By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
This week’s EuroLeague’s “Experts Round Table” reflects on the double-game week action for Rounds 9 and 10 with focus on the best and worse teams, as well the players that managed to raise their profile the most.
Per euroleague.net:
Welcome back to the Experts Round Table, where we ask a variety of the most knowledgeable Turkish Airlines EuroLeague followers across the continent their opinions on the topics of the day. This week’s panel includes Dusko Savanovic, former All-EuroLeague selection and 2018 Final Four Ambassador; Luca Chiabotti, the former basketball expert-in-residence at La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy; journalist Donatas Urbonas of leading Lithuanian website 15min.lt; Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops Turkey; and Javier Gancedo, EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge guru and Editorial Senior Manager for EuroLeague.net. Check out their opinions on three key questions this week!
Which team had the most impressive double-round week?
Dusko Savanovic
“It seems to be that, at this moment, Barcelona is playing at the level they are supposed to play, considering the quality they have. They probably had the most impressive double-round week with two very convincing wins. The team has a strong leader in Nikola Mirotic, of course, who is playing at a great level. He is playing great basketball; Mirotic came here with that role and is definitely the leader of the team and proving it. For sure, Mirotic’s arrival to Barcelona shook up the team’s bad momentum. Right now, Barcelona is the best team in the competition.”
Luca Chiabotti
“Panathinaikos Athens. Six teams won both games in the double-round week, but only two have won on the road twice, Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos. I think that Efes made an extraordinary effort to win in Villeurbanne and Milan, against two hot teams, to remain atop the league, but the PAO wins on the road, in a transitional moment for the team still waiting for a new coach, will be decisive for the future of the team and serve as a big help to Rick Pitino to start his new stint with Panathinaikos in the playoff zone.”
Donatas Urbonas
“There’s so much to choose from. For example, both Valencia and Baskonia took very important victories to raise their spirits after a disappointing start to the season. Who knows? Maybe that week helped to save a job for somebody. But I was impressed most with Barcelona by the way it beat two big teams, Fenerbahce and Maccabi. Barca was dominant, destroying its opponents by an average of 24.5 points. And we’re talking about Final Four contenders.”
Bugra Uzar
“My answer to that question is Anadolu Efes Istanbul. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and AX Armani Exchange Milan were undefeated at home before playing Efes. But last year’s finalists went to those teams’ cities without their leader, Bryant Dunston, who is hugely important for his team, and not only did they play great, they managed to beat both of their opponents. Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic were excellent once again, while players like Rodrigue Beaubois, Tibor Pleiss and Sertac Sanli stepped up and played crucial roles. So, the Turkish champion is tied for the best record in the league and looks more motivated than ever.”
Javier Gancedo
“Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Not only did it win back-to-back games on the road – one of the two teams to achieve that with Panathinaikos OPAP Athens the other, but did it so in a tough place to play. Efes handed LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne its first home loss of the season and two days later, it did the same with AX Armani Exchange Milan. By winning two games on courts were no other EuroLeague team had walked off with a victory all season, Efes definitely had the strongest week, led by its star guard duo of Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin, who have been pretty much unstoppable for many months.”