By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following the winners in the categories for Most Respected Player, Best Newcomer, and Fair Play award released on Wednesday, the EuroLeague Players Association continued the 2022 ELPA Players’ Choice Awards by presenting the winners in Most Clutch Player, Most Improved Player, and Best 6th Man one day later, Thursday.
A player that best performed under pressure and when games were on the line was Vasilije Micic. The back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion and Final Four MVP as a member of Anadolu Efes was named the Most Clutch Player taking over from the first-ever winner Cory Higgins.
Moving to the Best 6th Man, Will Clyburn received the most votes for the second year in a row. A player that started more than half of EuroLeague regular-season games from the bench and had the most impact on his team’s overall play. The Detroit-born small forward recently complete the move from CSKA Moscow to Anadolu Efes.
Nicolas Laprovittola was the Most Improved Player, as selected by fellow EuroLeague players. The FC Barcelona point guard has shown the biggest improvement from his previous EuroLeague season, as noted in the official description of the award. Achille Polonara was the inaugural winner in 2021.
Kyle Hines, Luka Sikma, and John Brown III previously landed the Most Respected Player, Fair Play Award, and Best Newcomer awards, respectively, yesterday. The list of winners will be completed tomorrow, Friday. The remaining categories are Best Young Player, Best Defender, and Most Valuable Player.
Photo credit: ELPA / Graphics: Anna Gatignol