ZARAGOZA (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - There are a lot of reasons for New Zealanders to be tracking Isaac Fotu, one of the country's best and most famous basketball players.

For starters, the laid-back Fotu off the court is rapidly becoming one of the best players on it in Spain's Liga Endesa with Tecnyconta Zaragoza in just his second full season with the Aragon club.

He's averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds through the first four games and shooting almost 60 percent (23 of 59) inside the arc.

Another cause for excitement is that Fotu is only 22 years of age. He is at the start of a career that is full of promise. Yet with a young Zaragoza side, he is now one of the more experienced players.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Kiwis to be excited about Fotu is the maturity that is finding its way not only into his play, but his words. The 2.03m forward is cognizant of his strengths and understands his role, especially now that Zaragoza need him to be a leader. And more than anything, he wants to win.

"I don't care about how many points I score. What I want is to win the maximum number of games during the season. That mentality is what is allowing me to play well." - Fotu

New Zealand also need Fotu to be a leader. If he can do it with Zaragoza, there's no reason why he can't do the same for his country.

Only can only wonder how this summer might have turned out had Fotu not pulled up lame in the Tall Blacks' game against Canada at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Manila. The injury forced him out of the Semi-Final after nine minutes, a real hammer blow to his team's chances.

New Zealand dug deep and kept the game close but Canada did enough to win the game.

Fotu has put that disappointment behind him and returned to Spain with renewed determination and commitment. The statistics are irrelevant for him. He only wants to win.

"I don't care about how many points I score," he said after a recent game for Zaragoza. "What I want is to win the maximum number of games during the season. That mentality is what is allowing me to play well."

Fotu has gotten better and better in each of the past five years, including when he played for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in American college basketball. He was outstanding at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014, helping New Zealand advance to the Round of 16 by averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds in their two pivotal victories over Ukraine and Finland.

When he shows up for national team duty at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, expect to see a Fotu playing as well as he ever has.

FIBA