[lptitle title=”Start the countdown“]
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By Panos Katsiroumpas/ info@eurohoops.net
It might be more than 2 months before the new Euroleague season starts but nonetheless the teams’ recruitment is continuing at a rapid pace. We will try, even at this early stage, to approach the style of play of the biggest teams, based on the changes to their rosters, but also to prepare an initial Top 8 in a similar vein to the NCAA. A Top 8 in which we will make a preliminary prediction regarding the teams that have the most chances of rising to the throne, in 9 months from now in Berlin!
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[lptitle title=”8. MACCABI T.A. & KHIMKI “]
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The Israelis made some very important moves in the transfer market. With Farmar and Rochestie they will have an impressive offensive line along the perimeter, while Faverani together with Mbakwe can threaten in various ways close to the basket. The people’s team will continue with the sure way of the Run n Gun but with an exceptionally astute player at the helm. Surely there will be a few more quality additions until the rosters are locked in place and Maccabi will once again be more than competitive.
Khimki’s Russians kept the backbone that led them to the comfortable win of the Eurocup. They reinforced their backcourt with Shved, a player who can contribute in all kinds of offensive games, and together with Rice and Koponen they will constitute a nuclear arsenal. They still have one of the most offensively complete bigmen of the tournament, who listens to the name Paul Davis, but they are lagging considerably in some pieces of the puzzle, like defense in the pick-and-roll and pressure on the ball. They are going to rely on the offensive talent they have accumulated and to get in the Top 8 they will have to outdo themselves.
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[lptitle title=”7. PANATHINAIKOS“]
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This year the Greens are turning a new page, as this season is expected to be the 1st where the keys for the guards’ positions are going to change hands and no longer be kept by Dimitris Diamantidis. Calathes’s arrival offers great quality in transition, in reading the game and in defense on the ball. There is also more quality in the forward positions with the arrival of Pavlovic, while Pappas’s return will make coach Djordjevic’s job even easier.
The only part that the greens seem to leave open is that of the undersized center with the choice of the bigger bodies being a risk especially in the defensive part. But even there in offense, the greens will also have an excellent pick-and-roll finisher who is also good in post situations in the face of Miroslav Raduljica, with Kuzmic also providing solutions of a similar quality. We are definitely waiting to see how well Panathinaikos’s front line is going to respond in the defensive part. Perhaps this will be the biggest challenge for Djordjevic with the existing roster.
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[lptitle title=”6. FENERBAHCE“]
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Obradovic’s experiment in Istanbul will be quite intriguing this year as well. What made a big impression, is that Fener unloaded three heavy bodies in the center position with great ease, with Savas, Zoric and Erden leaving for other states.
This fact is perhaps an implicit admission from coach Obradovic regarding last year’s wrong staffing of the ‘5’ position. Now, with Antic, Vesely and Udoh, the Turkish front line will have power and speed.
Nemanja Bjelica will be the big loss, which will be covered with 2 stretch ‘4’s that can also play in ‘3’. We are mainly talking about the Italian Gigi Datome and the Turk international Baris Hersek. Clearly the Italian is superior in playing with the ball on the floor and maybe he will be the one to take on the role of last year’s MVP in the Euroleague.
In the guard positions there is a lot of talent with Dixon and Sloukas replacing Zisis and Goudelock. Kalinic and Bogdanovic make an excellent pair for the ‘2’ and ‘3’, while we’re also waiting for Hickman to return as well. What seems to be missing is once again a mastermind who will be able to manage all this talent. Let’s see if Sloukas proves to be the secret key in this area.
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[lptitle title=”5. CSKA MOSCOW“]
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The Russians are counting some losses compared to the 2014-15 roster. Kaun, Kirilenko and Weems are gone and the losses are quite significant. Freeland and Higgins will be called to fill their shoes, with the first one being good in the offensive part but in the defensive part not as good a rim protector as his predecessor.
Higgins, on the other side, is an excellent player who can help in more areas of the game compared to Weems, but who slightly lacks in offensive talent.
Hines and Nichols are this year’s keys, as they are expected to have more playing time but also a more active role in CSKA’s roster. Both can mark well in switches while they’re also good finishers in the offensive part, with Nichols being able to threaten from the perimeter as well. The trio of guards, despite being greatly doubted after the Final Four in Madrid, remained the same with Jackson, Teodosic and De Colo constituting the firepower in facilitating and in offense, with the exception of the American who is a cause for concern in regards to the defensive puzzle of the Russians.
For yet another year the goal will be to conquer the top and clearly the demands from the face of coach Itoudis will be rise.
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