By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
After 14 weeks of action, the regular season of the Basketball Champions League is over. Sixteen teams made it to the playoffs and the bar is set high as they have already shown remarkable quality. There was excitement in all four regular-season groups and the fans were lucky enough to witness numerous games ending in the last seconds or after multiple overtimes.
A lot of players had outstanding nights and plays that made everyone go wild. And the best of them were able to play on a high-level week after week leading their teams to the next round.
Here are the five players that stood up above the rest in the regular season of the Basketball Champions League.
D. J. Kennedy (Pinar Karsiyaka)
Karsiyaka finished the regular season with an 11-5 record. They were the only team that was good enough to beat AS Monaco so far. And Kennedy was their go-to-go guy every single night. He was doing everything for the Turkish team and he was their true leader.
In the game against Enisey Krasnoyarsk, Kennedy came close to record a triple-double. He had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists which were enough for 37 in PIR. A week before that, he nailed 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against UCAM Murcia.
Kennedy was the most efficient player in the regular season as he was averaging 24,5 in PIR per game.
Kennedy is averaging 19,5 points per game and grabbing 9,1 rebounds per game. He is the best rebounder of the Basketball Champions League and clearly the biggest favorite to grab MVP Award this season.
Rickey Paulding (EWE Baskets Oldenburg)
Paulding was a real force for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg. The American guard proved that he is like a fine wine. He gets better as the times passes. He is the oldest player on this list as he is 35-years old. That didn’t prevent him from making magic on the floor on the regular base.
All the fans remember his performance against Juventus Utena in November. He nailed 34 points in that game on 6/7 shooting from the three-point territory. His 34 points set the record this season as no one scored yet more in a single Basketball Champions League game.
Paulding scored 18,6 points per game in the regular season and everyone is checking if there’s a time machine hidden somewhere in the lockers.
Led by Paulding, Oldenburg had no trouble to qualify for the next round.