By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Chaos and mayhem ruled over Europe one more week, as the crime spree continued and the authorities watched, paralyzed with fear and a rising degree of alarm. Why can’t the villains be stopped? Is it a matter of police incompetence or is something else going on?
These are the questions on the lips of every law-abiding citizen who feels powerless as the gang wars rage. Despite numerous arrests, no convictions are forthcoming. Five more alleged perpetrators were placed under police custody, but, as usual, this lasted only for some hours before they were released. The eye-witnesses could only marvel at their misdeeds! All the more reason to be more than cautious if you meet them.
Janis Strelnieks: You may not have heard of him, but this is a testament to the way he operates. He is a Latvian who was considered a petty criminal, staying under the authorities’ radar. The truth is quite the opposite. He is always ready to hit, but afterwards never leaves a trail. That was the story against Olympiacos Piraeus. With the game seemingly under lock and key for the Reds, Strelnieks hit a bullseye in the closing moments and Brose Baskets Bamberg made the steal of the week thanks to his big three-point shot. The larceny was all done in one perfect instant and, as usual, no traces were left.
Bogdan Bogdanovic: Look who is back on the list. Nicknamed “Leader of Horde”, this cold blooded Serb has led Fenerbahce Istanbul to the next level, and now the Turks are the dominant gang in Europe. Nobody dares to confront them on open ground and when Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar did, the outcome was not pretty for the challengers. It was a street fight with everyone grabbing and pulling, but even among the turmoil, Bogdanovic collected 17 points and 6 rebounds to rise above the rest, giving his side the much-needed edge in this territorial war.
Andres Nocioni: This veteran South American who is always spoiling for a good fight demonstrated that he is adept at shooting any and every target that he sets his sights on. He did all his damage from long distance this time, scoring 22 points on 6 of 6 threes! That doesn’t mean he is afraid to do things up close and personal, though, as his 7 rebounds also proved while Real Madrid prevailed on the road over Zalgiris Kaunas. He was practically smiling with a knife between his teeth as the Spaniards pillaged the Baltic. And no one able to stop them.
Justin Doellman: This is the second time that this clean-cut American has made the most-wanted list, so he’ll have to find better alibis soon. A hitman who offers his talents to the highest bidder, he has felt right at home in Spain lately. And against the fearsome CSKA Moscow, Doellman found a way to shoot five bullets in as many seconds. The first three blinded his opponent with rage, so they did not see him coming to twist the knife with a steal and another blast to give Barcelona Lassa a shocking triumph. It was a similar massacre to the one he perpetrated against Real Madrid. Now, all eyes are fixed on his every move.
Ioannis Bourousis: It was just the start of the season when this veteran Greek gangster made headlines. However, this is his year. Nobody expected it when he chose Vitoria as his base, but now nobody can stop him from getting his way. He is terrorizing the rest of Europe exactly as he did back in his heyday. His fingerprints are all over the revival of the Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz gang and this week he showed the ambitious Khimki Moscow Region how to get the job done. He did it with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and no witnesses willing to turn him in.
Art credit: JPsportart