By Michalis Gioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
The point guard directs his teammates. His impact extends to every single decision on the court. At least, that was the case in the old days. Back then, the one position was responsible for organizing his team.
Now, he can also shoot in every offensive possession. He chooses whether to execute or create for his teammates.
Eurohoops presents the Top 3 points guards in the top half of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.
Theo Maledon misses the cut
Outside the Top 3, Theo Maledon is the top player of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne with 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 29:02 per game.
He made 52.9% of his two-pointers, 54/102, 39.8% of his three-pointers, 35/88, and 88.2% of his free throws, 105/119.
Overall, he is fourth on the scoring list and ranks 11th in assists.
T.J. Shorts II
Looking to single out one player earning the most appreciation from fans, we find T.J. Shorts II.
The point guard of Paris continues the upward trend from being crowned champion and MVP with Telekom Baskets Bonn in the Basketball Champions League and winning the BKT EuroCup as the season MVP with the team based in the capital of France.
Far from slowing down, the American import is equally dominant in the EuroLeague. Behind his showings, Paris is the biggest surprise of the first round.
Logging 15 appearances before missing Round 16 due to illness and the postponement of the Round 17 fixture opposite Fenerbahce Beko, Shorts tallied 19.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 27:26 per game. He made 52.7% of his two-pointers, 96/182, 37.9% of his three-pointers, 11/29, and 66.7% of his free throws, 64/96.
He is third on the scoring list and second in assists, trailing only Tamir Blatt’s 8.6 dimes per contest. In addition, he was named November MVP.
Facundo Campazzo
Perhaps the purest point guard in the EuroLeague. A reference to the old days.
Facundo Campazzo of Real Madrid ranks third in assists with 7.4 per game but also scores 13.2 points per contest. Also, he tallied 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in the top half of the Regular Season. Packing 21.2 PIR per contest, he ranks fifth among all players.
So far, he has posted two double-doubles. However, he went over ten assists in three more showings but was limited to a single digits in points.
His best performance in the first round was combining 18 points with ten assists in a double-overtime win against archrival FC Barcelona.
He made 53.6% of his two-pointers, 37/69, 36.6% of his three-pointers, 26/71, and 90.9% of his free throws, 60/66.
Mike James
The reigning EuroLeague MVP. He is on a mission. Mike James is seeking a EuroLeague championship.
This season, he seems more mature than ever, looking to complete the search.
Starting in all 17 games of the first half of the Regular Season, he averaged 14.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 26:54 per contest. He made 45.9% of his two-pointers, 51/111, 32.1% of his three-pointers, 27/84, and 74.7% of his free throws, 56/75.
Trailing Campazzo, Shorts, and Blatt, he ranks fourth in the assists. His steals rate is tied with several players, including Campazzo, Shorts, and Thomas Walkup.