28 points but Herford 27 points. Rhondorf had extreme difficulty controlling Lavon Hightower. What made it most difficult to stop him on this day?
Hightower is a super athletic, scoring wing who always looks to attack the rim. In the first quarter we didn’t do a good job of keeping him out of the paint and/or showing any resistance.
The Dragons calmed down in the next two quarters outscoring Herford 55-33. What adjustments did the team make in general to take control of the game?
We did the complete opposite of what we did the first quarter. Defensively, we did a better job of keeping guys out the paint and forcing them to take tough shots which led to early offense and easy looks on the other end
What do you feel was the biggest strength after 40 minutes. The team found a good groove nailing 15 three’s and defended better after that wild first quarter
We did a good job of finding the matchups we wanted to take advantage of on the floor. And made smart decisions on both ends that led to a lot of open threes that we were able to knock down
Last season the team was very young and this season so much more experienced. Last season only Paul Albrecht had real experience. How important is it having so many older guys like Flo Koch, and Flo Wendeler?
Those guys are so crucial because they know what it takes to win. They have done a great job of helping to lead the team and also showing the younger guys on the team how we need to play in order to have an successful season
One guy who should make big noise is Zaba Bangala. Paul Albrecht calls him baby Zion. But can a Zion match Zaba’s versatility?
That’s a great question! Zaba is one of the young guys on the team, but has so much potential, the sky’s the limit! He’s a very versatile big who can play both inside and out and honestly is a matchup problem for anyone in this league.
Last season a guy Like Nicolas Buchholz was so important and the team relied on his scoring. This season there is so much scoring present. Do you think that could be an advantage to his play because he won’t have as much pressure.
Having other scorers around Nico is a big advantage to his play. He is one of the best 3pt shooters I have played with and isn’t afraid to let it fly. It’s a pick your poison type of deal; either you guard the guy with ball or you give Nico an open 3pt shot.
You had a fine German pro B debut with 28 points and 7 dimes. How did you feel on the court and how content were you with your play?
It felt great to be back on the court and I was pretty content with how I played my first game. I feel I will continue to get better and better as the season goes on and as my teammates and I get more comfortable with each other on the floor
Last season you played in the first Portugal division averaging 14.6ppg, 3.7rpg, Assists-4 (5.2apg), 1.9spg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 47.3%. Do you feel pressure having to put up real good stats and lead your team to success in a lower league in Germany?
There is no pressure, but my goal is to be aggressive every game. I know the talent I have and how hard I’ve worked, so as long as I continue to be both aggressive and a leader, the team’s success and stats will come.
I predict that you could evolve to be one of the top guards in the Pro B this season. You shot an incredible 11/16 from the field. Do you feel like with time finding your spots will be easier or could opponents scouting get more active to try to control you better?
In general, I am getting more comfortable with the concepts of our offense and with time feel finding my spots will be easier. Opponents scouting could get more active, but when that time comes I think we as a team will be able to make the necessary adjustments.
You combined scoring, playmaking and good defense in your first Pro B game. How confident are you that you will be a stat filler in all categories this season?
For me the most important objective is to have a successful season, so whatever I have to do in order for that to happen, I’m going to do it, and with confidence.
Now the team has a 2 week break before the next away game in Schwelm. What will be the focus in training the next weeks after the big Herford game?
The main focus for us is to work on the things we did poorly against Herford and just to continue to grow, so that we are an even better team vs. Schwelm.
Have you seen or trained with BBL team Telekom Baskets Bonn. Will you try to visit as many games as possible especially BCL games during the week to soak up as much as possible?
I am a double licensed guy with Telekom Bonn so I have been training and competing with those guys the past couple weeks. I will definitely be soaking in as much as I can from being with them
With that being said, on what areas of your game are you working on most so you can be the absolute best version of yourself on the court in the Pro B?
Personally, I am working on continuing to make the right decisions on the court as a point guard and to be an outstanding leader for these guys this season.
Thanks Devon for the chat.
German Hoops 