By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
For some, the latest Derby of the Eternal Rivals between Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens also had the character of a “battle to end all battles” in the 2024-25 EuroLeague MVP race between Sasha Vezenkov and Kendrick Nunn.
To quote Mario Hezonja though, “This isn’t tennis, it’s basketball”. And, since we are also talking about a single game, even a mighty EuroLeague classic, this is just one piece of the 34-game regular-season complex puzzle.
The fact is that the derby didn’t make us any wiser when it comes to who will lift the regular-season MVP trophy. Vezenkov still seems to hold the upper hand for various different reasons and Nunn is a close second. There’s only one other player with a couple of strong arguments against these two and may challenge them under specific circumstances.
Check out the previous editions of the MVP Ladder: Vol. 1, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3.
1. Sasha Vezenkov – Olympiacos Piraeus
Season stats: 20.0 points (2nd), 6.4 rebounds (5th), 1.7 assists for a 24.4 PIR (1st)
Team record: 22-7 (1st)
Previous spot on MVP Ladder: 1st
After a home loss to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 23, Olympiacos went on to grab six wins in a row, more or less cementing its status as the undisputed favorite to finish first in the standings. And no player on the Reds produced more over these games than usual suspect Sasha Vezenkov.
Vezenkov averaged 20.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists over that stretch, registering a near-impeccable 68.6 percent on True Shooting during Olympiacos’s current 6-0 run and leading his team to multiple big victories. He delivered 23 points plus 6 rebounds at Paris Basketball and two days later posted 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists against FC Barcelona, both on the road.
The derby included an uneven shooting night for Vezenkov compared to his usual efficiency levels since he went 6 for 16 from the field on his way to 18 points. He managed to influence the game not just by his scoring but also with a season-high 5 assists in addition to 9 boards.
It’s telling that Vezenkov’s least remarkable game over this stretch (and since the season opener) was a 12-point, 8-rebound performance in a blowout win at Virtus Segafredo Bologna. His “worst” night for his standards is a solid outing for many others.
There are five games remaining in the regular season and Vezenkov is entering this lap as the frontrunner to be the 2024-25 MVP. Olympiacos has the best record, the top offensive rating (123.0), and the Bulgarian forward is a huge reason behind his team’s run and high quality of basketball. He possesses the ability to casually give you 20 points or more on any given night with his unique, effortless brand of basketball that makes it seem like a walk in the park.
2. Kendrick Nunn – Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
Season stats: 20.1 points (1st), 3.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals for a 18.1 PIR (9th)
Team record: 18-11 (3rd)
Previous spot on MVP Ladder: 2nd
In the win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Nunn put together one of his finest scoring outings this season with 36 points that lit up OAKA. But even when he looked to be straying a bit from being the epitome of a bucket-getter, he mostly still provided an MVP-defining impact in crucial moments.
Take the game against Fenerbahce, for example. Nunn was held to just 6 points for 35 minutes in a very tight affair, but then erupted for three unanswered baskets to finish with 17 points, including the game-winning free throw.
His affinity to flip the switch also shined in the comeback win over Zalgiris Kaunas when he delivered 15 out of his 26 points in the last 16 minutes to engineer quite the turnaround from down 16 early in the second half. During the trip at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, he scored 7 of his 24 points in the last two minutes as the Greens racked up another victory.
Through Panathinaikos’s 5-1 run before his lackluster 7-point performance in the derby, Nunn averaged 23.2 points, a notable 4.3 in assists along with 2.3 rebounds. While the Greens get closer and closer to securing home-court advantage, there are multiple opportunities for the American superstar to further strengthen his MVP case.
3. TJ Shorts – Paris Basketball
Season stats: 18.8 points (4th), 7.1 assists (1st), 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals for a 23.1 PIR (2nd)
Team record: 17-13
Previous spot on MVP Ladder: 3rd
“You won’t believe me but he was even fun to watch from the sidelines. Even though he was torturing us,” EA7 Emporio Armani Milan coach Ettore Messina said, referring to TJ Shorts putting up 24 points and 10 assists against his team.
It was another sublime performance by Shorts in his third 20+10 game and fourth double-double this season as Paris Basketball took another step toward potentially clinching a top-six spot. Essentially that may also lift the American guard above his peers in the MVP contest.
If Paris makes the top six and gets a direct playoff ticket – in its first-ever EuroLeague campaign, no less – then Shorts can legitimately present an even bigger MVP claim than both Vezenkov and Nunn. He’d be the guy who led the ultimate underdog team to the last eight amid an unprecedently competitive postseason race, defying the odds and laughing in the face of predictions.
The supreme offense-generating machine in the 2024-25 EuroLeague, Shorts has consistently been the only player in the top five in both points and assists, and most likely that’s how it’s going to be when the regular season is over. Opposing defenses have rarely found ways to restrict his clinical mid-range game or prevent him from heavily involving his teammates with winning results.
4. Nigel Hayes-Davis – Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Season stats: 16.7 points (7th), 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals for a 17.3 PIR
Team record: 20-9 (2nd)
Previous spot on MVP Ladder: 4th
Fenerbahce has solidified its spot in the upper echelons of the standings and Nigel Hayes-Davis has become a regular on all the MVP Ladder installments after Vol. 1. He is, after all, the leading scorer and rebounder of Fenerbahce, playing even better than last season when he made the All-EuroLeague First Team.
Hayes-Davis has had his fair share of important, well-rounded performances over the last few weeks and numbers sometimes didn’t do justice to his impact. He played a key part in the big road win at Olympiacos with both his 14 points and his tremendous defense, as well as having similar contributions in the victories at Milan and Paris. When Fenerbahce beat Real Madrid at home, he dropped 20 points and got 7 rebounds.
Despite some shooting inconsistencies in the last couple of rounds, Hayes-Davis’s field-goal percentages remain above the 50-40 splits in what is overall a career year for him.
5. Nikola Mirotic – EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Season stats: 17.7 points (5th), 6.4 rebounds (tied for 4th), 1.9 assists for a 21.8 PIR (3rd)
Team record: 16-14
Previous spot on MVP Ladder: 5th
Despite soldiering through persistent injury issues, Nikola Mirotic has managed to find a way to keep Milan in top-six contention and himself in the MVP conversation.
Since the previous MVP Ladder, Mirotic played in four games and Milan managed to get two wins – against AS Monaco at home and Crvena Zvezda on the road. The 2021-22 MVP starred in both of these affairs, pouring in 22 points against the Monegasque side while posting 19 points and 7 rebounds in Belgrade.
Milan has a tricky schedule ahead but if Mirotic goes full MVP mode, like he’s done plenty of times through the season, then the Red Shoes should make their much-expected returns to the playoff.
Last cuts:
Carsen Edwards – FC Bayern Munich
Mike James – AS Monaco