Partizan’s one-man show in offense and a defense that stands tall

By Stefan Acevski / info@eurohoops.net

From the moment it was known who would play for Partizan this season, it was clear what style of play the team led by Joan Penarroya would adopt.

It’s true, Antonio Reeves arrived, with Luca Vildoza and Ethan Thompson are guards who have points in their hands, although they still haven’t shown this in the Euroleague, especially Thompson. However, from the start, it was clear that the team would depend on Carlik Jones in offense, while the entire game would be based on good defense and the highest possible number of points from fast breaks.

So far, Partizan roughly looks like this. Four victories from nine matches are not a bad result, especially since the “black and whites” have four upcoming games in Belgrade, so fans rightly hope that Partizan will have a positive record after 13 rounds.

Partizan has one of the worst offenses in the EuroLeague

As mentioned, Partizan has built a primarily defensive team, either intentionally or due to market availability, which can be seen in the numbers from the first eight rounds. This is also evident on the “Hoopwise” website.

According to the statistics from the first eight games (excluding the last one against Zalgiris), Partizan has the joint worst offense in the Euroleague with an offensive rating of only 108.1, the same as Baskonia. However, Baskonia still has only one win in the elite.

Partizan’s game heavily depends on Carlik Jones, who has already managed to be the MVP of a round. Nevertheless, Carlik will need help as the season progresses, and Partizan hopes that assistance will come from the latest acquisition, Reeves, or from Thompson, who is still searching for his form at the highest level, despite having a few good performances in the ABA League.

Almost every scouting report for a team playing against Partizan will be the same – stop Jones and let them shoot. This is also reflected in the numbers, as Partizan is the worst team when it comes to three-point shooting and free throw percentage. Jones brings stability to the court and an excellent pick-and-roll game, which significantly eases the task for his teammates. Interestingly, without Jones on the court, four out of five Partizan’s scores are assisted. However, the offensive rating drops from 110.6 to 103.2, which speaks volumes about Carlik’s importance.

In the last two games, ASVEL and Zalgiris managed to stop him, and Partizan’s offensive production was significantly weaker, so Carlik will need to find a way to cope with defenses focused on him, despite fatigue.

What Partizan lacks in offense, they make up for in defense

Although things are shaky in offense, Partizan compensates with their defense, which is the primary reason why they have four wins in nine rounds, ahead of four games in Belgrade. The “black and whites” have turned to defense, led by Alessandro Pajola and Luca Vildoza. Interestingly, Vildoza stole as many as 18 balls in the first eight games, and Pajola 11, making them the first and eighth in steals per possession in the Euroleague.

Partizan’s guards are very aggressive, often managing to steal the ball or knock it away from behind the attacker, aided by the fact that Kevarrius Hayes is in the paint, one of the best rim protectors in Europe. Hayes dominates in the paint, correcting the mistakes of his guards and allowing them to be more aggressive, knowing that someone is protecting them. After all, Hayes’ block on Chris Jones brought Partizan overtime in the derby against Crvena zvezda, and later a victory in the most important match for the fans.

Interestingly, when Pajola and Vildoza are on the court together, Partizan’s defensive rating is 96.5 per 100 possessions (the lower the rating, the better), and those are numbers that no team can maintain throughout the season.

If you can’t score, shoot more

Another interesting statistic found on the “Hoopwise” website is the fact that Partizan, not being a team desgined for shooting, strives to have more attempts than their opponents. The Belgrade team doesn’t chase offensive rebounds and is one of the weakest in the Euroleague in that category. Instead, they run back, slow down the tempo, and don’t allow opponents fast break points. In this, they are the best in all of Europe.

Joan Penarroya’s team tries to completely kill the tempo, slow down the game, so Partizan’s opponents have three possessions fewer per game than their average against other rivals. By forcing opponents into turnovers, Partizan strives to finish games with more attempts at the basket, which would offset their lower percentage.

In their four victories, Partizan had over five more shots than their opponents. In losses, that number was approximately the same (Partizan and the opponent had a similar number of shots), so the Belgrade team ended up losing those games.

Partizan’s game philosophy is clear, and everyone will be able to scout and prepare for matches with them. However, when it comes to applying it on the court, the “black and whites” can easily surprise anyone with their hustle and defense.