By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
This week we have Manuel Moreno, the former long-time EuroLeague writer for Sport newspaper in Spain; Matjaz Smodis, three-time EuroLeague champion and Euroleague Basketball Legend; Massimo Oriani of Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport; Bugra Uzar, Chief Editor, Eurohoops Turkey; and Frankie Sachs, Editor at Euroleague.net. Check out their opinions on three questions about the competition.
1. Who among this season’s players would you want to take the last shot in a tie game?
Manuel Moreno
Juan Carlos Navarro and Vassilis Spanoulis have been my favorites for the last shot for many years, but the injury of Spanoulis and the evident decrease in performance by Navarro discard them from the current list. That’s why if I were his coach I would design my last play for Luka Doncic, despite his 18 years of age, or maybe Nando De Colo. I think they are the two most secure values right now. But as Sasha Djordjevic once told me, the difference between a Yugoslav player and the rest is that the Yugoslav always wants the ball for the last shot, while the others hide so they are not seen in hot moments. And that’s because, besides quality, to score the last shot you need determination and the will to be a protagonist.
Matjaz Smodis
The caveat here is that the player I would select, Sergio Llull, has been injured all season. There are plenty more players out there now who can make that big shot, too, but I’ll choose a guy who surely wants to take it: Sergio Rodriguez of CSKA. In those end-of-game situations, confidence is half the battle. Sergio can dribble out of trouble, create his own shot, step back for longer range, if needed, shoot on the dead run, spot up. All of those are potentially needed in a chaotic final-shot situation. Not only would Sergio want that responsibility, but he never gets nervous with the ball in his hands.
Massimo Oriani
Since Larry Bird is not available, the player I’d love to take the last shot for my team would definitely be Nando De Colo of CSKA Moscow. Last year I’d have answered Milos Teodosic, but the Frenchman is a worthy heir to the throne. He has an uncanny ability to create off the dribble or use the screens to find space for his jumper. And, if need be, he can always dish to an open teammate. But I’d rather have Nando, clutch as they come, with the ball in his hands looking for the game-winner. Honorable mention for Alexey Shved of CSKA’s neighbor Khimki, because of his seemingly unlimited shooting range, as he put on display in an amazing way during his team’s Round 11 win in Milan.
Bugra Uzar
Alexey Shved. After performing spectacularly as Russia’s leader at EuroBasket, Shved managed to carry his high level of performance into the EuroLeague, too. Khimki Moscow Region is one of the most intimidating teams in the EuroLeague right now, despite its tough schedule, and Shved has certainly played the biggest part in this. The Russian star is a very cold-blooded player – it’s his nature – so he always keeps his calm no matter what the situation is and what he is doing on the court. This is one of the most important features that the player you want to take the last shot can have. This season, he has made many crucial shots and this shows just how clutch he is.
Frankie Sachs
From what I have seen of Luka Doncic, there is nothing he cannot do. At times it appears his tale is destined to have a fairytale ending, with Doncic burying the game-winning shot as time expires. There are many great talents in the EuroLeague who I would trust to take the last shot for my team. In addition to his winning character and superb shooting, Doncic has shown not only that he can break down defenses for his own shot, but if double- or triple-teamed, he will get the ball into the hands of the open man. That’s who I want holding the ball with the game on the line.
2. What team, more than any other, is better than its record shows?
Manuel Moreno
Fenerbahce, no doubt. All of Zeljko Obradovic‘s teams have a special character to them and a specific way to understand the game. He has lost Udoh and Bogdanovic to the NBA, while Wanamaker, Guduric, Thompson and Melli have stepped in. However, the defending champs are still Obradovic‘s team and he is the only coach to win this competition with five different clubs. Last week, the Turkish team lectured FC Barcelona Lassa after overcoming a slow start with mental strength. The names are less important than the game philosophy and Fenerbahce has it in spades.
Matjaz Smodis
Well, technically speaking, Real Madrid is a “losing team” right now, with more defeats than victories, and that is certainly no way to describe them when they are at full strength. How soon that will change no one knows, but even when just a couple players come back, Madrid will rise again. Remember, before injuries practically erased its frontcourt, Madrid was one of the last two undefeated teams and had beaten one of the current first-place teams, my old club CSKA Moscow, easily at home. For the last month, we have not seen the “real Real”, but you can’t keep a good team down and I think Madrid has more margin to jump much higher than any other team.
Massimo Oriani
Call me a homer, but I think AX Milan is better than its 3-8 record shows. They lost their top scorer and one of Euroleague’s best offensive guards in Andrew Goudelock, and his absence might have cost them a couple of games, like the losses in Istanbul against Efes or at home against Khimki. Curtis Jerrells, a late acquisition, has been forced into action because of Goudelock’s injury, but is struggling as of late since he’s been asked to take on a much bigger role than expected. Coach Simone Pianigiani wanted to ease him into the offense, but was forced to accelerate the process. At full strength, Milan can string together a few wins and get back in the playoff race.
Bugra Uzar
At the beginning of the season, Real Madrid was one of strongest candidates to make the Final Four. Nobody could have predicted their current position in the standings. Of course, they had to deal with many injury problems this season. Moreover, the players who suffered those injuries, such as Sergio Llull, Gustavo Ayon and Anthony Randolph, have crucial roles on the team. So, naturally, this affected them in a negative way. Still, they had some unexpected losses and they are not in a good spot right now. However, they still have many quality players, especially Luka Doncic. When Walter Tavares settles into the team, they will surely get better.
Frankie Sachs
FC Barcelona Lassa has only won four games so far this season… and it has won each of them by at least 18 points. One might expect that those wins would be against weak competition, but in fact three of them have been against the top six teams in the standings, including co-leader Olympiacos. Of course there is still much improvement needed for Barcelona, which has yet to win on the road. However, the team has as strong a bench as there is in the league with former All-EuroLeague center Ante Tomic, sweet shooting Petteri Koponen and rookie playmaker Flip Pressey. When it all comes together, Barcelona has quite a talented group.
3. What player is the “unsung hero” of the season so far?
Manuel Moreno
Even if it’s more and more complicated to surprise in elite basketball because the big names are defending their protagonism game after game, there are always players who perform better than expected. Even if I knew about the possibilities that Luka Doncic offered, I did not expect that he would take on the leader role so soon and so well, but the player who has surprised me the most after 11 rounds has been big man Nikola Milutinov. He arrived to Olympiacos from Partizan in 2015 when he was barely 20, and he has gone from being almost anonymous to being a hero in no time. He has been a starter all 11 games and his 95 points, 59 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 blocks make him a reality. Milutinov may not have the charisma of other players yet, but there are no rivals who do not respect him already, because of his size and his game vision.
Matjaz Smodis
I’m going to go with Alex Tyus here. Maccabi‘s turnaround is a big story. They are sitting in fourth place as we get closer to the halfway point in the season. There’s no telling if that will continue, but that team is certainly back from its troubles the last couple of years, and I think Tyus has been the key. He brings that experience from winning the title with Maccabi in 2014, plus he’s a top-five player in rebounds and blocks despite coming off the bench in every game. Everyone knows Maccabi will always score, but whenever he is in there with his defensive presence, this team is a lot better, and as the standings show, one of the best teams in the competition.
Massimo Oriani
Olympiacos has the best record in the Euroleague after 11 games, 9-2, alongside CSKA Moscow despite the fact that Vassilis Spanoulis has only played one game due to injury. In his absence, Kostas Papanikolaou has stepped up to the tune of 7.8 points and 2.7 assists per game. In Round 10 he was by far the best player on the court in Olympiacos‘s dominant win versus Valencia. In the last three games, he has always scored in double figures and his efficiency rating has grown steadily (14, 16, 22). He held down the fort and waited for his general to return, something that took place last week against Real Madrid. Great job, deserving of the unsung hero title.
Bugra Uzar
Last season was an adjustment season for James Nunnally. He learned Zeljko Obradovic‘s system and how to become productive in that system. And this year, he is playing amazing basketball on both ends of the court. His three-point percentage is off the charts and he has become a reliable defender. After Bogdan Bogdanovic left the team and in the absence of Nikola Kalinic, Nunnally‘s role has become even more important for Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul and, so far, he has fulfilled his task. I am particularly impressed with his improvement on defense. Everyone knew that he was a talented scorer, but right now he is also a solid defender. Fenerbahce and Coach Obradovic are definitely enjoying it.
Frankie Sachs
Much of the credit for Zalgiris Kaunas’s strong start to the season often goes to Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and veteran big man Paulius Jankunas, but Kevin Pangos has been as important as anyone for the team’s winning record thus far. In fact, he in many ways is the difference between wins and losses. Pangos has been worth 14.2 points on 60% three-point shooting and a performance index rating of 14.3 in Zalgiris victories, compared to 9.2 points on 34.6% three-point shooting and a PIR of 8.6 in defeats. He has raised his numbers in every major statistical category between his debut campaign a season ago and the current one and in doing so has turned Zalgiris into an upper echelon force.