By Giorgos Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net
The top 16 teams in Europe compete every week in front of basketball fans with the common goal of getting as far as they can in the competition.
The big protagonists are of course the players themselves! Some were disappointing, some satisfying and some others shined on the court. These last ones make up the All-EuroLeague Second Team at the end of the first phase.
The criteria for the final selection were the following:
- Performance: A player’s individual performance and the degree to which he met the demands in terms of what was expected of him.
- Role: The role each player has in his team and the extent to which the team can cope without him on the court.
- Subjective view: When we’re dealing with the best of a bunch of players, there are always many objections and disagreements. As is normal, the subjective criterion is what directly affects the final decision.
So, taking into account all of the above, Eurohoops presents five players who stood out in the first half of the regular season and earned a spot on the All-EuroLeague Second Team.
Norris Cole (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
Stats: 14 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 13.3 PIR
Norris Cole is quite possibly the most athletic player in his position in the entire EuroLeague and this element has helped him shine in the first half of the competition. Besides, when we’re dealing with a former NBAer who has won two rings next to LeBron James, you don’t have to say much.
Maccabi is on track to make the playoffs and the American guard can boast that he has a significant share in this success.
If his percentages were a bit better (34% in two-point field goals) and his assist to turnover ratio (4.1 to 1.9) a bit higher, he could have made the All-EuroLeague First Team. Cole is definitely a reason to keep track of Maccabi this season…
Alexey Shved (Khimki)
Stats: 21.4 points, 4.3 assists, 32.6% threes, 15.3 PIR
When we’re dealing with the top scorer in the EuroLeague this season, no special recommendations are needed. Alexey Shved plays to score and he does exactly that.
The Russian guard is the de facto leader of Khimki and while he is not as efficient as coach Giorgos Bartzokas would like, the team lives or dies by his hand.
Even his percentages are not the best possible, he scores 21,4 points on average in the colors of Khimki with a 19.2 PIR. The “Alphonso Ford” award is coming his way…
Will Clyburn (CSKA Moscow)
Stats: 12.7 points, 6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 14.7 PIR
Will Clyburn was transferred to CSKA Moscow from Darussafaka and proved in this first phase that he has all it takes to be in a team that is a title contender.
No other player in this position can grab as many rebounds, while his athletic and physical qualities make him valuable both in offense and defense. He runs the court, creates plays for himself, is excellent in the 1-on-1 and produces a lot of energy on the court.
If there is something he needs to improve as the season wears on, that is the consistency in his performance, while it must be emphasized that now he has become even better from outside the three-point line.
Stats: 15.3 points, 6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 19.3 PIR
Tornike Shengelia is having his best season in the years he has been playing in the EuroLeague, contributing in all areas of the game. The Georgian forward can put the ball on the floor, post up, be the first to run on the counter and threaten from mid-range.
He’s without a doubt Baskonia’s MVP in the first 15 rounds and the one who came closer than anyone else to getting in the First Team! Despite this, the Basques’ place in the standings doesn’t allow him to be in the Top 5 for now.
James Gist (Panathinaikos)
Stats: 10.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 11.9 PIR
EuroLeague fans are enjoying the best James Gist in the years he has been playing in the competition! The American has recovered from last season’s serious injury and is now Panathinaikos’s best solution in the ‘5’ position.
The presence of the 31-year-old forward/center raises the Greens’ level through his energy in defense and his offensive solutions in the pick and roll and the post. His collaboration with the smaller players is excellent as he’s a master of the alley-oop, and of spectacular moves in general, while he has the qualifications to keep in check any opponent, regardless of their position.