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By George Orfanakis/ info@eurohoops.net
The season is completed in all the domestic leagues and just before the draw of the new season Eurohoops examines the course of the 24 teams that competed in the 2014-15 Euroleague and ranks them based on the expectations and goals they fulfilled.
During the summer period most clubs design and materialize the plan for next season. The main changes are made in light of the team’s progress throughout the year and the degree to which they met the goals they had set. For some teams the year is deemed as a success based exclusively on their course in the Euroleague while for others the key task is to celebrate the conquest of domestic titles at the end of the season.
Eurohoops.net evaluates the course of the 24 teams that competed in the Euroleague, having as the main criterion the degree to which they fulfilled their goals, the titles they celebrated at the end of the season and the impression they made in the basketball world. Apart from the evaluation on each of the teams individually, there is also an overall ranking, from the top team to the least successful.
Here is the presentation of the teams that ranked 24th-13th according to Eurohoops.
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[lptitle title=”24. UNICS Kazan“]
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Euroleague
Regular season: 5th (5-5 wins)
Eurocup
Last32: 1st (4-2 wins)
Group of 16: Qualification (2-0 over Cantu)
Quarterfinals: Qualification (over Lokomotiv Kuban)
Semifinals: Disqualification (0-2 to Gran Canaria)
VTB League
Regular season: 6th (19-11 wins)
Playoffs: Quarterfinals (0-3 to Lokomotiv Kuban without a home advantage)
How much worse can a season turn out for a team? UNICS Kazan made some impressive moves in the summer’s transfer market, bringing big names to Russia like Langford and Jerrells, in this way raising the bar of expectations. They managed to get in the group stage in the Euroleague but what followed was disheartening! Bad basketball and premature disqualification in the Euroleague while in the VTB the team only managed to reach the quarterfinals. Considering the proportions and the expectations, UNICS Kazan had the worst season out of the 24 teams in total that played in the Euroleague.
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[lptitle title=”23. EA7 Milano “]
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Euroleague
Regular period: 4th (5-5 wins)
Top 16: 6th (4-10 wins)
Championship
Regular period: 1st (26-4 wins)
Playoffs: Semifinals (3-4 from Sassari with a home advantage)
One of the biggest disappointments from the season that ended was Milano. Hackett staying and the summer transfer moves (Brooks, Kleiza, James) had created some high expectations but the team didn’t make it. Good basketball, disqualification in the Top 16 in the Euroleague and a disappointing run in the playoffs of the Italian championship with the team not even able to compete for the title in the finals. Compared to last season, Milano made some steps back.
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[lptitle title=”22. Turow Zgorzelec “]
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Euroleague
Regular season: 6th (1-9 wins)
Eurocup
Last 32: 1st (5-1 wins)
Group of 16: Disqualification (0-2 by Paris Levallois)
Championship
Regular season: 1st (23-7 wins)
Playoffs: 2nd (2-4 from Zielona Gora with a home advantage)
Taking under consideration the proportions and the low capacity of the Polish championship, Turow was one of the pleasant surprises of this year’s Euroleague. They played aggressive basketball, they were competitive and they even managed to get a win against Bayern Munich. Their year however is deemed unsuccessful since, domestically, they couldn’t make it either in the Cup or the championship, losing both titles to their big rivals Zielona Gora who celebrated the double.
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[lptitle title=”21. Neptunas Klaipeda“]
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Euroleague
Regular season: 5th (4-6 wins)
Eurocup
Last 32: 4th (1-5 wins)
Lithuanian Championship
Regular season: 3rd (31-9 wins)
Playoffs: Semifinals (1-3 to Lietuvos Rytas without a home advantage)
In their Euroleague debut Neptunas had a very good presence and only by a very small margin lost the qualification to the ‘16’ to Galatasaray. From that point on, their European course was very short since they were knocked out in the group of 32 in the Eurocup. But domestically as well, Neptunas didn’t manage to celebrate any titles and remained in the shadows of traditional powers such as Lietuvos and Zalgiris, completing a season with neither a positive or a negative sign.
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