By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
This week’s panel includes Dusko Savanovic, former All-EuroLeague selection and last spring’s Final Four Ambassador; Manuel Moreno, the former long-time EuroLeague writer for Sport newspaper in Spain; Massimo Oriani of Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport; Semih Tuna, editor of Eurohoops Turkish edition; and Igor Petrinovic, Editor at Euroleague.net. Check out their opinions on three key questions before Round 20 of the regular season!
1. Which team in the top eight will have the hardest time staying there and making the playoffs?
Dusko Savanovic
Probably at this point it looks like FC Bayern Munich is the team that is not playing on the level of what they were supposed to play, at least in my eyes. I think that Coach Dejan Radonjic selected a great team. It’s well organized and well coached, but somehow, it seems like they have inexplicable ups and downs in their game.
Manuel Moreno
Even if anything can happen in such a close and spectacular competition as the EuroLeague – as the Buducnost win against Madrid proves – we must think that from the eight top teams at the moment, four of them – Fenerbahce, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow and Anadolu Efes – already have a spot in the playoffs. Therefore, it’s the others that will have to push hard in the 11 remaining rounds to be in the next stage: Olympiacos (12-7), Barcelona (11-8), Baskonia (9-10) and Bayern (9-10). These last two have the most chances to miss their berth. Baskonia has something going for it, with seven home games and only four on the road, while Bayern has those numbers reversed. It doesn’t look to good for the German team, as Bayern also has to host Fenerbahce, Maccabi and Barcelona. The game in Vitoria between Baskonia and Bayern will be crucial.
Massimo Oriani
FC Bayern Munich has done an amazing job in its first season back in the top-tier competition, but now faces an uphill climb. The next four games will see the Germans face Khimki in Moscow (always tough to face a team that has just changed coaches); Fenerbahce at home; and then Baskonia and Real Madrid on the road. Considering how tight the group of teams battling for a playoffs spot is – seven teams within two wins of each other – losing a couple of games will make it very difficult to make up ground as many of those same teams will play each other.
Semih Tuna
I think the first six teams will preserve their places regardless of the order, including Barcelona. There’s a real competition for the seventh and eighth spots. Despite injuries, Coach Velimir Perasovic has created a new atmosphere at Baskonia, getting the best out of his players, who are still on track even though they face several difficulties. The Final Four taking place there is also another motivation for them. Bayern, although not considered among the playoff candidates in the very beginning of the season, is doing great but has a tough schedule and is a step behind the other teams in terms of talent.
Igor Petrinovic
I think it is Bayern, and for two simple reasons. They and Baskonia hold the last two last playoffs spots now, with 9-10 records, but Bayern plays seven of its last 11 games on the road.