By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
We rated the players on a scale of 1 to 10 in five different areas to reveal the competitive value of each so far this season.
Honorable mentions: Edy Tavares (Real Madrid), James Nunnally (Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv), Vasilije Micic (Anadolu Efes), Luke Sikma (ALBA Berlin).
#4 MIKE JAMES (previous rank: 2nd)
AS Monaco | Guard | 18 August 1990 | USA
14 pts | 3.3 reb | 5.1 ast | 1.9 stl | 0 blk | 2.9 tov | 29:34 min | 4 PIR | 9 G
Player performance: 8
Team’s course: 7
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 7
Leadership: 9
Total: 40
It’s still early, but AS Monaco has already gone through some memorable situations in its EuroLeague debut. The 5-4 start, apart from being tied for eighth place, demonstrates the team’s high goals rather than succumbing to growing pains. Mike James has been a key part of that.
He unpredictably ranks 11th in points scored, but sits second in both assists and steals. Recent poor shooting showings failed to reduce his anticipated productivity, but have knocked him to 21st place in the PIR standings and out of second place in the first MVP Ladder. Despite that decline, he has established himself as a player capable of overcoming adversity.
#4 WILL CLYBURN (previous rank: new entry)
CSKA Moscow | Forward | 17 May 1990 | USA
16.7 pts | 5.6 reb | 1.2 ast | 0.8 stl | 0.4 blk | 2 tov | 29:09 min | 17.3 PIR | 9 G
Player performance: 8
Team course: 7
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 8
Leadership: 8
Total: 40
Tornike Shengelia was firing on all cylinders before being forced to the injury list, ahead of the first MVP Ladder. Despite the ensuing rough patch and currently being tied for eighth place at 5-4, it would be a huge error to misjudge Will Clyburn and CSKA Moscow. Startlingly, the three-game losing streak was snapped with a 74-73 victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 9 despite Clyburn being limited to one of his worst performances in the competition. CSKA had lost three games in a row only once before since the introduction of the new format in 2016-17.
Even so, he is CSKA’s go-to guy. Standing fourth in points, 13th in rebounds, and sixth in PIR and also carrying the team through the injury crisis, prove as much.
#2 SHAVON SHIELDS (previous rank: 3rd)
AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milano | Forward | 5 June 1994 | Denmark
12.6 pts | 4.3 reb | 3.3 ast | 1 stl | 0.3 blk | 1.6 tov | 30:11 min | 14.3 PIR | 9 G
Player performance: 8
Team course: 9
Role of the player: 8
Consistency: 8
Leadership: 8
Total: 41
AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milano can be considered an example of a true team. Shavon Shields has emerged as one of the leading players of the team topping the EuroLeague standings with an 8-1 record. His versatile contribution highlights the best-ever start for the Italian team in the current format.
Being 21st in points, 25th in rebounds, and 17th in assists can be misleading. Shields definitely deserves this spot on the MVP Ladder. He and his teammates don’t really need any further proof of his expertise.
#2 ELIE OKOBO (previous rank: new entry)
LDLC ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne | Guard | 3 October 1997 | France
19.2 pts | 4 reb | 3.6 ast | 0.9 stl | 0 blk | 3.8 tov | 27:06 min | 18.9 PIR | 9 G
Player performance: 9
Team course: 8
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 7
Leadership: 8
Total: 41
Admittedly, we did not expect so much from LDLC ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, nor from Elie Okobo. Both the team and the player in a handful of games have provided evidence to the contrary. Really meaning business, tied for third place with a 6-3 record, forced the attitude adjustment.
He is the top scorer so far and the player with the most points in a single game this season when he poured in 35 on 13-of-19 shooting in an 84-80 win over Panathinaikos OPAP Athens in Round 7. Aside from his scoring, Okobo is 19th overall in assists. He sits fourth in PIR.
#1 NIKOLA MIROTIC (previous rank: 1st)
FC Barcelona | Forward | 11 February 1991 | Spain
16.6 pts | 5.7 reb | 1.3 ast | 1.3 stl | 0.3 blk | 1 tov | 25:04 min | 21.6 PIR | 9 G
Player performance: 8
Team course: 8
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 8
Leadership: 9
Total: 42
As both the October and Round 9 MVPs, Nikola Mirotic has been notching individual awards early in the season. In the Round 9 win against Bitci Baskonia, he played only 18:20 and still earned the MVP of the Week nod. He is that good. If “Miro the Hero” is limited, FC Barcelona struggles as well. That was the case in the away loss, 75-70, to AX Armani Exchange Milan in Round 8. The defeat knocked Barca off the top of the standings and to second place.
Overall, his showings so far retain his first place on the MVP Ladder. To be honest, it was not such a big dilemma. He is fifth in points scored packing the highest shooting percentage on three-pointers (51.4%), 12th in rebounds and first in PIR.