By Panos Katsiroumpas / info@eurohoops.net
The latest round was very interesting and the column has chosen three big games to analyze and point out the keys of the outcomes.
Darussafaka – Real Madrid
Brad the tank! An amazing performance by Brad Wanamaker who crushed Real Madrid. The American guard was unstoppable and even though Real switched players and defenses on him they never found a response to his crescendo. He punished every defense on the ball in one-on-one executions but also shots behind screens. Whenever he found a lane he scored or won fouls. He finished the game with 27 points and 8 won fouls.
Defense and transition! This is how Darussafaka got ahead in the score and never looked back again. Hands everywhere in defense and a lot of won hustle plays that led to easy points on the open court. Once again, Clyburn proved that he’s super in this kind of game.
Key player. Wanamaker might have been amazing and Clyburn at his usual high standards, but the key player for Blatt’s team was Moerman. He produced great defenses on the ball, used his arms and body very well and stole balls, while he also helped out in offense as well. His tally: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a block.
The defense on Carroll. When Llull is not playing the options for Real are limited. Even more so when Darussafaka’s defense handled excellently the moves and screens on Jaycee Carroll, who was essentially out of the game. He never found any rhythm and didn’t score a single point, with 0-for-6 shots. Real shot 23%, when in the first 11 rounds they were over 35% in three-point shooting.
CSKA Moscow – Barcelona
First quarter. In the opening ten minutes CSKA had an unbelievable defensive attitude. With switches in defense, they managed to block Barcelona, their players read the passes and made steals, while they defended well even on the mismatches, eliminating Tomic and Rice. The home team made 7 of its 16 steals in total in the first quarter, while the Catalans committed 9 turnovers in the same period.
15-for-23! This was CSKA’s amazing figure from outside the 6.75 line. And if some of them came from the excellent movement of the ball, some others were truly tough shots that tore up the defense’s mental attitude. With a percentage like this, they simply couldn’t lose.
Milos’s show! In yet another game the Serb was a treat for the eyes. Once again, he made some inconceivable passes, as his teammates were making moves that hadn’t even been completed yet. He made big shots at every opportunity as well, overall producing a great performance. And another double double with 16 points and 12 assists.
Rice, Tomic, 23 turnovers. These were the reasons for Barcelona’s defeat. The American guard couldn’t read nor penetrate the defense throughout the entire game. Tomic likewise couldn’t finish relatively easy plays, while he didn’t score in the mismatches against much better opponents either. In defense, he had a hard time in the pick-and-roll again but also with the screens off the ball in which he was involved. Overall, Barcelona had 15 assists and 23 turnovers, numbers that you can’t have if you’re going for the win.
General Nick! To a large extent the home team owe their performance to the Greek guard. He set the pace from the beginning, he sought transitions at every opportunity, he posted in every mismatch and got some amazing passes through, from the inside out and as his teammates cut inside to the basket. He finished the game with the prolific stats of 16 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds and 4 steals, while he also played great defense as well.
Target! Xavi Pascual targeted Dixon and Sloukas in defense, and for most of the game he aced it. He pressed them hard on the ball, made things difficult for them on the screens, we also saw some zone switches from time to time, and it was as though Dixon especially never played. He did provide some open shots for Nunnally and Kalinic, with the former holding his team on his own.
Feldeine! He’s evolving into Panathinaikos’s second creator and even if his shot is off he’s on the court. In the second half, together with Nichols, he scored some big shots that widened the lead into two-digit numbers. With James still not being creative enough, his own 4 assists unlocked the defense at crucial points.
Bogdanovic is missing! For one more game, Bogdanovic’s absence was more than noticeable in Fener’s offense. The spacing cannot be opened as much and the defense doesn’t spread out so that the other guards can operate in its gaps. The team is also missing his ability with shots on defense and in isolation situations, as well as his creativity. Hard to replace.