By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
So how do you like the new expanded Top16? It’s just the start of the season but the feeling is pretty much the same. Eight games, every one of them really important and the best teams in Europe obliged to give it all from Day 1. Welcome to the real EuroLeague, which it might be exclusive, but on the other is without a doubt the best basketball that the old continent has to offer.
MVP
Ricky Hickman
Finally we have seen the player that was a key in Maccabi Tel Aviv‘s championship run back in 2014. This is the first time since his injury that Hickman seemed to be his real self, scoring 22 points on 12/15 free throws and getting an index rating of 32. Yes, being fouled 12 times helps your numbers, but he also gave us an amazing dunk.
Best Five
- Sergio LLull: Without a doubt one of the dominent players in Europe and the de facto leader of his version of Real Madrid. He scored 15 points in the first quarter against Olympiacos, set the tone early and finished with 22.
- Will Clyburn: His coming out party was more than impressive. Dogus Darussafaka managed to steal at the end the game against Crvena Zvezda on the road in one of the toughest home courts in Europe. He had 19 points and every big shot of the game.
- Ricky Hickman: Welcome back sir!
- Justin Doellman: Barcelona needed some one to keep the team alive and he did with 23 points and 5 rebounds in the hard fought win on the road over Unics Kazan.
- Andrea Bargnani: He returned to Europe and the environment of Vitoria is great for him! 17 points on the first half against Anadolu Efes without missing a shot, 26 points in total on a huge win.
Best losing performance: Andrew Goudelock is instant offense: A 33 ranking thanks to 27 points on 8/9 two-point shots and 3/6 threes. Still Maccabi Tel Aviv was defeated in Milan….
Coach of the week: Andrea Trinchieri was defeated in Istanbul by Zeljko Obradovic and Fenerbahce but that’s not the point. From day one, as half of the teams of the league will stay out of the playoffs, Brose Bamberg proved that last season was no fluke.
Biggest win: It’s tough to chose among so many big games, but the answer is Baskonia! Against their old coach who led them to the Final Four, the Spaniards proved that once again they will be more than hard to beat for any opponent.
The survivors: Fenerbahce and Panathinaikos were in danger of losing at their home courts the first game of the season. Both of them found the way to prevail with Fenerbahce having to wait until the last second against a strong team and the Greens getting real help from Nikos Pappas (19 p.) in order to put away the feisty but weak Zalgiris.
The three headed monster
CSKA Moscow picked up from the point they had left. Many things are said about the duo of Teodosic and De Colo, but against Galatasaray Aaron Jackson also proved that he is also a key factor for his team. Just look at the numbers: 24 rating for De Colo (22 p., 4 as.), 20 for Teodosic (20 p., 11 as.) and 19 for Jackson (16 p., 3 as.). BTW Jackson was right, you should have picked him for your fantasy team.