By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
With some big names missing from this season’s EuroCup due to the absence of Russian clubs, there might be a sense that the competition is not as strong. This perspective changes quickly, however, by carefully looking at the teams that will compete for a spot in the EuroCup Final and a ticket to next season’s Turkish EuroLeague.
At least half of the EuroCup’s 20 teams can aspire to go all the way. Meanwhile, the single-elimination playoffs format, after just one season, has already taught us to expect the unexpected. Some familiar clubs with EuroLeague experience are present in this edition of the competition, but we also find teams in places that you wouldn’t expect, like London and Paris.
Still, there’s a pecking order, which at the moment seems to be the following.
20. Dolomiti Energia Trento
Coach Lele Molin has been an assistant to legends like Zeljko Obradovic and Ettore Messina, who still respect and love him. He has veterans like Trent Lockett, who was part of the Trento team which made it to the 2016 EuroCup Semifinals, and Drew Crawford, plus Real Madrid prospect Matteo Spagnolo. Still, Trento finished the EuroCup season last year with a 1-15 record.
19. Paris Basketball
Kyle Allman, Juhann Begarin, former Olympiacos and Zalgiris forward Axel Toupane, and the 46th pick of the latest NBA draft, Ismael Kamagate. This is a very, very interesting team in a very, very interesting market, as in the case of London. Add to the mix head coach Will Weaver, a former Houston Rockets assistant who is coaching in Europe for the first time and has past experience in Australia. In theory, they should be competitive, but the 0-4 start in the French league forces us to be careful.
18. Slask Wroclaw
Last season’s Polish League champions made it to the EuroCup Eighthfinals despite a 3-13 record due to the withdrawal of the Russian teams. Are they better this year? The answer is maybe, thanks to former Joventut and Andorra player Conor Morgan and to veteran big man Artsiom Parakhouski. Are they enough for Slask to make another trip to the first elimination round? That remains to be seen.
17. Veolia Towers Hamburg
In theory, Hamburg can build on their 6-10 campaign last season and make a step forward this year. Everyone will be watching them – also for the progress of Slovenian 21-years old guard Ziga Samar – however, you can’t really bet on them for something more than making it to the eighthfinals, at least now. Only two players, Seth Hinrichs and Lukas Meisner, return from last season’s roster.
16. 7Bet Lietkabelis Paneverzys
They did make it to the first elimination round last year with a solid 9-7 record against bigger competition. So why are they not ranked higher? Because they lost Gediminas Orelik (15.4 ppg), Panagiotis Kalaitzakis (13 ppg), and Djordje Gagic (10.8), their three top scorers. EuroCup rookie Jamel Morris and former Barcelona and ALBA Berlin guard Stefan Peno will have to replace them, but it will not be easy.