[lptitle title=”start the countdown“]
[lpcontent]
By Nikos Varlas / varlas@eurohoops.net
The season gets under way in a few days and the time has come for the top 100 Euroleague Rankings. A difficult concept, subjective, one that – by nature – creates differing opinions and disagreements!
Eurohoops begins the presentation from the bottom up and the main thing that has to be made clear is that our Rankings are not made based on those that are published about NBA players in the USA. It’s true that the individual element is very important, but we equally evaluate the team’s dynamics and potential.
You can surf on Eurohoops’ Trademark Section and check out all the previous choices of Top 100 list.
Criteria
1. PLAYER’S VALUE: The overall competitive evaluation of players. The characteristics of their game, their worth, their leadership skills, their quality as a unit independent of the team they play for.
2. PLAYER’S ROLE: The importance of a player for their team as we evaluate and predict it for the new season.
3. TEAM’S WORTH: The team the player we choose plays for, its apparent value in the league in the long term and the potential it has. How far the player’s team that is chosen for the new Euroleague season can go.
4. INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL: The individual potential of the player, exclusively. The extent to which they can grow and improve, how high they can go based on their value, talent and age.
5. THE NUMBERS: The statistics we speculate the player can tally on average, when their team’s run in the Euroleague is completed. This is definitely an important criterion but the last priority for our choices, since it depends directly on the quality of the team they play for and their role in the team.
These are the 5 criteria that we factor in in order to reach an overall assessment of every player individually and from that point to draw the Top 100 Ranks. If you consider that around 360 players are registered on the rosters of the Euroleague, you will comprehend how hard and tortuous it was to make these selections!
So many players of value that we respect infinitely for whom there was not enough space and, really, from a total of 150 players, the list of the 100 was drawn up with great difficulty. Especially in the bottom 20 slots, there could be any name from the 50 that were necessarily not included and we ask for your understanding for this in advance.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”10 Juan Carlos Navarro “]
[lpcontent]
#10 Juan Carlos Navarro
1980 1m.91 G
Barcelona
The greatest scorer in the modern history of the Euroleague! The most charismatic scorer that has appeared in many years, with his floaters and his killer shooting ability his trademarks. A leader and a personality who has stigmatized the Catalonian club as well as the whole Spanish basketball. Unfortunately, his injuries have really cost him a lot in the past few years. He misses games, he plays less minutes, doesn’t have the same consistency in his dazzling range and impact on big games. But, still, he is Navarro and as long as he’s active he’ll be ranked – a priori – among the best! When healthy, he makes Barcelona more than a contender…
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”9 Giorgos Printezis “]
[lpcontent]
#9 Giorgos Printezis
1985 2m.02 F
Olympiacos
Even higher than last year’s evaluation. He’s worth it and if we look back at the last four years, based on the results of his team and his individual contribution and impact, he can be described – with good reason – the best ‘4’ in the Euroleague. Amazingly effective with an abundance of moves in his game with his back against the basket in the low post, he’s introduced his own style with his shot, a weird hook, and next to his experience, in the last few seasons he has also added some more class. He’s always there for his team and he has big games as the tournament progresses. This year, his role is going to be even more pivotal and “consolidated” in Olympiacos.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”8 Nando De Colo “]
[lpcontent]
#8 Nando de Colo
1987 1m.95 G
CSKA Moscow
Unparalleled quality in offense. He can deliver in both positions along the perimeter. A great shooter from any kind of distance, equally skillful at dribbling his way through a defense and his masterful execution is coupled with a very good perception of the game and a very high level of facilitating abilities. He definitely ranks among the best combo guards in the league. In individual defense he might not be top-grade, but he works hard and he has the way to mark even dangerous scorers successfully. Yet another area in which he is distinguished is stealing.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”7 Nick Calathes “]
[lpcontent]
#7 Nick Calathes
1989 1m.98 G
Panathinaikos
Yet another player who left the NBA for Europe and returned to the team with which he won the title in 2011. Panathinaikos’s most important signing in recent years, he also signals the post-Diamantidis era. An excellent defender on the ball as well as on individual defense, a purebred playmaker and facilitator. So far, his strong legs and fast feet made his drives the leading offensive threat of his game, but in his latest samples with the national team of Greece he showed improved percentages in his three-point shooting as well. A very important player with overall value and contribution in the game, it will be seen this year – and still further in the coming years – whether he has the stuff of a leader and the extent to which he does.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”6 Rudy Fernandez “]
[lpcontent]
#6 Rudy Fernandez
1985 1m.96 G/F
Real Madrid
One of the best players in the league offensively, ever since he came back from the NBA. “Ethereal,” dangerous when he gets into a rhythm in his shooting from the perimeter and with numerous impressive and effective moves coming from the outside in. He can finish plays in many ways and this is why he’s unpredictable and hard to face for opposing defenses. A good rebounder, he’s… selective with the games in which he’ll expend extra energy in defense. The only thing that he still hasn’t achieved is to become in duration a first among equals in Real’s big title wins.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”5 Jan Vesely “]
[lpcontent]
#5 Jan Vesely
1990 2m.10 F/C
Fenerbahce
His relocation from the “4” position to the “5” turned out to be a magical move. As a center, he’s taking the world by storm in Europe! Like his teammates say: He’s everywhere, all of the time! Magisterial in anything that has to do with his game over the rim in defense and in offense, commanding in rebounding and blocking, lots of momentum on both sides of the court, in pick and roll situations. He proved with the national team of the Czech Republic that he can put up some big numbers and double-doubles on a regular basis. Now he has to do it with Fenerbahce as well. If he manages to improve his technique and his percentages in free throws, he can become a dominant big man in the league.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=” 4 Sergio Rodriguez “]
[lpcontent]
#4 Sergio Rodriguez
1986 1m.89 G
Real Madrid
One of tournament’s “magicians”! An artist in the pick and roll, not only can he pass in every way imaginable (and impossible), he can also read the defense and execute a three-pointer, make a shot from mid distance or go to the drive. He’s the man who makes the difference in offence in the 5v5 for Real and when he’s in good shape, he makes the queen, not just extremely talented, but mind-blowing. In Real’s historic season last year he didn’t reach his highest performance standards – Lull’s prolific game might have something to do with this – but he’s still a barometer for Real, the team that heads out as a favorite for a Back2Back title.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”3 Milos Teodosic “]
[lpcontent]
#3 Milos Teodosic
1987 1m.95 G
CSKA Moscow
The… branded one! The player who never goes unnoticed. Clearly the guard with the biggest natural talent in the whole competition. When his body and mind are in good condition, watching him is a “basketball wet dream.” He’s the definition of the playmaker that can unfold all the basics of basketball on the court in a “scientific” way. Unrivaled in the offensive package that he offers, with unremarkable athletic qualities or defensive skills. His last seasons in the Euroleague have been amazing in terms of numbers and duration of high performance levels. He still has the “stigma” of not winning the Euroleague, having reached 5 Final Fours so far in his career.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”2 Sergio Llull “]
[lpcontent]
#2 Sergio Llull
1987 1m.90 G
Real Madrid
This guy has to work on a… charger! There is no other guard in the Euroleague that is capable of producing more energy on the court and being so effective on both ends of the court for so long. In offense, as well as in defense. Last year he rightfully emerged as the player with the biggest overall contribution in Real’s successes and it’s no coincidence that he has the most playing minutes. A great defender, a permanent threat in every way in offense, and the most important? Last year he recorded an unreal performance in the assist-mistakes ratio, proof that he now has a top-grade perception of the game as well. An impressive progress, he has earned everything through sheer hard work.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”1 Vassilis Spanoulis “]
[lpcontent]
#1 Vassilis Spanoulis
1982 1m.93 G
Olympiacos
From number 2 of last year’s evaluation, he climbed to the top. Even though we’re expecting a very tough season for him on an individual level, with even greater demands, because of Olympiacos’s new structure this year. Why number 1? The reason is simple: The duration of his historic achievements. He’s the absolute leader of a team that counts three finals and two wins in the last four years, while the budget of that team is a lot smaller compared to other top teams. As so many opponents rightly acknowledge, he has been the top player in the league for many years. Every season, every night, in every possession, the defenses are tailored to deal with him. All that he has accomplished take us back 2 or 3 decades, when basketball was very different and we enjoyed players that faced mass defenses and so often found the way to beat them. In his own modern way, V-Span has brought back to the fore defenses of this kind. For this reason, he’s a phenomenon.
[/lpcontent]