By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The moment any team qualifies for them, the playoffs take center stage. Many players of the eight remaining EuroLeague clubs learned the principal value of the playoffs the hard way, while others carrying a lucky charm almost always manage to progress to the Final Four. Eurohoops looks back at the players with the most postseason experience by choosing one from each team in the 2019 playoffs.
Felipe Reyes:Previous playoffs experience: 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Stats: 8.3 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 0.9 apg., 9.4 PIR
If you are searching for a super source of EuroLeague playoffs experience, Felipe Reyes is your man. His 40 playoff appearances to date are the most in the modern era of Europe’s premier competition. His 729 minutes on the court during playoff games rank him sixth on the all-time list.
Reyes was on the wrong side of his first four playoffs series, but found success in six of his last seven attempts, every time with Real Madrid since 2011. He recorded his best showing in 2009, with 17.0 points and 19 PIR per game despite the elimination by Olympiacos.
At 38 years old last season, the Spanish big man came through for injury-plagued Madrid in its best-of-five series versus Panathinaikos. He averaged 18.3 PIR in the team’s three wins, which produced a Final Four berth and, ultimately, Reyes’ s second EuroLeague title. He and Madrid team will face the Greens in this season’s playoffs, as well.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Kostas Sloukas:Previous playoffs experience: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Stats: 5.1 ppg., 3.8 apg., 1.7 rpg., 7.1PIR
Kostas Sloukas has the winning touch. His team prevailed in six out his seven EuroLeague playoffs series and went on to become the kings of the campaign three times. Sloukas’s only misstep in the playoffs came in 2014, when Olympiacos dropped its series to Real Madrid, 3-2.
Positive records aside, the Greek guard’s playoffs performances have improved year to year and reached a peak in 2018 against Baskonia. His record-breaking 36 assists in that series paved the way for the 15.8 PIR average and a 3-1 series victory for Fenerbahce.
This year, Fenerbahce will need his playoffs charms against Zalgiris Kaunas, the team the Turkish side beat in the semifinals of the 2018 Final Four. Provided Fener takes care of business, the goal will be to reclaim EuroLeague glory in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz
Marcelinho Huertas:Previous playoffs experience: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018
Stats: 6.6 ppg., 4.1 apg., 2 rpg., 6.8 PIR
Marcelihno Huertas is participating in his eighth EuroLeague playoffs series, his third with his current team, KIROLBET Baskonia. The Brazilian-Italian has come full circle back to his first series in 2010 facing CSKA Moscow once again. The first time around, Baskonia lost the best-of-five series 3-1.
Huertas was on the winning side three out of the four times he made it to the playoffs with Barcelona. However, Baskonia has suffered elimination in three playoffs runs with Huertas, now 35, on the squad.
In 2011, when he was 28, Huertas averaged 10.5 points, 5.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds over four playoff games. His top playoffs showing wasn’t enough, however, as Baskonia lost out to Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv.
FC Barcelona Lassa
Ante Tomic: Previous playoffs experience: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014. 2015, 2016
Stats: 11.5 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 1.7 apg., 14.4 PIR
Barcelona’s captain, Ante Tomic, hasn’t played in a EuroLeague playoffs series since 2016, but previously managed to gain massive experience. He reached the playoffs twice with Real Madrid, in 2010 and 2011, and four times with Barcelona, from 2013 until 2016.
The Croatian center helped his team progress to the Final Four on three occasions, the last being Barcelona’s 3-0 triumph over Galatasaray in 2014. He averaged 9.0 points and 13.3 PIR on that occasion, and hopes for the same outcome this month as his team squares off against another Turkish club, Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
In general, Tomic has been particularly effective in the playoffs. His 11.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 14.4 PIR per postseason contest display this fact. However, his 2013 heroics in a 3-2 win versus Panathinaikos, 10.4 points and 8.0 boards per match, remain his best playoffs showing.
Kyle Hines:Previous playoffs experience: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Stats: 9.6 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 0.8 apg., 12.4 PIR
Kyle Hines’s case is unique. Not only did he reach the Final Four after all six of his EuroLeague playoffs appearances, but he also played in the 2018 Final Four despite missing the entire playoffs due to injury. He has yet to taste elimination and by no means desires the corresponding feeling this year as CSKA faces Baskonia.
The Russian side is going up this month against a familiar foe. Just two years ago, in 2017, CSKA swept Baskonia with Hines averaging 8.3 points and 14.0 PIR. However, third place at the Istanbul Final Four left the experienced center with the same three previous EuroLeague titles he had.
One year earlier, in 2016, Hines was crowned European champion for the third time, adding to his two previous triumphs with Olympiacos. His showing in that season’s sweep versus Crvena Zvezda was his best to date as he averaged 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 17.3 PIR per contest.
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens
Nick Calathes:Previous playoffs experience: 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018
Stats: 9.2 ppg., 4.3 apg., 3.5 rpg., 9.9 PIR
Nick Calathes is no stranger when it comes to facing a Spanish team in the EuroLeague Playoffs. In three out his five postseason appearances with Panathinaikos, he went up against Spanish clubs. Indeed, this season, Real Madrid will be the Greens’ opponent for the second time in a row.
Last year, Panathinaikos started the best-of-five series with a comfortable home win, but dropped the next three games. The 30-year-old guard performed to his best, with 16.8 points, 7.3 assists and 19.5 PIR per contest, but could not prevent elimination.
A similar trait is seen in Calathes’s playoffs appearances, with Panathinaikos progressing his first two times around before faltering in the next three. A long-awaited turnaround is the hope of the Greek guard and his team ahead of the upcoming Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Bryant Dunston: Previous playoffs experience: 2014, 2015, 2017
Stats: 9 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 1.5 apg., 12.2PIR
Bryant Dunston‘s will take part in his fourth EuroLeague playoffs series, but for the first time won’t play for or against Olympiacos. Efes is back in the postseason and will ride the home-court advantage that its fourth-placed regular reason finish provided against Barcelona.
Dunston’s only playoffs victory came against Barcelona in 2015. He averaged 4.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 PIR in helping Olympiacos qualify to the Final Four with a 3-1 win in the best-of-five series.
His other two appearances ended in 3-2 defeats for his team, in 2014 as Olympiacos fell to Real Madrid and in 2017 as Efes was eliminated by his former club. His 11.2 points and 16.8 PIR averages in his first postseason appearance remain Dunston’s best showing.