By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
There’s no sign of the missing Turkish Airlines EuroLeague trophy and once again the arrests seems to be more a charade than anything else. All five alleged criminals have been arrested before, their criminal record is as thick as a brick, and anyway they all walked away again – of course!
Scottie Wilbekin: You may remember this up-and-comer who works for Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul. And guess what? His ride is not over yet. In a showdown with no tomorrow against Crvena Zvezda MTS Belgrade, he did what he had to do – 16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals – and never looked back until his team was in the playoffs. The Serbs are out, while Wilbekin and his gang lived to fight an other day. The question now is: can he do it again?
Kostas Sloukas: After laying low for weeks on end, a well known member of the Greek mob was ready to prove himself again for Fenerbahce Istanbul. He needed to work overtime, but against the feisty FC Barcelona Lassa he couldn’t be denied. Calm and self-controlled as always, he did a little bit of everything with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. He was born ready and has re-emerged as the heir of the Greek underworld.
Nando De Colo: The French sniper of the Red Army was there again. CSKA Moscow remains one of the most feared names around criminals and authorities alike, and he is one of the main reasons for that. He almost never misses, it’s true,but having unsettled business with longtime rivals Olympiacos Piraeus maybe gave him an extra motive. He was brutal with 23 points and 6 assists, his usual efficiency, and that quaranteed results for his employers.
Mike James: He is a catburgler ready for the most challenging capers, but the heist in Israel against Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv proved to be a walk in the park. James finished the job with ease for Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens, having amasses 17 points and 7 assists, as his arsenal expands by the day. He is already established as a guy who can get to the top and that can be said also about his gang, too, which started slowly, but is now considered to one of the most dangerous crews at large.
Jaycee Carroll: You almost forgot about him right? It’s been almost a year since this choir-boyish assasin was arrested, however his latest handywork couldn’t be ignored. He missed just one shot on the way to 29 points and Anadolu Efes Istanbul didn’t have a chance in Spain against the nefarious Real Madrid. He remains lethal and another reason that the “Whites” are feared everywhere. Nobody knows who can stop them!