By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The reports about unlawful deeds are many, still no case has been made yet against anyone and, it goes without saying, the whereabouts of the stolen trophy remain unknown. The sad part of this whole twisted saga is that five more alleged criminals were left free to walk while no one takes the blame for so many futile arrests.
Leo Westermann: Yes, him again. This is the second time that the French prodigy who made the Baltic Sea his base has been held by the authorities. And what he did this time was brazen. For the first time in many years, Zalgiris Kaunas stood its ground against a well-respected underworld organization like Panathinaikos Athens Superfoods. Westermann was at the center of this gang war, with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. No matter what happens next, his status changed that night in Kaunas.
Khem Birch: Many whispered for months that Olympiacos Piraeus had found a new Canadian bouncer who seems meek in nature, but is transformed when it’s time for action. Enter Birch, the premier henchman of this posse, who proved against Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul that he has a no-nonsense approach to everything. Nobody could move him from the paint, where he did the job with 13 points, 8 rebounds and his usual impressive work on defense, leading the Reds to the next stage.
Gustavo Ayon: After a long time away from the police radar, Ayon was back. And you know what that means. The Mexican bouncer was feral once more against Crvena Zvezda MTS Belgrade, as Real Madrid toyed with the competition and exacted sweet revenge for what happened in their previous encounter. Ayon had 12 points, didn’t miss a shot, got 6 rebounds and also dished 5 assists, proving that he can do damage in every way possible for his crew.
Maodo Lo: A new entry from the Brose Bamberg gang, which remains one of the most dangerous around, particularly in the moment when an opponent underestimates them. That was the case in the duel against Anadolu Efes Istanbul, as the Germans executed without any hesitation whatsoever and Lo emerged out of nowhere to make a name for himself. Anadolu Efes simply didn’t know what had hit them after Lo’s 15 points in just 17 minutes of action. And on the Turks’ turf, no less!
Rafa Luz: Here’s one more new face to beware of from the notorious Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz crew. They made the biggest caper of last week, also in Turkey, against still-notorious Fenerbahce Istanbul. This Brazilian hustler gave to the Spaniards the extra push they needed with 10 points and 4 assists in a sizzling 11 minutes. He was out of sight and so was the victory before anyone of the locals could react, thus keeping his gang among the underworld’s elite on hostile ground.
Photo Credit: JPsportart