Mario Saint-Supery Is Improving in Key Areas

Young Spanish point guard Mario Saint-Supery struggled in key areas to open this season with Baxi Manresa but since late October, he has shown positive signs of improvement and will likely see his draft stock improve if he keeps this up.

Mario Saint-Supery / fiba.basketbal

There are few leagues as ruthless as Spain’s Liga ACB. It is easily Europe’s top domestic league, and Spanish teams regularly dominate continental competitions. Real Madrid was the EuroLeague runner-up last season and three Spanish teams made the EuroLeague playoffs, ACB teams are currently combined 24-12 in EuroCup play this season, and an ACB team has won four of the last five FIBA Champions League titles. Simply put, there are no easy opponents and little time to waste on development. This makes it likely the toughest proving ground out there for young players.   

That context is important for players like Baxi Manresa’s point guard Mario Saint-Supery, who struggled in the early days of this season. His assist-to-turnover ratio was barely tolerable, he struggled to get to the rim and simply didn’t look ready for senior professional basketball after dominating in international youth competitions. But recently, that has changed. 

Since late October over a 12-game stretch, Saint-Supery has been averaging 10.7 points, three rebounds, and one steal per game on 47/28/79 shooting splits, with a near 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s using his body more, and while he still struggles with ball security against physical on-ball defense, he has improved across the board in practically every other area. 

As a finisher, Saint-Supery is getting to the rim more and finding crafty ways to finish. He’s using his right and left hand, the rim as a defender, and creating separation with his body. Saint-Supery isn’t explosive inside the lane, but he’s finding other ways to get advantages and score. It's a testament to talent and skill, and a significant difference from where he was in September and October. 

Ball security aside, Saint-Supery is not shying away from physical defense like he once was. This is leading to some of those weak turnovers but also some more creation from him being willing to keep his dribble and make use of his non-dribble steps when penetrating. His half-court creation is still iffy, and that’s somewhat concerning but something that could likely improve with more professional reps. 

In the open court, his vision and playmaking are off the charts. He pushes the ball, sees the floor brilliantly, and can execute the necessary passes. He’s even got some jump off your screen highlight reel plays too. 

Saint-Supery is a better player than he was in September and October, and as he continues to get more playing time for Manresa, we expect his development to continue. Questions loom about his physicality, but his skill level is undeniable. If fellow Spanish point guard Juan Nunez could play his way into a second-round selection, it’s likely Saint-Supery could as well. He’s also got plenty of time to enter the draft, and thus plenty of time to improve his stock if he continues to produce in a league as tough as the ACB.

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