By Melikşah Bayrav / info@eurohoops.net
We’ve now reached the most critical stretch of the regular season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. With just two games remaining, we are witnessing an exceptionally intense battle for the top four, the Playoffs, and the Play-In Showdown at an unprecedented level.
Naturally, at this point in the season, every team is fighting hard to reach their goals. However, one team specifically has managed to stand out from the rest, thanks to the remarkable form they’ve shown in recent weeks.
As you might have guessed, that team is none other than Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
In fact, the 2024–25 EuroLeague season has been full of ups and downs for Efes. Especially during the stretch when team captain Shane Larkin was sidelined due to injury, Efes appeared to be one of the league’s most inconsistent teams on the court.
But since the national team break, that picture has completely changed. Just a month or two ago, even making the Play-In Showdown seemed like a long shot for Efes, yet they have now won six straight games and can even get homecourt advantage in one of the many end-of-season scenarios.
Right now, no team in the EuroLeague is hotter than Efes. Eurohoops takes a closer look at the key reasons behind the Turkish side’s recent surge.
1. The Captain’s return
First, we need to rewind the tape a bit. Shane Larkin, one of the greatest stars in EuroLeague history, was recently—and rightfully—named among the 25 best players in the history of the league.
Even though his team missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season last year, Larkin had one of the best individual seasons of his career. As a result, Anadolu Efes extended their captain’s contract for another four years after it expired in the summer of 2024.
Naturally, the expectations for Shane Larkin were to continue leading the team and to play a central role in Efes’s return to the playoffs. However, the American had an unlucky streak with injury problems during the season, which caused things to unfold differently than expected.
The star guard appeared in 21 of Efes’s 32 EuroLeague games this season. Moreover, injuries had a clear impact on his overall performance, which remained below the elite level we’ve come to expect from him.
It was obvious that Efes would not be able to achieve its goals this season without Larkin’s leadership. That’s why his return just before the most critical phase of the season has become a turning point for the remainder of Efes’s campaign.
The good news is that the star guard stepped up precisely when his team needed him most. After that string of injuries, Larkin now looks much healthier and more confident on the court. Unsurprisingly, this has been directly reflected in Efes’s recent results.
Larkin scored in double figures in five of the team’s last six wins. The only game in which he didn’t reach double digits was the home game against ALBA Berlin. But considering how early Efes built a comfortable lead in that game, it’s fair to say they Larkin’s scoring wasn’t needed that night.
Perhaps the most important aspect of Larkin’s return is his readiness to take responsibility in big games. Just two weeks ago, Anadolu Efes faced FC Bayern Munich—one of the toughest home teams in the EuroLeague—on the road. Larkin led his team to victory with a season-high 25 points, delivering a performance that arguably saved their season.
In a post-game interview with EuroLeague TV after the Bayern win, Larkin made it clear: “We’ve switched into playoff mode,” sending a strong message to the rest of the league.
2. The Addition of PJ Dozier
For Efes, the backcourt rotation was one of the biggest question marks, especially in the early stages of the season. With Larkin sidelined, Efes struggled to get consistent contributions from their guards.
Darius Thompson, who joined the team with high expectations a year ago and is now in his second season, hadn’t yet found his rhythm or defined role. Elijah Bryant, the most consistent player on the team since the beginning of the season, had to take on a new role as the main ball handler—something he hadn’t done previously in his career. While this shift was reflected positively in Bryant’s stats, it created issues in the overall role distribution within the backcourt.
One of the players most affected by this was Rodrigue Beaubois. A long-time contributor for Efes and traditionally a valuable secondary scorer, Beaubois had trouble consistently producing on offense. The state of the backcourt made it difficult for the French guard to find and settle into his role.
Considering that Efes also failed to get steady contributions from players like Justus Hollatz, Doğuş Özdemiroğlu, and Rıdvan Öncel, it became clear that the team needed one more piece in the backcourt. They required a player who could contribute to ball movement, provide an extra scoring threat, and enhance team defense—someone who could bring balance to the rotation.
That player turned out to be PJ Dozier. The American guard, who played for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade last season, had some consistency issues but remained one of the team’s core pieces throughout the year. After leaving Partizan in the summer to return to the NBA, Dozier found limited opportunities there and then took the option to restart his EuroLeague journey.
From the moment he joined, Dozier proved to be a perfect fit for Efes. Averaging 16 minutes per game, the American guard has made solid contributions in scoring, rebounding, and assisting off the bench. More importantly, with his 1.98-meter frame, Dozier has significantly elevated Efes’s on-ball defense.
Adding a “glue guy” like Dozier brought much-needed balance to Efes’s backcourt. Thompson—who had been a frequent subject of criticism since the start of the season—is now arguably going through the most consistent stretch of his Efes career. Beaubois, having rediscovered his role, is providing significant scoring off the ball. And Larkin is playing his best basketball of the season.
As a result, the addition of Dozier has had a direct and tangible impact on the course of Efes’s season.
3. A more well-defined rotation
One of the most talked-about issues for Efes from the beginning of the season has been the lack of contribution from key players in the rotation. Frankly, several of the summer signings who arrived with high expectations failed to deliver the impact that was hoped for.
At the forefront of this list are Jordan Nwora and Stanley Johnson. Johnson, who brought considerable NBA experience, was expected to play an important role in the rotation with his defensive capabilities and three-point shooting. However, his time at Efes fell well short of expectations.
The situation with Nwora was a bit different. Last season, the 26-year-old forward averaged a respectable 7.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with the Toronto Raptors. Given his production and age, he was expected to remain a solid rotational player in the NBA. So, when Nwora signed with Efes in the summer and came to the EuroLeague, it generated significant excitement among fans of the team.
Nevertheless, Nwora’s time with Efes has also been far below expectations. Tasked mainly with providing defense and knocking down open threes, he has struggled to adapt to this role. At times, Nwora has tried to take on responsibilities as one of the team’s primary creators—something that has disrupted the team’s offensive rhythm.
In recent weeks, however, we’ve seen Efes making some decisive calls in this regard. The team parted ways with Johnson during the season and Nwora’s minutes have been significantly reduced. Efes, which has now won six straight games in the EuroLeague, has trimmed its rotation down to about nine players.
At the small forward spot, Bryant has started to take over Nwora’s minutes. Earlier in the season—especially in Larkin’s absence—Bryant acted as the team’s primary ball handler. Now, he’s playing a more off-ball role, which has led to greater efficiency. This shift has also positively impacted his scoring average over the past six games.
Dozier’s arrival has further strengthened Coach Banchi’s hand. As mentioned, thanks to his 1.98-meter frame, athleticism, and physical edge, Dozier—though naturally a guard—can also slot in at the three. Most importantly, he doesn’t create defensive mismatches in that role, allowing Efes to keep a third ball handler on the floor without compromising their defensive structure.
At the four, Ercan Osmani and Rolands Smits are sharing minutes, while the five spot is covered by Vincent Poirier and Dan Oturu. As a result, Efes has become a much more balanced team in this second half of the season compared to the first.
Now, we can talk about Efes as a team with a clearly defined rotation. Moreover, the fact that players in the rotation have settled into their roles is directly reflected in the team’s performance on the court.
4- The Luca Banchi Effect
One of Efes’s biggest problems at the start of the season was that the team’s potential didn’t translate into winning basketball on the floor. This issue was one of the main reasons behind the mid-season coaching change when Tomislav Mijatovic returned to assistant coach duties and Luca Banchi took over as head coach.
Looking at the roster, Efes has been one of the most well-equipped teams in the EuroLeague when it comes to ball handlers since day one. Larkin is one of the most elite players in league history in terms of both playmaking and scoring threat. Thompson, as he showed during his time with Baskonia, is a high-level passer. And although Bryant is naturally a small forward, he possesses excellent ball-handling skills.
With this in mind, Efes was expected to be a high-tempo team that would share the ball well, attack the rim through its playmakers to force defensive switches, and generate open shot opportunities through extra passes. However, the team’s early-season performances fell far short of that vision.
Banchi, on the other hand, had already proven he could implement this kind of system—particularly with the Latvian national team. Latvia plays a highly efficient brand of basketball characterized by great ball movement, near-flawless off-ball motion, and elite shot creation from beyond the arc. Thanks to this style, the Latvian team is experiencing the best era in its basketball history. So naturally, expectations were high for Banchi to bring a similar influence to Efes.
Although his tenure at Efes got off to a rocky start with inconsistent results, the Italian coach has been delivering exactly the kind of basketball the team envisioned over the past month or two. With playmakers like Larkin, Thompson, Bryant, and Dozier, Efes has become a team that shares the ball exceptionally well and has significantly improved its three-point shooting efficiency compared to the beginning of the season.
Currently averaging 86.2 points per game, Anadolu Efes ranks as the fifth-highest-scoring team in the EuroLeague. It also leads the league in offensive rating, producing a remarkable 122.1 points per 100 possessions.
As things stand, Efes is one of the most offensively potent teams in the EuroLeague. And there’s no question that Coach Banchi has played a major role in making that happen.
5. Valuing Possessions
Currently the most in-form team in the EuroLeague, Anadolu Efes has posted remarkable offensive statistics during this recent stretch. The navy-and-white squad has won each of its last six games, clearly reflecting its offensive potential on the court.
Efes has scored 90 or more points in five of those six games. The only exception was the 89–68 victory against Virtus Bologna. Given how Efes pulled away in the final minutes and effectively “sealed” the game, it’s safe to assume that had they maintained the same intensity for the full 40 minutes, they would have easily surpassed the 90-point mark in that game as well.
One clear detail stands out when analyzing this six-game streak. Earlier in the season, Anadolu Efes struggled significantly with taking care of the ball and still ranks among the EuroLeague’s most turnover-prone teams, averaging 12.2 per game. However, in recent weeks, the team has shown a much better ability to value each possession.
Efes has recorded at least 20 assists in five of its last six games. In four of those games, the team committed fewer turnovers than its season average. This clearly indicates that Efes is now playing with much more composure and discipline compared to the start of the season.
Olympiacos currently leads the EuroLeague in assists per game with a 20.9 average. Coached by the same head coach for years, the Greek club has one of the most structured offensive systems in the competition.
So, the fact that Anadolu Efes has hit the 20-assist mark in five of its last six games shows significant improvement in ball movement and team play.
This improvement in ball sharing has also translated into better shooting efficiency. Efes currently ranks second in the league in made field goals per game, averaging 31.9—just behind league leaders Barcelona.
In terms of shooting percentage, the picture looks even brighter. Anadolu Efes leads the EuroLeague with a near-perfect field goal percentage of 50.9%, putting them ahead of Barcelona. From beyond the arc, Efes ranks fourth with a 38.9% three-point percentage, but it’s worth noting how close that is to first-place Barcelona, who sit at 39.1%.
Clearly, Efes’ increased ball movement has had a direct impact on both their shooting percentages and scoring numbers. Compared to the beginning of the season, they are now sharing the ball much more effectively and with greater balance—returning to the team identity they had built in previous years.
After all, during their back-to-back championship run, what made Anadolu Efes stand out the most was their ability to share the ball exceptionally well and consistently create the shots they wanted in half-court sets.