By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
In EuroLeague’s Experts’ Round Table for Round 16 of the regular season the topics that are discussed have to do with the possible EuroLeague champion, All-EuroLeague First team and of course, the MVP of the season.
Per EuroLeague:
1. Which team do you think will become EuroLeague champion in Vitoria?
Ramunas Siskauskas
This is a difficult question. I don’t like to guess. I think the most likely candidates are the following teams: Fenerbahce, Real Madrid and CSKA. But I don’t say that other teams cannot win. I always say that if you play a series, then probably the stronger team would win, but in one game everything can happen.
Vladimir Stankovic
One of the participants from last season’s Final Four in Belgrade, with more possibilities for Fenerbahce, CSKA and Real Madrid, and less for Zalgiris. The standings after the first half of the season reflect reality. The current leaders have the highest chances.
Roman Skvortsov
Good question. If I knew the answer to it, I would have already become the title sponsor of the EuroLeague, because I would be fabulously wealthy at betting. At the moment, Fenerbahce looks like a favorite. But since everyone loves surprises, let’s put in a dark horse – the fourth teamthat will come to Vitoria along with Fener, Real Madrid and CSKA.
Antonis Stroggylakis
Tough, tough, tough. Especially since if there’s anything that EuroLeague history has taught us, it’s that even the most impressive of regular season performances or records don’t necessarily translate into a title when all is said and done. Midseason dominators have fallen even in the playoffs and winter strugglers have evolved into champions come May. If I had to choose one team, I’d pick Real Madrid. They play well-balanced basketball, execute with tons of chemistry, receive diverse contribution by lots of players, plus they have many guys who can emerge as protagonists and pull off some heroics, if need be.
Frankie Sachs
“The toughest part of this question involves predicting which team will be strongest in April and May. After all, we must remember that neither of the previous two champions had home-court advantage in the playoffs. My gut tells me CSKA Moscow, despite the fact that it has lost a few games recently. All of its four losses have been on the road and three of them were close games. CSKA’s depth is as good as anyone’s, and with a pair of EuroLeague rookies (Alec Peters and Joel Bolomboy) in the rotation, CSKA may still be getting stronger. My darkhorse candidate would be Olympiacos Piraeus.