By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
The first half of this double-week action is done, Round 5 is in the books and Barcelona is the last team standing with a perfect record. And what a round this has been, with plenty of surprising results and many players that could run for MVP, though one stood out.
Eurohoops MVP
Vasilije Micic
Anadolu Efes exceeded its winning streak against Crvena Zvezda on Tuesday, thanks to a 26-point performance by Micic. The 25-year-old Serbian guard executed four out of six from the three-point line, handed out five assists and grabbed two steals for a total PIR of 29. Numbers aside, he played a key part in the victory by helping his team stay on track when Zvezda made it a one-possession game.
Eurohoops Best Five
- Vasilije Micic: Our MVP for Round 5 laid his heart on the court against Zvezda.
- Alexey Shved: Khimki trusted in Shved to execute Panathinaikos down the stretch, despite his somewhat poor shooting percentages on Tuesday. Still, he finished with 26 points and seven assists and Khimki held on to one more win.
- Brandon Paul: Olympiacos came up with the surprise of the round in Moscow, and so did Paul who finished the game with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists.
- Danilo Barthel: Bayern edged Real Madrid at home, partly thanks to a season-high performance of the German forward in EuroLeague. Barthel posted 17 points and five rebounds.
- Tonye Jekiri: ASVEL is turning into a Cinderella story this season, as they used their homecourt once again to defeat Baskonia. Jekiri led his team with a double-double of 16 points and 11 boards, along with two assists.
Coach of the week: Kestutis Kemzura
As mentioned above, Olympiacos defeating CSKA Moscow on the road was quite a surprise for Round 5. Since David Blatt’s departure from the team, Kemzura counts a 2-2 record as a head coach. The Reds handed CSKA their first defeat of the season and now will look to turn it to a winning streak when they host Maccabi Tel Aviv at home on Friday.
The big issue: Fenerbahce on sleep mode
You can’t define a team’s route in the season from just the beginning, that’s an admitted truth. However, Fenerbahce‘s presence in the EuroLeague, despite adding superstar Nando De Colo to the roster in the off-season, has been puzzling. The 2017 champions have started their season on a 1-4 record and all of the losses have been on the road. No matter how alarming this record seems, it’s still early to draw conclusions.
Photo credit: EuroLeague