By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
From May 20, when Real Madrid was more than deservedly crowned European champion in Belgrade for the 10th time in club history, until Thursday evening when the curtain on the new season will be raised in the Russian capital with CSKA Moscow hosting FC Barcelona Lassa, almost five months have gone by. Five months without basketball… That’s enough! The EuroLeague is finally getting underway, one more thrilling season is upon us and basketball fans can’t wait to… take the plunge into an “orange sea of basketball,” with nonstop action at the highest level!
Here are 10 of the main reasons why we can hardly wait for the first jump-ball of the competition and why we’re going to love the EuroLeague season that is about to begin. Though, in reality, there are plenty more reasons.
Seven months of a basketball spectacle and upsets in the race for the new kings
We’re talking about the top basketball competition in Europe, which is constantly growing on every level. The most historic and successful teams, the most traditional basketball brands and the new format that will be played for a third season, are all here. And it has been amply demonstrated that the package is more satisfying and exciting than ever!
Top-level basketball, 16 teams that are ready for everything, a scorching hot regular season with 240 games, and playoffs that produce their own unique stories every single time. Above all? The race for the new kings is totally unpredictable, so everyone has the right to dream. We’ll just remind you that in the first two seasons with the new format, the teams that emerged as the European champions were ranked fifth at the end of the regular season (Fenerbahce Istanbul, Madrid) and started the playoffs without the home-court advantage and eventually triumphed by going all the way.
The favorites’ ball
Are there clubs that will set off on this season’s journey as favorites to reach the Final Four? In the EuroLeague, you can never be sure! There are, however, three superpowers – Madrid, CSKA and Fenerbahce – who are rightly called favorites. They have excellent rosters, they always start with the aim of lifting the trophy and it’s not a coincidence that these teams have won the last four titles. Madrid won two (2015, 2018), and CSKA (2016) and Fenerbahce (2017) one each.
Still not convinced? Consider that Fenerbahce has made four straight Final Fours and three championship game appearances in a row, Madrid is the current champion and CSKA has appeared in 15 of the last 17 Final Fours, including seven straight.
Getting to the playoffs is harder than ever
This season it’s going to be harder than ever to earn a place among the top eight and the playoffs than any other time in the history of the EuroLeague. Last season, Madrid, Fenerbahce, CSKA, Zalgiris Kaunas, Olympiacos Piraeus, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz and Khimki Moscow Region were the ones that made the cut. Don’t you think that some traditional powers with a long history are missing from that list? Correct! Barcelona and Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, after two sub-par seasons, look stronger and more determined to get back to where they belong. At the same time, AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan and Anadolu Efes Istanbul also made some important moves in the summer to become strong contenders instead of “extras” in the regular season, like they were last season.
But hold on. The eight teams that played in the playoffs last season are once again very strong… At the outset, at least 12 clubs have the clear objective of qualifying for the next phase, but there is only room for eight. Qualifying for the playoffs looks harder than ever before and this could mean that we’re about to watch the most competitive EuroLeague season of all time.
Three returns and a historic debut
The make-up of the best league in Europe has changed by a quarter and this means “new basketball blood,” new destinations and renewal! We have three clubs with a long history and many appearances in the competition: EuroCup champion Darussafaka Tekfen Istanbul, which returns after only a one-year absence; FC Bayern Munich, which won the title in Germany and is in the mix once again after two seasons away; and the champions of the Adriatic League for the first time in their history, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, which returns to the EuroLeague after 15 years and will add another very loyal and passionate set of basketball fans to the competition.
The most important entry is the team that will make its debut in the top league. Herbalife Gran Canaria, from a beautiful city and a great island in terms of beauty, history and culture, enters the shiny company of the chosen ones. The EuroLeague will now be playing basketball in the Atlantic Ocean too!
