By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In an era when teams are scoring more baskets in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague than ever before, every coach and every player knows that it is close to impossible to find team success without a solid defense. It has made defensive aces a great commodity, and every coach has a player or two who are the foundation of his team’s defensive efforts. Here is a list of 10 premier defenders to watch for during the 2019-20 EuroLeague season.
10. Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos Piraeus
It is never easy to score against Papanikolaou, a nine-year veteran forward who often plays with his emotions on his sleeve for Olympiacos. Papanikolaou uses both his lengthy frame and quickness to keep opponents away from the basket. In addition to being able to play physical basketball both on the perimeter and inside the paint, what sets Papanikolaou apart from many similarly molded players is his basketball IQ, which has helped Olympiacos be among stingiest three teams in points allowed in each of the last three seasons.
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