By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
The most competitive league in European basketball, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, features some incredible athletes from all over the world, experienced players, young prospects and phenomenal coaches. Every team in the EuroLeague needs a leader to step up in tough situations, use his mentality on and off the court to help his teammates succeed and finally lead his team to victories. The first round of the competition has been completed, with many players shining throughout.
Eurohoops brings you the 16 go-to guys in the competition, one from each team, and analyses their role as leaders in the team as well as the way they became the go-to guys. Scroll down for the answers.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul – Errick McCollum
- Stats: 15.0 points, 2.2 rebounds
- Team Record: 4-12
- Age: 29
- Position: G
Errick McCollum averaged 18.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in the 7Days EuroCup in 2015-2016 with Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul. Last season he played overseas in China with the Beikong Fly Dragons, came back to play for Galatasaray and in the off-season, signed with Anadolu Efes Istanbul to play in Europe’s best competition.
So far in the season in the EuroLeague with Efes, McCollum is averaging 15.0 points (6th in the competition), 2.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, while he is also shooting 43.4% from the field. He has been a bright spot in a mediocre Efes team, which has the worst record in the competition (4-12), tied with Valencia Basket and AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan. Against Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, he had a night to remember as he finished with 31 points and 8/11 (!) three-pointers, as he was also named EuroLeague Day 7’s MVP.
Valencia Basket – Erick Green
- Stats: 15.9 points, 2.2 assists
- Team Record: 5-11
- Age: 26
- Position: G
Last season, the 26-year-old Erick Green reached the EuroLeague final with Olympiacos Piraeus and averaged 9.7 points per game. This season he has played fifteen games in the EuroLeague and is putting up 16.6 points (4th in the competition) with 49.1% from inside the arc, 2.2 assists, and 2.2 rebounds. Valencia has been struggling so far and, with a 5-11 record, sit in the 14th place in the standings.
His movement with the ball, his ability to make tough shots under pressure and also finish at the rim through contact with either hand, make him a special scorer. His playmaking skills and breaking down a defense through his passing are things he will have to work on as he moves forward. Green, however, has been the leader of this squad offensively, scoring 20+ points six times this season.
AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan – Jordan Theodore
- Stats: 12.3 points, 4.3 assists
- Team Record: 4-11
- Age: 27
- Position: G
Despite being only 1.83m tall, Jordan Theodore can get inside the paint and finish at the rim pretty well with tough shots and lay-ups. This is Theodore’s first season in Milan and the EuroLeague is already a fascinating challenge for him. Last year with Banvit he was the 2017 Champions League MVP, while he was named a Turkish league all-star and also won the Turkish Cup.
This season in the EuroLeague, the 27-year-old guard is putting up 12.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. His vision and scoring abilities are there but he has a weakness defensively as his size doesn’t allow him to go up against bigger, stronger and tougher guys. Moreover, in the first fifteen games, he has played in, he has been struggling with his shot as he is shooting a low 29.2% from beyond the arc and a decent 43.4% from inside the line.
In addition, he has gotten on record stating that he wants to be the best point-guard in the competition, but he has been involved in some interesting and tough situations as he has been ejected against Panathinaikos in the away game against Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens, while he also exchanged some words with Brian Roberts of Olympiacos on Instagram. He has emerged as Milano‘s leader, however, as he has had some impressive games.
Finally, coach Pianigiani shared his opinion on Theodore, stating he has confidence in his guard and that he will become a lot better day by day.
FC Barcelona Lassa – Thomas Heurtel
- Stats: 9.7 points, 6.7 assists
- Team Record: 6-10
- Age: 28
- Position: G
Last season was a disaster for FC Barcelona Lassa. This season, with the addition of many experienced and talented players, the Spanish team wants to return to the EuroLeague playoffs and reach as high as they possibly can, though they haven’t started off well. The team is 13th in the standings with a 6-10 record. The 28-year-old guard, however, is having a good season. He is averaging 9.7 points, 6.7 assists (2nd in the competition), 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game. Despite having good numbers across the board, he is shooting a low 25.6% from beyond the arc, but a great 52.7% from inside the field.
His two best games this season have come against Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Unicaja Malaga, respectively. In Belgrade, he finished with a double-double: 14 points and 10 assists, while against Malaga he posted 19 points and 9 assists.
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade – James Feldeine
- Stats: 13.5 points, 3.1 assists
- Team Record: 6-9
- Age: 29
- Position: G
In early August, Zvezda added the former Panathinaikos player, James Feldeine to their roster. Halfway through the season, Feldeine is emerging as the go-to guy on Zvezda’s team and also evolving as a leader next to Pero Antic and Tyler Rochestie. The 29-year-old guard is averaging 13.5 points, 3.1 assists 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting a solid 46.5% from inside the three-point line. Zvezda have had their ups and downs this season and currently sit 11th in the standings.
Individually, Feldeine has had some impressive games where he has filled the box-score. Against Efes, he set a new career-high with 29 points, while against Valencia (26 pts) and his former team, Panathinaikos (21 pts), he also scored 20+ points. As he has proven on the court, he is a great shooter who can catch fire and hit tough shots down the stretch.
Brose Bamberg – Dorell Wright
- Stats: 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds
- Team Record: 6-9
- Age: 32
- Position: F
Earlier in October, Dorell Wright signed with Brose Bamberg and, so far, he has not disappointed. In the twelve games he has played in the EuroLeague, he has emerged as Bamberg’s best player. The 32-year-old veteran is scoring 11.1 points per game while also grabbing 5.7 rebounds a night. In a tough win against Olympiacos, he finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, while against Barcelona and a great comeback win he led his team with 16 points and seven rebounds
Wright has become the go-to guy for coach Trinchieri’s team and according to the master himself, the 32-year old forward knows how to play the game of basketball. Bamberg is currently 12th in the standings, just two wins away from the 8th spot that will give them the ticket to move on to the playoffs.
Unicaja Malaga – Nemanja Nedovic
- Stats: 15.8 points, 4.1 assists
- Team Record: 7-9
- Age: 26
- Position: G
Even though he is just 26 years of age, Nemanja Nedovic’s experience has been huge for his team so far this year. He has spent three seasons in Europe’s best domestic league, the ACB, and most of the times he has been the go-to guy for his team. In the first half of the EuroLeague season, Nedovic is putting up 15.8 points per game, 4.1 assists, and 1.7 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Malaga’s leader is also shooting a decent 47.1% from inside the three-point line. His ability to score from mid-range but also control the tempo of the game makes him a crucial player on Joan Plaza’s team.
Individually, he has been impressive this season. Against Barcelona, Nedovic put up 26 points and led his team over Sito Alonso’s side. The goal this season for this new team in the competition is to be better day by day, take everything slow, one step at a time and try to win some games that could get the team closer to the top 8. With a 7-9 record, Malaga are one win away from the number eight seed but have had some good wins against some tough teams.
Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz – Jayson Granger
- Stats: 9.4 points, 5.6 assists
- Team Record: 7-8
- Age: 28
- Position: G
Last season the Uruguayan point guard played in Turkey for Efes and in the off-season signed with Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz. His speed, ability to finish at the rim, experience over the years and, most importantly, his ability to finish through contact and also shoot threes, effectively provide Baskonia with many ‘weapons.’ The season did not start particularly well for Baskonia, but the team has turned things around and currently have a decent 7-8 record. Granger is putting up good numbers as he is scoring 9.4 points and handing out 5.6 assists (4th in the competition).
The Spanish side wants to compete for a spot in the playoffs and with a good Jayson Granger, Baskonia could be in the top 8 in the next couple of months.
Khimki Moscow Region – Alexey Shved
- Stats: 21.4 points, 4.3 assists
- Team Record: 8-7
- Age: 29
- Position: G
Coming off a phenomenal EuroBasket (member of the All-EuroBasket team), in this first phase Alexey Shved has been looking for ways to lead this Khimki Moscow Region team to the EuroLeague playoffs. He is the best player on the roster and the team’s leader. His unique scoring skills, abilities in isolation, deep three-pointers, and floaters in the paint give him various advantages over the rival defense. He has to become better in breaking down a defense through passing and team play but, overall, he is a great player who can get you 20-25 points every night.
In these first fifteen games, he has been able to average 21.4 points (leading the competition even though he has stated he does not care about winning the scoring title), 4.3 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The 29-year-old guard has scored double digits in all games so far, with his best one being against Olimpia Milan where he went off for 29 points; a career high. Khimki are in the playoffs picture with an 8-7 record, have had some injuries, but could be better. Finally, as coach Georgios Bartzokas has stated, Shved has to be controlled sometimes.
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv – Norris Cole
- Stats: 14.0 points, 4.1 assists
- Team Record: 8-7
- Age: 29
- Position: G
Coming off the bench for an over 50% Maccabi team, Norris Cole is emerging as the go-to guy for coach Neven Spahija. With an 8-7 record, the Israeli side is sitting at the seventh spot in the standings. The 29-year-old is having a great season as he is posting up impressive numbers across the board, while also finishing games off in the clutch. He is averaging 14.0 points, 4.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals while shooting a decent 43% from the field. Cole has scored more than 20 points four times, the best one so far being against CSKA Moscow. He finished that game with 24 points, 7 assists and 4 steals.
Moreover, in these first fifteen games, he has had eleven games where he finished with a double-digit number of points. He scored 19 points against the defending champions to lead Maccabi past Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul. Maccabi want to be in the playoffs picture, as does Norris Cole, but they also want to compete for a spot in the top 4 in order to gain the home court advantage and have a legitimate chance at making the Final Four in Belgrade.
Real Madrid – Luka Doncic
- Stats: 18.6 points, 5.7 rebounds
- Team Record: 9-6
- Age: 18
- Position: G
Perhaps the best 18-year-old basketball player in the world, Luka Doncic is already showcasing his talents in the EuroLeague. With Sergio Llull’s injury, Doncic has taken on the biggest challenge of his career as he is leading this historic club (9-6 wins) at just 18 years of age. Last season he had an important role in Real Madrid’s rotation as he averaged 19.9 minutes, scoring 7.8 points per game. This time around he is having a different kind of season, as he has become the team’s number one option. So far, he has been phenomenal, scoring 18.6 points, grabbing 5.7 rebounds and handing out 4.6 assists per game, while also shooting an impressive 50.3% from the field. Against Olympiacos, in Greece, he managed to score a career-high 33 points but he stated that he does not care about his career-high because the team suffered a loss. Against the defending champs, he had 20 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in Real Madrid’s win.
He has playmaking skills, passing ability, and court vision, but he can also rebound the ball, run in transition and make tough shots, including circus lay-ups and deep three-pointers from downtown. Doncic can do it all at 18, and this is something rare and unique.
Zalgiris Kaunas – Kevin Pangos
- Stats: 12.1 points, 5.6 assists
- Team Record: 10-5
- Age: 24
- Position: G
Despite being only 24 years old, Kevin Pangos’s experience and his right approach to the game of basketball give him the characteristics of a real leader for a good Zalgiris Kaunas team. With a high reach potential to go along with his offensive skills, he can break down a defense through his passing and also finish with floaters and three-point shots, making him the go-to guy for Zalgiris. His calmness, on and off the court, and his mentality add to his talent. In a great 10-5 Zalgiris team (4th in the standings), Pangos is learning from coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and getting better day-by-day. He is currently averaging 12.1 points, 5.6 assists (3rd in the competition) and 2.5 rebounds per game. What is special about him is his efficiency. The 24-year-old guard is shooting 50% from beyond the arc and 46.4% from inside the three-point line.
He has had some memorable games in this first phase of the season. Against Fenerbahce Dogus he finished with 22 points, emerging as a leader and leading his team to victory. Adding to that, he also had a great game against Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens, handing out a career-high 11 assists. It is his second season with the team, meaning he knows the environment, the coaching staff, and fans really well. This season, Zalgiris want to take the extra step and reach the top 8, and so far the plan is working to perfection as the team currently sits in fourth place in the standings.