Βy Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
To the surprise of no one, the usual suspects who have established a spot on the top three of the Eurohoops EuroLeague MVP Ladder — Mike James, Facu Campazzo, Tornike Shengelia — simply don’t let go.
They all have had their fair share of ups and downs in some stretches during the previous rounds but also displayed their brilliance several times when needed, and so are still leading the pack.
There’s a new entry in this edition that comes naturally together with this player’s team climbing the standings all the way to the first four places.
1. Mike James, AS Monaco
Season Stats: 19.3 points (1st overall), 5.5 assists (tied for 7th), 4.3 rebounds for 21.5 (1st overall) in PIR
Team Record: 12-10 (tied for 6th)
Previous spot on the MVP Ladder: 1st
Mike James had a couple of bumps in some games over the last couple of weeks, as trips to Greece to face Olympiacos and Panathinaikos weren’t pretty for him and Monaco. Taking into account also how his MVP competitors performed, however, that wasn’t enough to dethrone him from first place on the MVP Ladder, which he’s been occupying since Vol. 1.
Actually, what locked his spot at the top was the game vs. Real Madrid. Against the reigning champion, James bounced back with an outstanding all-around blast of 15 points, a season-high 12 assists, six rebounds and five steals as Monaco handed Los Blancos their heaviest loss this season. It was a powerful statement by both his team and James himself.
James has been kind of a bane for Spanish teams, also delivering 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a triumph over Barcelona while scoring 26 and dishing out seven dimes as Monaco completed its regular-season sweep against Baskonia. His collection since the previous MVP Ladder also included a season-high-tying 28 points in the win at Bayern Munich.
2. Tornike Shengelia, Virtus Segafredo Bologna
Season Stats: 15.0 points (8th overall), 5.7 rebounds (11th overall) 3.7 assists for 19.0 (4th overall) in PIR
Team Record: 15-7 (tied for 2nd)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: 2nd
Despite suffering back-to-back losses for the first time (against Maccabi Tel Aviv and Anadolu Efes), Virtus is still this season’s overachiever, retaining an unexpectedly high place in the standings, courtesy mainly of Toko Shengelia.
Shengelia has been the man for every job on the floor throughout the season, and amply demonstrated his strong multitasking in the four previous games. The Georgian forward averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in an equal number of victories, including tricky road trips at Valencia and Partizan.
Direct rivals of Virtus in the race for the top four have fallen in both places, so one can easily realize the additional importance of those wins.
3. Facu Campazzo, Real Madrid
Season Stats: 12.0 points, 6.8 assists (1st overall), 3.0 rebounds for 17.1 (tied for 9th overall) in PIR
Team Record: 19-3 (1st)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: 3rd
Never before in the season thus far had Real Madrid struggled as much as they did at Monaco against Mike James and co. Still, they have by far the best record, they are the undisputed team to beat, and they have recently proved to be a tough nut to crack even when pushed to their limits, as against Valencia or Anadolu Efes.
As the most prominent overall contributor on the best team in the EuroLeague right now, Campazzo, is still strong in the MVP conversation, even though his numbers have dropped a bit and he hit some slumps during an otherwise splendid run.
Real couldn’t have won without his 25 points plus 11 assists in the Ben Hur-scale clash vs. Efes, nor overcome sturdy Valencia (in just one overtime this time – for shame) if he hadn’t delivered 19 points along with seven assists.
4. Dinos Mitoglou, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
Season Stats: 14.1 points (tied for 11th overall), 6.4 rebounds (6th overall) for 17.3 (8th overall) in PIR
Team Record: 14-8 (4th)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: First appearance
When Panathinaikos made multiple blockbuster signings in the offseason (and after the season started) very few probably predicted that returnee Dinos Mitoglou would stand out as both the leading scorer and rebounder for the Greens more than halfway through 2023-24.
Mitoglou has been playing a crucial part in wins for Panathinaikos since the season began and has been the most consistent player of a team that is a legit Final Four contender once again after two disappointing campaigns. He’s showcasing the natural feel he has for easily and efficiently (60.6 percent on two-pointers) scoring the ball with a plethora of moves at mid-range and close to the basket while combining his size (2.10 m) with enviable agility that makes him quite the challenge for any opponent.
Most recently, he’s also start to become a more reliable perimeter threat as well, making 7 of 15 threes over his team’s last four victories, vs. Valencia, Efes, Monaco and Partizan.
No Panathinaikos player spends more time on the floor than he does (30:24), as he has evolved into an invaluable asset for Ergin Ataman.
5. Chima Moneke, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Season Stats: 14.1 points (tied for 11th overall), 7.4 rebounds (1st overall) for 19.8 (3rd overall) in PIR
Team Record: 12-10 (tied for 6th)
Previous Spot on the MVP Ladder: 4th
That nail-biter against Panathinaikos in a big win for Baskonia was definitely Chima Moneke’s masterpiece in the season so far. It had everything that defines an MVP: big, winning plays down the stretch, contribution to a major comeback, hitting demanding shots, and displaying of personality and initiative of a leader.
After two defeats in a row to Barcelona and Monaco, Baskonia moved past Olympiacos at home and Crvena Zvezda on the road with Moneke averaging 13 points (on 10-for-14 shooting), 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Combined with his previous contribution, that’s plenty for the Nigerian player to keep his place on the MVP Ladder.
Three notable cuts:
Alec Peters (Olympiacos Piraeus)
Edy Tavares (Real Madrid)
Markus Howard (Baskonia)