By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The first week with double encounters for Euroleague teams started with a bang. Big games, big wins and a memorable finale in Bamberg as a new era for Panathinaikos starts. Meanwhile only Fenerbahce and CSKA Moscow remain unbeaten on top of the standings and the battle is just heating up.
And with more than many perimeter players being the leaders of their teams in round 3 we have to play extreme small ball in our best five and leave one of the real studs outside! So, sorry Brad Wanamaker it was a more than hard choice. On the other hand, get ready for some extreme performances…
MVP
Nick Calathes
His game in Brose Baskets was the pure essense of what makes an MVP. He made the winning shot for Panathinaikos Superfoods and he missed the triple double just by one assist (13 p., 11 r., 9 as.) which would have been just the third in the history of the competition, while also making 3 steals and not one turnover in 32,5 minutes of action.This is not a typo, zero turnovers.
Best Five
Nick Calathes: Just a mindblowing performance.
Jaka Blazic: He had 21 points and 4/9 threes for Baskonia on the road in the big win over Real Madrid which he sealed with one big shot. That shot stole the show – and the spot – from his teammate Johannes Voigtmann.
Nando De Colo: The reigning MVP is not missing a step, having 26 points and a 32 PIR as CSKA Moscow remain unbeaten and prevailed on the road over Anadolu Efes.
Marko Guduric: He emerged as the leader in the big home win of Crvena Zvezda over Barcelona. He had his best ever game in the Euroleague with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Sonny Weems: He was accused for “mutiny” against his former coach, so he took matters on his hands as he led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the win over Galatasaray with 23 points and 5 rebounds.
Best losing performance: Luka Doncic
Who would have expected that a 17 years old player will have the best ranking among the roster of Real Madrid in a close Euroleague game against Baskonia. Well, he did it with 15 points, just one missed shot, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover and 1 block for a 24 ranking.
Coach of the day: Sito Alonso
No Bargnani, no problem for Baskonia which is ready to take the Euroleague by surprise for the second straight season. The Spanish coach accepted the challenge to build a contender almost from scratch and so far the signs are positives.
Biggest win: Crvena Zvezda
The Serbs have also to follow a great season, their best ever in Euroleague. And beating Barcelona for sure is a great way to continue building on what they have achieved last year.
Perfect: Fenerbahce and CSKA Moscow
They are the favorites to go all the way and they are the teams to beat without a question. For Fenerbahce things were easy against Zalgiris Kaunas, but CSKA Moscow felt the pressure in Istanbul against Anadolu Efes and prevailed once again.
The climbers: Olympiacos and Darussafaka
After losing their first games of the season, the Reds who prevailed over previously unbeaten Milano and the Greens who beat on the road Unics Kazan. They have a 2-1 record, which is good enough for the third and the fifth spot of the standings respectively.
Last word: Belgrade
Imagine this in a Final Four. Coming to town in 2018.