By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
Eurohoops presents the third edition of the MVP Ladder with 14 Rounds of the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season in the books.
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: Shavon Shields (AX Armani Exchange Milan), Elie Okobo (LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne)
#5 LORENZO BROWN (previous rank: new entry)
UNICS Kazan | Guard | August 26, 1990 | USA
13.1 pts | 4.1 reb | 5.1 ast | 1.6 stl | 0.1 blk | 2.9 tov | 29:55 min | 16.4 PIR | 14 G
Player performance: 9
Team’s course: 7
Role of the player: 8
Consistency: 7
Leadership: 8
Total: 39
To be fair, Lorenzo Brown has been playing very well since the beginning of the season. His solid showings were overshadowed by UNICS Kazan underperforming as a team. Bouncing back with seven wins in the last nine games, his team seems to have fully recovered from the sluggish start.
Zo has been maybe the most influential player during that ongoing comeback. Ranked 18th in points scored might not be impressive, but being second in assists and seventh in PIR display the extent of his contribution. Good stuff.
#4 SHANE LARKIN (previous rank: new entry)
Anadolu Efes | Guard | October 2, 1992 | USA
13.5 pts | 2.1 reb | 4.9 ast | 1.4 stl | 0 blk | 2.6 tov | 29:41 min | 17.3 PIR | 14 G
Player performance: 9
Team’s course: 5
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 8
Leadership: 9
Total: 40
The MVP Ladder having lacked an Anadolu Efes Istanbul player so far seemed wrong. Well, Shane Larkin, welcome back. Despite the defending champions suffering back-to-back losses preventing them from entering the spots leading to the playoffs, it is obvious the team is back on track. Predicting the future in this case might not be far-fetched.
Larkin has not been firing on all cylinders just yet. Ranked 16th with 13.5 points per game proves as much. Nonetheless, he currently sits third in assists and fourth in PIR. At this point, expecting more buckets to complete the lethal combination can be scary.
#3 WILL CLYBURN (previous rank: tied 4th)
CSKA Moscow | Forward | May 17, 1990 | USA
15.5 pts | 4.8 reb | 1.3 ast | 0.8 stl | 0.4 blk | 1.8 tov | 28:58 min | 16.1 PIR | 14 G
Player performance: 8
Team’s course: 8
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 8
Leadership: 8
Total: 41
The detrimental impact of the multiple players getting injured was more than apparent on CSKA Moscow. Will Clyburn was among the few players remaining healthy. That CSKA is on the rebound, health-wise, is the bad part of the story for the remaining EuroLeague clubs.
The Thrill is one of the main reasons the Army Men are still in the top eight spots of the standings, with five wins in the last six games, including four in a row. Consistency will push him higher than his current rankings of fifth in points and 11th in PIR.
#2 WALTER TAVARES (previous rank: re-entry)
Real Madrid | Center | March 22, 1992 | Cabo Verde
12.2 pts | 7.1 reb | 0.8 ast | 1.1 stl | 1.8 blk | 1.7 tov | 24:26 min | 19.5 PIR | 14 G
Player performance: 9
Team’s course: 9
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 8
Leadership: 7
Total: 42
He stands tall on offense without even having the ball in his hands and he is always at the center of Madrid’s defence. You can’t find another player like Tavares in the EuroLeague. The way he influences the game is unique and the fact that Real Madrid sits second in the standings has everything to do with him.
He is leading the league in two-point shooting efficiency (77.1%) and blocks. He is second in rebounds and PIR. He has registered two double-doubles. And if you foul him, he has a more than a good chance to make the free throws (71.4% efficiency).
#1 NIKOLA MIROTIC (previous rank: 1st)
FC Barcelona | Forward | February 11, 1991 | Spain
17.5 pts | 5.8 reb | 1.4 ast | 0.9 stl | 0.2 blk | 1.5 tov | 24:31 min | 22.1 PIR | 14 G
Player performance: 9
Team’s course: 9
Role of the player: 9
Consistency: 8
Leadership: 9
Total: 44
In case you missed it, he was named MVP of Round 14. He previously got the nod in Round 9. In addition, he earned the October MVP award. Individual awards are piling up. Still, FC Barcelona once again enjoys the view from the top of the standings without company. Alex Abrines is sidelined long-term, Nick Calathes and Cory Higgins are also out, but Nikola Mirotic is available.
Miro the Hero scoring in double-digits has been the theme in 13 out of the 14 games this season. He went over the 20-point mark in five occasions. Most recently exploded for 31 points and registered his first double-double since last March. He ranks second in points scored, tenth in rebounds, and first in PIR. Dominating the playing field retains him on top of the MVP Ladder.