Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Doron Perkins has always been a guy who can score. The 6-foot-2 guard from Anchorage has the explosiveness to get to the rim in traffic, by either going around opponents or over them.

He averaged double figures in each of his first four professional seasons and was good for 17 points per game last year for Euroleague member Maccabi Haifa of Israel.

Now with Israeli super power Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, Perkins apparently has changed roles.

Perkins, of Bartlett High fame, has seemingly been asked to make an impact on the defensive end, because he’s guarding the other team’s top scorers of most nights. It’s no surprise given he earned the title of the “King of Steals” while playing professionally in Belgium.

“Defense won our Euroleague games this season,” Perkins told the Haaretz Newspaper in Israel.

Despite getting just 17 minutes of playing time per outing, the Alaskan is averaging 8 points (with a season high of 11), 3 rebounds (7), 3 assists (6) and 1 steal in the uber-competitive Euroleague. He’s also shooting 75 percent on field goals inside the 3-point line, meaning his driving game is in overdrive.

More importantly, he has helped steer Maccabi Electra into first place in the Euroleague’s Group C standings with a 4-1 record entering tonight’s game against Slovenian national champion Union Olimpija.

“If we keep guarding like we know how to do and fight for rebounds,” Perkins said, “we can win even though the Slovenians have really improved.”

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