By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
With only one team having a perfect record, it’s only natural that one of the biggest jumps in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Power Rankings belongs to the only unbeaten team, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
Status, momentum, form, and the importance of the results so far were once again the main criteria for ranking the 18 teams.
Without further ado, here are the rankings:
#18 FC BAYERN MUNICH
Previous ranking: tied for ninth (-9)
Record: 0-5
At home: 0-3
Away: 0-2
Offense-Defense ppg.: 70.2-77
Five games, five defeats, five times Bayern has failed to present some signs of its playoff-qualifying team that made it to the post-season in both of the last two years. It had its chance against Crvena Zvezda (78-72 R5) in Belgrade to avoid being the only team without a win and now everyone is wondering when the first “W” will come.
#17 CRVENA ZVEZDA MTS BELGRADE
Previous ranking: 14 (-3)
Record: 1-4
At home: 1-1
Away: 0-3
Offense-Defense ppg.: 68.6-77
Crvena Zvezda had to wait until Round 5 to celebrate its first victory (vs. Bayern Munich, 78-72), and, based on its performances so far, it could have waited even longer. The signing of Luka Vildoza has eased the problems on the offensive end, but Zvezda still has a lot to sort out.
#16 PANATHINAIKOS ATHENS
Previous ranking: 11 (-5)
Record: 1-4
At home: 0-2
Away: 1-2
Offense-Defense ppg.: 72.8-81.6
Panathinaikos hoped that the new season would be different from the last two. However, the team’s performances and the results in the first five games, even at OAKA, are not signs of improvement. The return of Nate Walters from injury and the signing of Dwayne Bacon may revive that hope.
#15 LDLC ASVEL VILLEURBANNE
Previous ranking: tied for 16th (+1)
Record: 2-3
At home: 1-1
Away: 1-2
Offense-Defense ppg.: 71.6-75.6
After losing by 21 (at Fenerbahce, 84-63) and 19 points (at Maccabi, 88-69), ASVEL won by 26 (against Baskonia, 87-61) last week, erasing doubts about its true potential. Now the question is consistency, for which Alex Tyus is asked to contribute as the replacement for injured Joffrey Lauvergne, who is sidelined after suffering an ACL rupture in his right knee.
#14 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
Previous ranking: tied for 16th (+2)
Record: 2-3
At home: 2-0
Away: 0-3
Offense-Defense ppg.: 76-79.6
Zalgiris has not yet managed to find the missing ingredient for a win away from Kaunas, but it has defeated Virtus Segafredo Bologna and FC Barcelona at home. However, despite having only two wins, the team has been competitive in defeats and seems on course to get even better.
#13 VIRTUS SEGAFREDO BOLOGNA
Previous ranking: tied for ninth (-4)
Record: 2-3
At home: 1-1
Away: 1-2
Offense-Defense ppg.: 70.8-79
Virtus had just one win in the first four games with a team-high 66 points coming in a narrow victory over Bayern in Round 2 before erupting for 95 to get past Real Madrid in Round 5. Is this is going to be the rule from now on or it was just an exception? It will be seen soon when Toko Sengelia enters the rotation as well.
#12 PARTIZAN MOZZART BET BELGRADE
Previous ranking: 12 (-)
Record: 2-3
At home: 2-1
Away: 0-2
Offense-Defense ppg.: 86.4-84.2
Three consecutive games in Belgrade allowed Partizan to find the right momentum in the EuroLeague, along with a couple of badly needed wins (vs. Virtus in Round 4 and Zalgiris in Round 5). Now the team will be tested in Greece at OAKA (Nov. 3) and Peace and Friendship Stadium (Nov. 11) and needs to demonstrate the spirit infused by nine-time EuroLeague champion, Coach Zeljko Obradovic.
#11 VALENCIA BASKET
Previous ranking: 13 (+2)
Record: 2-3
At home: 1-2
Away: 1-1
Offense-Defense ppg.: 80.6-80.2
The wins on the road against the two-time defending champion Anadolu Efes in Round 3 and over previously undefeated ALBA in Round 5, combined with the two defeats decided by one shot reveal the character of Valencia. Ambitious, combative, and an opponent not to be underestimated.
#10 CAZOO BASKONIA VITORIA-GASTEIZ
Previous ranking: 15 (+5)
Record: 3-2
At home: 2-1
Away: 1-1
Offense-Defense ppg.: 85.8-85.2
Baskonia is one of the most pleasant surprises in the league so far. It’s not just the wins they already have, it’s the way they got them. It remains to be seen if they can remain consistent after results such as the recent loss to ASVEL.
#9 ALBA BERLIN
Previous ranking: tied for 16th (+7)
Record: 3-2
At home: 2-0
Away: 2-1
Offense-Defense ppg.: 84.2-77.6
ALBA Berlin has always been one of the most fun-to-watch teams in the EuroLeague and now it has the results to prove its worth. It has already recorded impressive victories such as those over Partizan (100-85 in Round 1) and Panathinaikos (94-65 in Round 3) in Berlin, as well as a road triumph in Milan (74-80 in Round 2).
#8 REAL MADRID
Previous ranking: tied for second (-6)
Record: 2-3
At home: 1-2
Away: 1-1
Offense-Defense ppg.: 78.8-76.6
Perhaps the most underachieving team so far, Real Madrid has not managed to show not even a bit of its real self. And it needs to do so quickly or it will continue to lose places in the rankings. Until then, it must be noted that so far Los Blancos have beaten only Panathinaikos (68-71 in Round 1) and Crvena Zvezda (72-56 in Round 4).
#7 ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
Previous ranking: 1 (-6)
Record: 2-3
At home: 2-2
Away: 0-1
Offense-Defense ppg.: 82.4-81.6
No one should have expected that Efes would have a losing record in the first five games, not after back-to-back championships, but in the EuroLeague, you must expect the unexpected. It may sound like an exaggeration for a team with this roster, but the absence of the injured Shane Larkin is a big issue.
#6 EA7 EMPORIO ARMANI MILAN
Previous ranking: tied for fourth (-2)
Record: 3-2
At home: 0-1
Away: 3-1
Offense-Defense ppg.: 72.4-74.4
Milan belongs to the group of teams that started with really high expectations but have so far performed lower than expected. The only relief is that they have played four games away from Milan, but not when it comes to defeats like the recent one in Barcelona (74-56). Surprisingly, Milan was also defeated in its only home game (vs. ALBA 74-80 in Round 2).