By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
When we are in the middle of Top16 and the core of your team is solid, you have to bet on the favorites on some weeks and make your changes by picking new players jus from one team. For example CSKA is doing great and we’ll choose to get by this week with three players from the Russian club. The game against Zalgiris is easy for them – and there aren’t these weeks many “easy” games – and if CSKA plays up to its standards, you can hit the jackpit. Let’s explain our thoughts.
Eurohoopsnet team had a very good score last week (211,1 points) and missed the chance to do much, much better in the eleventh hour. Tomic stayed away from our team due to Erceg’s last minute injury. He got the MVP award and that shows he is once again on the right track. So, he’s the only non-CSKA player that we pick.
The Russians champs have four wins in a row (among them the one over the unbeaten until then Real) with an average difference 19,2 points -and only against Galatasaray things were hard. So, we trust CSKA and its stars. Viktor Khryapa may miss the game and that’s why we sell him, because we want to avoid any zero in our total. The other two players that leave are Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is doing great, but in Madrid he will have to deliver against one of the favorites and Bryant Dunston whose mission in Istanbul against Fenerbahce is dangerous. So, after Tomic, we pick the two Americans of CSKA, Sony Weems and Kyle Hines whose athletic skills against Lokomotiv will be valuable for Mesina.
Enjoy fantasy!
Points Guards
Sergio Rodriguez 76,7 credits (+0,7)
His performance is ideal for anyone who has picked him in the fantasy. He has steady scores around 20 and gives in every game a bunch of points.
Dimitris Diamantidis 63,6 credits (-1,2)
His numbers aren’t excellent during the last weeks but he keeps producing in double digits. Panathinaikos faces Milan and Wright’s addition will help the captain to raise his numbers because he will get more rest during the game.
Shooting Guards/Small Forwards
Rudy Fernandez 76,9 credits (+0,4)
A home game vs Partizan is just another day at work for Rudy who has the chance to add one more +20 ranking. As long as the Top16 goes on, he is a solid choice.
Malcolm Delaney 75,8 credits (+1,9)
He had only one bad game in the Top 16 so far and 19,3 ranking per game in the other six games. Bayern hosts Zalgiris and he can score really too many points.
Bojan Bogdanovic 64 credits (+0,6)
Against Laboral and Efes he came back to big numbers. Olympiacos is harder opponent but Fenerbahce’s shooter can get advantage of his size against the forwards of the Reds.
Sony Weems 52,1 credits
He has the third best ranking (14) in the Top 16 among his teammates after the big guys (Krstic, Khryapa) and is an all-around player who can explode his numbers in this games.
Power Forwards/Centers
Ante Tomic 62,5 credits
He’s going better and better and in the last two games he’s totally different. He should be effective against Efes also because he hasn’t opponent on his size.
Kyle Hines 59,3 credits
After his come back from the injury, he’s great having 15,6 ranking per game. He plays more than the regular season and gives in every game a 13+ score.
Nenad Krstic 56,4 credits (+0,4)
In the Top 16 he’s just perfect having numbers like until two years ago, when he was dominating around Europe. He’ll match up with Maric and it’s expected to shine again.
Stephane Lasme 53,8 credits (+3,8)
He was brilliant last week against Olympiacos and vs Milan has the momentum to make it again. The Italians have big guys on his size, so he can score and get many rebounds against them.