By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
With just eight rounds left in the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season and more than half the season on the books, we have a more clear picture of what to expect, including two teams that have already defied expectations and only one that continues to disappoint.
Paris Basketball and Bourg-en-Bresse are turning heads all over Europe, Turk Telekom is also on the rise, but there’s also Cedevita Olimpija Ljubjana, which still can maκe it to the playoffs, but hasn’t yet delivered.
As for the top, Joventut Badalona lost its perch to an impressive Gran Canaria.
20. Slask Wroclaw (1-9) -1
They finally got their first win, with Trento being the victim, but they still have the worst record in the competition and at this point, it seems hard for them to really turn things around.
19. Dolomiti Energia Trento (2-8) +1
They’ve had two wins since the last Power Rankings, but this is not enough for Trento yet. And they still have the worst point difference (-111), even compared to Slask Wroclaw (-105).
18. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (3-7) -1
They have one win in the last five games and, in the very competitive Group A, they are still out of the playoffs picture, so they have still work to do.
17. Veolia Towers Hamburg (3-7) +1
No surprises here, also just one win in the last five games and a coaching change that may help them do more in the playoffs. And yes, in Group B, this record puts them in the playoffs at this moment, which is why they are ranked ahead of Cluj-Napoca.
16. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2-8) -6
Contrary to the previous two teams, they won two of their last five games. Yes, considering their record, they should be lower, however, on paper, they are still much better than their record and they seem to be improving.
15. London Lions (4-6) +1
They jumped a spot due to Cedevita’s fall, but they are pretty much in the same situation they started the season, getting two wins in five games and setting a steady course for an appearance in the knockout games.
14. 7Bet Lietkabelis Paneverzys (4-6) –
Same situation with the Lions, two more wins and a record that keeps them above the playoffs line. Can they do more? That’s their challenge right now.
13. Ratiopharm Ulm (5-5) +2
They got a positive record in the last five games (3-2) and an impressive win over Bourg. Still, they are just seventh in the Group A standings so practically this is the spot where they belong.
12. Germani Brescia (5-5) –
That’s an easy ranking. Same record as Ulm in the same group and they have the advantage in the tiebreaker so far after beating the Germans.
11. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (6-4) –
Buducnost remains a solid contender and needs to do something really impressive to stand out. They haven’t been able to do that so far.
10. Hapoel Tel Aviv (6-4) –1
They are coming off an impressive win in London, but they remain a mixed bag, having lost to Hamburg and to Buducnost. Depending on the night, you never know what you will get.
9. Prometey Slobozhanske (6-4) -1
They also dropped a spot, but as happened with Hapoel, this is something that has to do mainly with Paris Basketball’s rise. They could be higher, but they lost to Ulm.
8. Promitheas Patras (6-4) -3
This is a totally justified drop of three spots, and here things are even more confusing. They beat Paris on the road but lost at home to London, Turk Telekom, and Hapoel, plus they decided to cut loose the top scorer of the competition, Joe Young. They still have a solid record, but they must turn things around.
7. Paris Basketball (7-3) +6
Due to our unofficial six-spots rule – no jump either way in the rankings can be bigger – they are currently seventh. Considering the fact that they started in the 19th position on our first edition and they seem ready to do even more damage, they are one of the teams to watch in the competition.
6. Frutti Extra Bursaspor (6-4) -2
They have a 3-2 record in the last five games. However, those wins came against Cedevita, Lietkabelis and Cluj, while they lost to Reyer and Brescia on the road. So while they are still among the upper echelon of the EuroCup teams, they haven’t yet achieved more than expected.
5.Umana Reyer Venice (6-4) –
If they hadn’t lost to Prometey, they would be even higher. They also beat Bursaspor. On the other hand, they couldn’t do the job against Joventut. Still, they are as solid as it gets.
4. Joventut Badalona (6-4) -4
They dropped four spots for a good reason. They have just two wins in the last five games and lost to Cluj, Brescia, and Bourg. Yes, it can happen, but it has consequences, at least in our Power Rankings.
3. Turk Telekom Ankara (7-3) +5
They have an impressive record but they have lost twice to Paris, losing the tiebreaker to them. So they also made a big jump due to their record, but those two losses to the French newcomers might be an issue in the long run.
2. JL Bourg-en-Bresse (7-3) +6
They are the top team and the only one with seven wins in very competitive Group A. Together with Paris, they are still making French basketball proud.
1. Gran Canaria (8-2) +1
They have the best record in the league, four straight wins and they are the only team with eight victories total, standing alone at the top of Group B. That’s more than enough.