By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
Time flies! How did 30 rounds pass so quickly? Only four more remain before the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs! Heading into the final stretch, Eurohoops presents the sixth and final edition of the Power Rankings.
Status, dynamics, form, and importance of results are the criteria for the classification of the 18 teams, eight of which will continue in the postseason with the ultimate goal of winning the prestigious trophy.
Olympiacos Piraeus, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and AS Monaco have already secured qualification and are on the verge of getting the home-court advantage for the quarterfinals series, while FC Bayern Munich, Panathinaikos Athens, ALBA Berlin, and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne have all been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
#18 LDLC ASVEL VILLEURBANNE
Previous ranking: 16 (-2)
Record: 8-22
Home: 4-12
Away: 4-10
Offense-Defense: 74.7-80.7
ASVEL at this point has little to hope for. With nine consecutive defeats, it is patiently waiting for the end of the year. It’s just hard to have ASVEL in any other position in the ranking than the last one where it also was two Power Rankings editions ago.
Remaining schedule: @ Olympiacos 29/3 | vs. Red Star 31/3 | @ Baskonia 6/4 | @ ALBA Berlin 13/4
#17 FC BAYERN MUNICH
Previous ranking: 13 (-4)
Record: 11-19
Home: 8-7
Away: 3-12
Offense-Defense: 76.7-80.2
Two defeats by large margins (-28 by Olympiacos and -25 by EA7 Emporio Armani Milan) and another one in the German derby (75-76 by ALBA Berlin) pushed Bayern out of playoff contention. Prestige and the chance to cause an upset that may be a factor in the playoff races are all Bayern has left to play for this season.
Remaining schedule: @ Panathinaikos 28/3 | vs. Monaco 31/3 | @ Real Madrid 6/4 | vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 4/14
#16 ALBA BERLIN
Previous ranking: 18 (+2)
Record: 9-21
Home: 5-11
Away: 4-10
Offense-Defense: 80.1-84.9
Its first winning streak since January has allowed ALBA Berlin to finally break away from the bottom of the standings. Both results had special significance: Its first-ever EuroLeague win over Bayern (75-76) and beating the back-to-back champion, Anadolu Efes (95-93).
Remaining schedule: @ Baskonia 28/3 | @ Barcelona 30/3 | @ Panathinaikos 7/4 | vs. ASVEL 13/4
#15 PANATHINAIKOS ATHENS
Previous ranking: 15 (-)
Record: 10-20
Home: 7-8
Away: 3-12
Offense-Defense: 79.1-82.8
Without a goal from very early on, Panathinaikos sees the remaining games as an opportunity to improve in view of the playoffs in the Greek League. It seems unlikely that the Greens will play much of a role in others’ playoff races since they play on the road against both Olympiacos and Partizan and playing away from OAKA has not been its thing in recent years.
Remaining schedule: vs. Bayern Munich 28/3 | @ Olympiacos 31/3 | vs. ALBA Berlin 7/4 | @ Partizan 4/14
#14 VIRTUS SEGAFREDO BOLOGNA
Previous ranking: 12 (-2)
Record: 13-17
At home: 8-8
Away: 5-9
Offense-Defense: 78.3-81.8
Defeats, consecutive or not, have accumulated to a dangerously big number for Virtus Bologna, and its return to the Euroleague will not translate to a return to the playoffs. In any case, despite a strong roster, Virtus is one of the five teams that have not had a place in the top eight all season; Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, FC Bayern Munich, Panathinaikos Athens and ALBA Berlin are the others.
Remaining schedule: @ Maccabi Tel Aviv 3/28 | @ Anatolou Efes 30/3 | @ Valencia 6/4 | vs. Armani Milan 13/4
#13 VALENCIA BASKET
Previous ranking: 6 (-7)
Record: 14-16
At home: 8-8
Away: 6-8
Offense-Defense: 82.8-85.7
In Round 24, Valencia was in the playoff zone, but after five defeats in six games, the odds are not on their side anymore. Back-to-back outings in Belgrade and Kaunas will determine whether they can make a last-second run to make it.
Remaining schedule: @Crvena Zvezda 29/3 | @ Zalgiris Kaunas 31/3 | vs. Virtus Bologna 6/4 | @ Barcelona 4/14
#12 CRVENA ZVEZDA MERIDIANBET BELGRADE
Previous ranking: 14 (+2)
Record: 13-17
Home: 8-6
Away: 5-11
Offense-Defense: 76-78.2
What goes up must come down and that’s what happened with Crvena Zvezda with just three wins in the last 11 games. At this point, the hopes of qualifying for the playoffs are mainly mathematical, which will decrease steeply with even one more bad result.
Remaining schedule: vs. Valencia 29/3 | @ ASVEL 31/3 | vs. Olympiacos 6/4 | vs. Fenerbahce 13/4
#11 ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
Previous ranking: 10 (-1)
Record: 14-16
Home: 8-6
Away: 6-10
Offense-Defense: 82.5-81.8
Champion in 2021, champion in 2022, out of the playoffs in 2023? After four defeats in the last five games, Anadolu Efes needs a small miracle to turn things around and prove their coach, Ergin Ataman, wrong after he already wished “good luck” to the qualifying teams.
Remaining schedule: vs. Milan 28/3 | vs. Virtus Bologna 30/3 | @ Fenerbahce 6/4 | vs. Monaco 4/14
#10 CAZOO BASKONIA VITORIA-GASTEIZ
Previous ranking: 8 (-2)
Record: 15-15
Home: 11-3
Away: 4-12
Offense-Defense: 85.5-83.8
Baskonia is one of only four teams that have never dropped out of the top eight along with Olympiacos, Monaco, and Fenerbahce. However, everything will be turned upside down if it adds to its three consecutive defeats. Luckily for Baskonia, it plays the next three games at home and still has a very good chance to make it to the postseason.
Remaining schedule: vs. ALBA Berlin 28/3 | vs. Fenerbahce 31/3 | vs. ASVEL 6/4 | @ Olympiacos 13/4
#9 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
Previous ranking: 5 (-4)
Record: 15-15
Home: 10-4
Away: 5-11
Offense-Defense: 75.5-77.8
Since Round 22, Zalgiris has been in the playoff zone and the last two defeats by Olympiacos (74-76) and Fenerbahce (87-79) deprived it of the opportunity to be able to hold its destiny in their own hands. But with three big games coming in Kaunas, things may change.
Remaining schedule: vs. Monaco 29/3 | vs. Valencia 31/3 | vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv 6/4 | @ Bayern Munich 14/4
#8 EA7 EMPORIO ARMANI MILAN
Previous ranking: 17 (+9)
Record: 14-6
Home: 8-8
Away: 6-8
Offense-Defense: 74.7-76.7
Milan was in 18th place until Round 21, but after eight wins in the next nine games, it is the most in-form team in the EuroLeague and can even think about the unthinkable: making it somehow to the playoffs. Of course, for this to happen, it must get some really impressive results and after this week, it could be out of the race for good.
Remaining schedule: @ Anadolu Efes 28/3 | @ Maccabi Tel Aviv 3/30 | vs. Barcelona 7/4 | @ Virtus Bologna 13/4
#7 FENERBACHE BEKO ISTANBUL
Previous ranking: 7 (-)
Record: 18-12
Home: 11-5
Away: 7-7
Offense-Defense: 84.2-80.6
The recent victory over Zalgiris Kaunas (87-79) put an end to Fenerbahce‘s losing streak, however, the damage was already done. Three defeats in the previous four games were more than enough to lose its place in the top four and at this point, even the fifth spot is not guaranteed.
Remaining schedule: @ Real Madrid 29/3 | @ Baskonia 31/3 | vs. Anadolu Efes 6/4 | @Crvena Zvezda 13/4