Liam O’Reilly shines in Poland after disappointing Saint-Quentin stint
38 points and a big smile for Liam O Reilly Photo credit PGE Start Lublin
Basketball sometimes reserves surprising trajectories for its players. Arriving last summer at Saint-Quentin with a solid reputation as a scorer, American Liam O’Reilly (1.88m, 29 years old) never managed to find his rhythm under Philippe Da Silva‘s guidance. Deemed too quiet and lacking impact, he was released by the Picardy club after a muted start to the season.
A few months later, the change of scenery is radical. Back on his favorite hunting grounds in Poland, the point guard-shooting guard has become an unstoppable scoring machine again.
From Saint-Quentin struggles to Polish dominance
Since his return to Start Lublin in late November, O’Reilly seems to have rediscovered his superpowers. The player who was the top scorer in the ORLEN Basket League (OBL) during the 2023-2024 season (21 points average) has proven he hasn’t lost any of his offensive talent.
During the 20th round of the championship on Sunday, he delivered a historic performance to carry his team to victory against Czarni (101-96). In 30 minutes, the former Saint-Quentin player compiled stratospheric statistics, logically earning him the MVP title for the 20th round of ORLEN Basket Liga.
« I love playing in this league. I’ve traveled to many places, but it’s in Poland that I have my best statistics. Lublin is a special place for me, » confided the player, moved by the « MVP » chants from the stands.
Record-breaking performance highlights transformation
Unstoppable, O’Reilly established a new scoring record for the current season, surpassing his previous high of 26 points twice. Here are the details of his XXL performance: 38 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 39 efficiency rating, and 5/10 shooting from 3-points (9/9 from free throws).
While Liam O’Reilly has always had « a killer instinct » around the basket, his coach at Lublin, Wojciech Kamiński, highlights progression in his game. Unlike his previous stint where he could focus solely on scoring, he now must assume more responsibilities in organizing the offense. This versatility at positions 1 and 2 seems to be paying off, with current averages of 18.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, making him the third-best scorer in the Polish league.
Lublin currently sits 13th (7 wins, 13 losses) out of 16 teams in the championship, with the Texan serving as his team’s statistical leader. The contrast is striking with his statistics in Saint-Quentin‘s jersey, where he seemed constrained by the system or the level of Betclic ELITE.
It appears Liam O’Reilly has truly found his « promised land » on Polish courts, where his creativity and long-range shooting can be expressed without limits.
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