By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
After three weeks of action in Top16 only one team is still unbeaten! Fenerbahce Istanbul has a 3-0 record and no one else is safe as you can see in the standings!
Yes it was a week of big upsets and great results which will be remembered for many things. However this guy is among the main responsibles for keeping the Turks perfect!
MVP: Bogdan Bogdanovic
His Twitter nickname is “Leader Of Horde”. Now perhaps he uses that because he is a fan of the videogame Warcraft, but against Lokomotiv Kuban, the Serbian shooting guard was a true general on court. With Fenerbahce facing lots of problems against the well read defense of the Russians, Bogdanovic used his endless offensive talent to score buckets, but, most importantly, he showed big leadership skills when it mattered the most for the Turkish team. He scored 18 points, dished 5 assists and gave lots of defensive helps, with key steals.
Best Five
- Stefan Jovic: He was flirting with a triple double in one of the hardest gym to play in Europe. The point guard of Crvena Zvezda registered 9 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in the win against Panathinaikos. Yes, he also had 4 turnovers, but he was the man dictating the pace…
- Bogdan Bogdanovic: The Suns must be happy to have him drafted…
- Cory Higgins: He is one of the unsung heroes of CSKA Moscow so far in the season and he had the chance to prove it in the win against Barcelona. He finished the game with 20 points and 5 rebounds, setting the tone from the first quarter and giving a hand wherever was needed.
- Felipe Reyes: Once more the captain was solid! That means a career high with 24 points on 8/12 FG, 2/2 three pointers and 5 rebounds. He was the one who kept feisty Zalgiris at a distance and helped Real Madrid avoid a disaster by sealing the win with 2/2 free throws, 24 seconds before the end.
- James Augustin: He dominated the paint with 22 points (9/12 FG) and 8 rebounds against the mighty front line of Laboral Kutxa. For sure Khimki had many stand outs in this win, but Augustin, who is operating in the shadow of a crowded back court, deserves all the credit.
Best losing performance: Victor Claver
As the season progresses it is becoming more and more obvious that Lokomotiv Kuban “struck gold” with this signing. The Spanish power forward is reborn in the hands of coach Bartzokas and his game against Fenerbahce, and a really athletic frontline duo, was another proof of that. One of the reasons that Loko came so close to a big road win, was Claver’s output on both ends of court, with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. His 5/5 3pointers frustrated coach Obradovic and reminded us of his Valencia days.
Coach Of The Week: Dejan Radonic
It is only fitting that we dedicate our…. unofficial award to Crvena Zvezda‘s coach. After excellently recognizing, and reading, all inconsistencies in Panathinaikos‘ defense, the Montenegrin coach gave creative roles to all of his players, ordering them to pass the ball quickly after the pick n’ roll was set. This cut the, already problematic, defense of the Greens’ in half and was half the victory for Red Star.
The biggest win: Brose Baskets
Look what’s going on in Freak City! The team which never won in Top16, has already a 2-1 record and also beat a powerhouse like Olympiacos on the road. Can it get any better? Coach Trinchieri said at half time, when his team had a 49-26 lead: “It’s going to rain and I just hope we have the right umbrella”. As it turned out, Brose Baskets survived the downpour as Olympiacos made it a two points game (74-72) and got the biggest win of its Euroleague history (77-72)!
The explosion: Unicaja Malaga
Yes, Unicaja is more than solid this year, but nobody expected that against a battle tested opponent like Cedevita things will get to be that easy! The 90-67 win proves once more that this time Unicaja will not yield with ease in the play offs race. After all, if the Spaniards will not be a part of Euroleague next season, they have an extra motive to leave the best possible impression.
Last word: The 100 celebration
It was a special night for Thomas Heurtel as he completed 100 Euroleague games. He celebrated it by proving once again his play making ability by dishing 10 assists and making just one turnover in the win of Anadolu Efes over Dogus Darussafaka. Being 27 years old, he is just entering his primes and he is already flirting with the throne of the best play maker in Euroleague…