By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Fourteen Gamedays full of thrilling contests scattered around Europe generated plenty of breathtaking displays. Experienced players certainly left their mark and younger upstarts established themselves, but extending their runs into the playoffs was not the case for everyone. Eurohoops looks back at the 2019-20 Regular Season and gives a big round of applause for top players that did not make the Round of 16 cut.
Justin Dentmon
EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez did not make it through. Maybe the situation would have been different with Justin Dentmon part of the squad from the beginning of the Regular Season. The experienced and explosive point guard joined in November with the French team down 1-3. Four wins in the next ten matches were not enough.
Dentmon was more than impressive in his return to European club competitions. Led BCL with 20.9 points per outing, also dished out 3 assists and grabbed 2.7 rebounds per contest. “I would say I gave the team a little boost. We already had the heart and will to win,” he told Eurohoops following his victorious debut against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem that ended up first in Group B.
The Washington alumni poured his season-best 35 points opposite to RASTA Vechta and was nearly averaging 24 points per match up to Gameday 12. His scoring touch will be missed throughout the playoffs and the Final Four.
Juvonte Reddic
Falco Szombathely seemed set for the Round of 16 firmly on its Cinderella path, but failed to get the job done. Gasper Okorn’s side was 5-4, but only won one out of its last five games in competitive Group D. Juvonte Reddic led his team in points, rebounds and efficiency rating playing up to Gameday 13.
“Hungary is definitely a country I enjoy playing in,” he told Eurohoops early in the season, “I found the fun in playing basketball again last season here. The Hungarian league is very underrated but we are changing that.”
The VCU alumni produced a breakout season with 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per Regular Season appearance. Previously put up 15.8 points per contest over four qualifying games. Overall improved compared to this previous professional stints in Belgium, Greece and Italy, but is still among the best players not in the playoffs.
Adam Smith
PAOK was another victim of Group D. The Greek club was going through adversity including head coaching adjustments and player changes. However could have made it to the Round of 16 if some tight games fell its way. Surely, Adam Smith is not to blame for elimination.
The 27-year-old guard emerged as the Gameday 6 MVP behind his 31 points and season-high efficiency rating of 28 against Casademont Zaragoza. Both his 17.4 points and 11.7 efficiency rating per appearance were team-highs, but PAOK finished last in the group.
Smith’s had previous Champions League experience in the form of four games with Elan Chalon a couple of years ago. This time around added 14 more outings, most of them very solid, to prove he deserves a spot at the top level of European basketball.