The Basketball Champions League free-throw kings of Tenerife

2021-02-12T14:48:59+00:00 2021-02-12T14:48:59+00:00.

Giannis Askounis

12/Feb/21 14:48

Eurohoops.net

Teams lining up for the Basketball Champions League playoffs and additional free throws

By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net

The line often called charity stripe can be the difference between a win and loss. Making the most out of the opportunities for free points in the highly anticipated Basketball Champions League playoffs with Final 8 berths awaiting can go a long way for all 16 participating teams. Eurohoops attempts a look at what it took in the Regular Season for the advancing sides.

Lenovo Tenerife packs a league-leading 86.3%. The Spanish club, a BCL regular, went for 76.4% last season, 76.3% in 2018-19, 77.6% in 2017-18, and 76.7% in 2016-17. A fast view marks a large improvement in the current squad, while a closer look displays Tenerife the second-best free throw team of the 2016-17 season which played its part in landing the inaugural title. Txus Vidorreta’s side is certainly looking to return to the top and sinking free throws at this rate can prove a key for success.

The largest contribution up to this point comes from Giorgi Shermadini and his 19/20 free throws. Sasu Salin sank 11, Fran Guerra and Tyler Cavanaugh ten each.

TEAM FT %
Lenovo Tenerife 86.3
Happy Casa Brindisi 84.3
Dinamo Sassari 78.7
Hapoel Unet-Credit Holon 77.5
Tofas Bursa 76.5

Happy Casa Brindisi ranks second in the percentage table but holds first place in foul shots made with 118. Below, the five progressed teams with the most successful free throws in the Regular Season.

TEAM FT
Happy Casa Brindisi 118/140
ERA Nymburk 106/146
Hapoel Unet-Credit Holon 100/129
Igokea 97/133
Dinamo Sassari 96/122

Similar to the first group stage, a six-game round-robin schedule is up instead of the traditional playoffs. Action resuming in March will eventually generate the Final 8 field featuring the top two teams of each playoffs group. The format was adjusted to provide the best conditions for the 16 teams looking to further extend their run in FIBA’s premier club continental competition.

Group-by-group free throw list

Diving in the free throw theme by ranking the teams of the playoffs groups according to their efforts from 4.6 meters. It’s early for predictions regarding the Final 8 participants but pundits may argue that the free throws lists can ultimately largely correspond to the final standings planned to best set on April 7.

Group I

Happy Casa Brindisi and Hapoel Unet-Credit Holon rise over Tofas Bursa and Pinar Karsiyaka. Both Turkish teams exiting is a bold prediction but the Italian and Israeli outlets will take that bet.

TEAM FT FT%
Happy Casa Brindisi 118/140 84.3
Hapoel Unet-Credit Holon 100/129 77.5
Tofas Bursa 78/102 76.5
Pinar Karsiyaka 70/94 74.5

Group J

Lenovo Tenerife and Hereda San Pablo Burgos are considered favorites and also top VEF Riga and Igokea in the free throw percentage so far. Free throws made bumps Igokea on top. The Bosnian side will need to up its game overall in order to sneak in the final stage of the 2020-21 campaign.

TEAM FT FT%
Lenovo Tenerife 82/95 86.3
Hereda San Pablo Burgos 77/103 74.8
VEF Riga 74/101 73.3
Igokea 97/133 72.9

Group K

On paper, AEK and Turk Telekom look stronger than SIG Strasbourg and Nizhny Novgorod. Foul shots in the Regular Season illustrate the same exact picture.

TEAM FT FT%
AEK 94/129 72.9
Turk Telekom 83/118 70.3
SIG Strasbourg 59/92 64.1
Nizhny Novgorod 42/66 63.6

Group L

Dinamo Sassari and Brose Bamberg lead in free throw percentage, while ERA Nymburk replaces the German club as focus shifts to the free shots sank. Despite missing out on both views, Casademont Zaragoza undoubtedly will make a strong case to qualify.

TEAM FT FT%
Dinamo Sassari 96/122 78.7
Brose Bamberg 76/101 75.2
ERA Nymburk 106/146 72.6
Casademont Zaragoza 81/122 66.4

Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League

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