David DeJulius is returning to the EuroLeague at a very different stage of his career.
The American guard already experienced the competition with Maccabi Tel Aviv during the 2024/25 season, but his role was limited. Across 15 appearances, he averaged just four points in 11 minutes per game.
A year later, David DeJulius arrives at Besiktas after becoming one of the most important offensive players in Spain. With Murcia, he was the engine of the offense, trusted to create, score and carry significant responsibility with the ball in his hands.
That development makes his return to the EuroLeague particularly intriguing. He is no longer an unproven guard searching for a role. He comes back after proving himself as a primary offensive option in one of Europe’s strongest domestic leagues.
From limited EuroLeague role to Murcia’s offensive engine
DeJulius’ first EuroLeague experience with Maccabi Tel Aviv did not result in a significant role. His 11 minutes per game across 15 appearances provided limited opportunity to showcase what he could do as a primary creator. Murcia offered a completely different situation.
DeJulius became the player the offense depended on, averaging:
- 17.8 points
- 4.4 assists
- 1.7 rebounds
- 0.8 steals
while shooting 46% from the field, 38% from three and 79% from the free-throw line.
His 1.8 turnovers per game were a natural consequence of the amount of responsibility he carried, while his 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio shows that the risk remained manageable.
More importantly, he produced in an environment that regularly tested him against the best teams in European basketball. David DeJulius faced Real Madrid, Barcelona, Baskonia, Valencia and other high-level Liga Endesa opponents while carrying a major offensive workload.
That is an important distinction when evaluating his return to the EuroLeague. He does not need to prove that his game works against elite European competition from scratch. He has already shown that it can.
An aggressive pick-and-roll creator
DeJulius’ offensive game starts with aggression. He is a scorer-first creator who constantly looks to create an advantage rather than simply use the pick-and-roll to organize the offense. His dribbling allows him to change direction and pace, while his first instinct is usually to attack downhill.
Once he gets into the paint, he has several ways to finish. He can attack the rim directly, create for a teammate or use one of the most recognizable parts of his offensive game: his one-foot floater.
For a guard standing at 1.83 meters, the floater is more than a change-of-pace option. It is a practical weapon that allows him to attack the paint without always having to challenge bigger rim protectors directly at the basket.
David DeJulius can release the shot before a big defender gets into position, giving him a reliable way to finish possessions around the paint. His ability to consistently generate paint touches is also reflected in his shot profile, with 48% shooting in the paint in the FIBA Europe Cup.
At the same time, he is not dependent on the floater. When the lane opens, DeJulius is aggressive enough to go all the way to the rim.
His ability to attack space also remains valuable when the ball leaves his hands. DeJulius is not a static guard who becomes a spectator once another teammate controls the possession. He can recognize open space, cut into gaps and receive the ball for high-percentage finishes.
Pull-up shooting makes him difficult to scheme against
The other major component of DeJulius’ offensive game is his shooting. His 38% from three in the Liga Endesa last season is particularly valuable because he can create those attempts himself. He is comfortable pulling up from behind the arc after attacking off the dribble rather than relying exclusively on catch-and-shoot opportunities.
His shot profile further underlines the importance of the three-pointer. In the FIBA Europe Cup, 42.7% of his field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc, showing that perimeter shooting is a significant part of how he creates his offense.
That creates an important dilemma for defenders. If they give him space coming off a screen, he can rise for a three. If they play higher to take away the shot, he can attack the gap and get downhill.
The combination of penetration, floater and pull-up shooting gives DeJulius multiple answers within the same possession.
It also explains why his scoring production in Murcia was not simply the result of volume. He was able to generate shots for himself in different ways while remaining capable of creating opportunities for teammates.
What translates to the EuroLeague – and what doesn’t
The biggest questions surrounding DeJulius are closely connected to his strengths.
His aggressive style naturally carries some risk. He wants the ball, attacks constantly and operates with significant responsibility, meaning turnovers will occasionally follow. His 1.8 turnovers per game in Murcia are not alarming given his role, but the number could become more relevant when defensive pressure increases at the EuroLeague level.
His size is another obvious consideration. At 1.83 meters, DeJulius will face bigger and more physical defenders than he did in many domestic matchups. Opponents will have more opportunities to pressure him, switch bigger players onto him and make finishing around the basket more difficult.
That is precisely where his development in Spain becomes important.
The floater, pull-up shooting and ability to create separation are not accidental additions to his game. They are tools that allow him to compensate for a physical disadvantage that will remain part of his profile.
Defensively, there is less evidence to suggest that this will be a defining strength of his game. He can provide a solid contribution on that end and has shown the ability to generate steals, but his defensive rebounding and overall defensive impact leave room for improvement.
That does not make him a liability by definition. It simply means that his value is likely to be driven primarily by how consistently he can create advantages on offense while remaining reliable enough defensively.
Final verdict
David DeJulius arrives at Besiktas with a much more developed offensive identity than the one he had during his first EuroLeague experience.
He is an aggressive, scorer-first creator who thrives with the ball in his hands, uses the pick-and-roll to attack downhill and can finish with a rim attack, his trademark floater or a pull-up three.
His time with Murcia also demonstrated that this style can work against elite European competition. He was not simply producing against weaker opposition; he was carrying a major role against the strongest teams in Spain.
That makes his return to the EuroLeague different from his first opportunity with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
DeJulius has already experienced the level, discovered what it demands and then spent a season proving that he can be the offensive engine of a high-level European team.
Now, Besiktas gives him the opportunity to show that the lessons from his first EuroLeague experience have turned him into a player capable of making a much bigger impact the second time around.
