By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
You know quite well the stars that shine on the sky of VTB United League. You have been familiar with them not only from the championship itself, but because their achievements in major pan-European competitions.
But there are also diamonds hidden far from the almighty clubs that are leading in the standings. Ballers that even though they are not stars themselves, they produce glittering numbers and are dangerous enough to give cause of alarm to powerhouses.
Even though sometimes their performances don’t bring the desired results, the game they put on the floor can be grandiose.A striking example of the latter is Danilo Andjusic who has been nothing less than impressive with the jersey of Parma. The Serbian shooting guard has been one of the hottest offensive players in the league, averaging 19.2 points per game. A number that allows him to sit at the third place of the top VTB scorers. Not that he ignores other areas of the game, since he chips in 3.9 rebounds and dishes out 3.6 assists per match.While Parma is still winless it has lost a fair number games in the last-minute details or during overtime. Like the match vs Unics Kazan on Christmas day where Andjusic “broke” the PIR ratings with 40 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for a 46 efficiency rating. The third best number ever in VTB League.
Another backcourt hero that has emerged his season in VTB is without a doubt Rob Lowery. After a short stint in Alba Berlin, the 29-year-old combo guard answered the call of Ilias Papatheodorou in Astana and reunited with the coach he spent the first leg of the 2015-2016 season.Papatheodorou’s plans include him as the backbone of the Kazakh’s offense and Lowery delivers by being the top scorer and second best passer of his team with 15 points and 4.6 assists. His contribution is translated to a solid number of results, since Astana is currently at the 7th place in the standings with a 6 – 7 record.
Speaking of victories, it’s imperative to mention Martins Meiers‘ impact on the 7-5 record of VEF Riga. In a roster mostly built with Latvian ballers, the 25-year-old center stands out among his peers, having greatly improved his output in comparison to the previous season since he averages 13.9 whereas he had 9 p.p.g. in 2015/2016.He’s been highly consistent since he scored in double figures over the past five matches while he’s the best rebounder of his team grabbing 4.6 boards per game. His foul issues is the only thing that prevents him from staying on court more than 22:29 minutes in each match but still, he makes the most out of each and every second he spends on the floor.
Continuing with big guys that make a difference, let’s hear it for Frank Elegar. The two-time (2014, 2015) VTB League top rebounder is putting his skills to great use this season for Enisey since he dominates the related list with 8.9 per game.While taking care of “board control”, the experienced center fills the opposing basket with ease, dropping 15.2 p.p.g. on a super 66.7% from the field. Enisey can’t ask more from him and it’s no wonder that his exploits have earned him a place in the first ever VTB League All-Star game.
Last but definitely not least, there’s the offensive force that Dru Joyce brings to the game of Tsmoki Minsk in more ways than one. With 14.8 points and 5.8 assists p.g., Joyce is basically the fuel that runs his team’s engine. As the floor general, he has eyes everywhere and a loose rebound won’t escape his attention, something which results in him averaging 3.4.Despite the fact that he handles many responsibilities and most of the game of his team passes by his hands, he has only 2.5 turnovers in each match, even though opposing squads know that this is the guy to be stopped. Easier said than done when it comes to the best pal and former high school teammate of Lebron James.