By Semih Tuna/ stuna@eurohoops.net
A new day, a new season, a new Istanbul derby in the EuroLeague.
Anadolu Efes, led by Erdem Can, began to restructure its roster following the departures of Ergin Ataman and Vasilije Micic. More recently, Fenerbahçe Beko appointed Saras Jasikevicius as head coach and inspired hope in its fans with successive victories.
Every team in the EuroLeague feels the need to win every game. However, the Istanbul derby goes beyond the simple necessity to win.
Why should Anadolu Efes win this game?
Efes started the EuroLeague season with a difficult schedule and tumultuous performances, and they must win this match to avoid further turbulence, even if a defeat would not mean a collapse concerning their position in the standings. During every season, there are turning points. The new version of Efes already had a successful test against Panathinaikos in the first of these points, and the team was able to bond together.
Still, while Efes‘s win rate was above 50% just a couple of weeks ago, three straight defeats have led to new concerns and a 7-9 record.
After the New Year, Anadolu Efes will go to Spain for double-round games in Valencia and Madrid a week before facing Ergin Ataman’s Panathinaikos in Greece. They will then host Virtus, Barcelona and Monaco at home. That’s six consecutive opponents currently ranked in the top eight of the standings.
Given the rigors of the away games, the back-to-back double-round weeks and the level of its competition, Efes could be in for a nightmare start to the new year. A successful outcome in this derby may help strengthen the team’s psychological bonds, but the impact of a home win against a direct opponent and archrival will be felt off the court as well.
Frankly, Anadolu Efes needs this victory far more than Fenerbahce, considering what’s coming up next.
Why should Fenerbahce Beko win this game?
Awful road trips, disastrous second halves after Plan A didn’t work, the lack of a clear-cut leader… Even though Fenerbahçe Beko had not yet lost a home game, the fans were skeptical about Dimitris Itoudis’s team. The Fenerbahçe board did not ignore the situation, and parted ways with the Greek coach following a Turkish Basketball League defeat at the hands of Efes.
Sarunas Jasikevicius, one of Europe’s biggest names and a fan favorite, took over the bench. Fenerbahçe has restored energy and hope. It might be unreasonable to expect a new head coach to implement major changes in such a short amount of time, but there were some changes.
Tyler Dorsey was reintroduced into the rotation. Scottie Wilbekin has shown how productive he can be in a slightly different role. The team’s inconsistency in third quarters has been put aside for the time being, and the team began to rise in the EuroLeague standings by winning its first three games under Saras.
The Lithuanian legend started his Fenerbahçe stint with a favorable schedule, and there’s even more on the way. If Fenerbahçe beats Efes, the team could be in for a huge streak as the favorites in the next seven games, five of which will take place at the Ulker Sports and Event Hall. Plus, it’s a chance to psychologically beat your cross-town rival and to dream about getting home-court advantage in the EuroLeague Playoffs.
On top of that, even if Fenerbahçe loses, there is no need to paint a black picture of the schedule ahead due to the team’s ongoing unbeaten streak on its home court.
On-court situation
On paper, Fenerbahçe has the advantage over its rivals due to having key players from last season in place. In the scoring guard and forward rotations, there is a considerable diversity and depth compared to Efes. Given all this, Fenerbahçe can afford to play more aggressively.
Unlike under Itoudis, the due of of Wilbekin and Nick Calathes is more balanced, playing with harmony and control of the game. While Efes’s guards outweighed Fenerbahçe in their domestic league game, the needle is currently trending towards Fenerbahçe at positions 2 and 3.
Elijah Bryant returned to the Efes rotation, but the reality is that physically he is not at his 100%. Darius Thompson is in a position where his consistency is still questionable nobody knows what he’ll do from one game to the next.
The 1-to-5 pick-and-rolls will be one area in which Efes will have an advantage against Fenerbahçe Beko. Given Fenerbahçe’s weaknesses in pick-and-rolls, the harm that can come in the paint from a big man like Daniel Oturu, who has a very deep offensive arsenal, can be significant. Oturu is in excellent form and Shane Larkin was rested in the previous domestic game, so he should be fresh. Given the importance of the match, he might play 30-35 minutes. Efes will undoubtedly try to speed up the game, attack the Fenerbahçe big men’s slow feet, and benefit from there.
So you can’t really bet on anyone, but one thing is for sure. The “every game matters” EuroLeague mantra applies in this contest more than any, so you should be ready for a fun ride.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net