By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
All these years in the Euroleague everybody knows that the games start on October, the Final Four is held on May and Barcelona is the ultimate “king” of the Top 16 reserving the home advantage for the playoffs. However, this season, one of the “fundamental laws” is going to be false.
The season started on October, the Final Four will be held on May but Barcelona has already two defeats in total of three games in the Top 16. After the surprising loss in Berlin in the premier against Alba, the Catalans lost again by Maccabi and now they must bounce back soon in order to secure the home advantage in the playoffs. During the last six years, Barcelona has finished always in the top of its group facing zero, one or at maximum two defeats in the Top 16.
This is by far the “worst” Top 16 for the “Blaugrana” in recent years, because even last season they suffered the two losses in the last two weeks, when the first place was secured. All these years, Barcelona played 52 games in the Top 16 and lost only five of them!
Of course this doesn’t mean anything more for Barcelona than the obvious (the bad start in a marathon like the Euroleague). We can’t prejudge anything in the Top 16 as it has been proven again and again in the recent history of the competition. Real Madrid looks solid with the 3-0; Panathinaikos and Maccabi seem to be strong contender for the home court advantage in the play offs but who can be sure that Barcelona will not be stronger when Xavi Pascual will have again a full roster?
None!
