By Giorgos Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net
This summer was characterized by the many departures of players for the Chinese League and the NBA, but this doesn’t mean that the clubs did not try to strengthen their roster.
After the presentation of the signings for the places 20 through 11, now it’s time for the Top 10, where the choices were even more difficult and the differences particularly small.
Let us remind you that the basic criteria for the final ranking have to do with the quality of each player, the team’s dynamics, the player’s role, but also the subjective criterion that always affects these kinds of matters.
10. Marko Guduric (Fenerbahce)
Starting next season, Marko Guduric will be playing in the colors of Fenerbahce, as the Turkish club spent a little less than 1 million dollars to make him theirs.
This particular amount is one of the largest that has been paid in recent years on the EuroLeague market, and it’s a sample of the great expectations that Zeljko Obradovic and his associates have from the player.
The Serbian guard put on some impressive performances in the Red-and-White, and in almost 16 minutes of playing time he averaged 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. His numbers might not be impressive but his talent is enough to lead him on a path similar to that of Bogdan Bogdanovic. Besides, let’s not forget that we’re talking about an athlete who is only 22 years old…
9. Othello Hunter (CSKA Moscow)
CSKA will start yet another season with the primary goal of winning the EuroLeague, as this summer’s transfer moves have improved even further a roster that was already strong.
One of the players who has come aboard is Othello Hunter, who, after a short stint in Real Madrid, will remain at the highest level under the instructions of Dimitrios Itoudis.
The American center had a very good season, averaging 9.4 points and 6 rebounds, but the Whites’ people chose to replace him with Ognjen Kuzmic. Hunter will make CSKA’s frontline stronger and more athletic, he will provide solutions in offense through his game in the pick-and-roll and above the rim, while together with Kyle Hines they will form a duo that will conjure up Olympiacos.
8. Marcelinho Huertas (Baskonia)
A return to familiar grounds for Marcelinho Huertas, who, after two years in the NBA, will be playing in the Spanish league once again, and in fact for Baskonia, where he also played in the period 2009-2011.
The Brazilian’s choice to leave Europe to test his strengths in the best league in the world wasn’t very successful, something that can be seen from the 3.9 points and the 3.1 assists he had in a total of 76 appearances with the Lakers.
This, however, cannot reduce the 34-year-old playmaker’s value at all, as he knows the courts of the EuroLeague like few others (165 games, 8 points, 3.8 assists) and will give the Basques valuable experience, calmness, and solutions mainly in the creation and secondarily in scoring.
7. Tyler Honeycutt (Khimki)
Khimki returns to the EuroLeague with great ambitions as the Russians’ management has spent a lot of money in the current transfer period and has handed the team’s command over to the ambitious and highly capable Georgios Bartzokas.
Transfers like those of Stefan Markovic, Charles Jenkins, and James Anderson automatically raise the roster’s level, but the move that seems to stand out a bit more is that of Tyler Honeycutt.
The American forward stepped up in an impressive way with Anadolu Efes last season, registering 9.2 points and 7.3 rebounds on average, while the numbers alone cannot reflect the singular energy he produces on the court. Bartzokas knows that he has an important tool in his hands, one that will help him both in the game above the rim as well as in offense.
6. Sinan Guler (Fenerbahce)
Sinan Guler’s move to Fenerbahce created a lot of noise on the European transfer market and the reason didn’t have to do strictly with the game itself.
After four years with Galatasaray, the Turkish guard decided to leave the club and join their rivals and European champions, Fener. The player himself explained the reasons for this decision in the exclusive interview he gave on Eurohoops’ camera a few days ago.
At 33 years of age, Guler has the experience that befits an athlete of his age, but he also has the energy of a teenager. The fact that he’s coming off the best season of his career is telling, averaging 10.5 points, 5.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds in almost 29 minutes of playing time. This means that last season, he was on the court for longer than any other time in his career and Zeljko Obradovic will definitely find the ideal way to utilize him.
5. Andrew Goudelock (Armani Milan)
Armani Milan finished in the last place in the standings last season, but the Italian club’s transfer moves so far promise something very good for the season that is about to start in a few weeks.
One of the names that stand out is without a doubt that of Andrew Goudelock, who played with Maccabi last season, averaging 17.3 points and 2.9 assists, with the exceptionally high 45.8% from outside the 6.75.
The American guard was born to score and it’s going to be very interesting to see how Simone Pianigiani will utilize him but also the kind of freedom he will give him in offense in a roster with lots of attacking talent (Theodore, Bertans, Micov, and others). The big goal, of course, is to get in the top eight, as the club’s management has invested a lot of money in recent years but hasn’t been able to see the corresponding result.
4. Thomas Heurtel (Barcelona)
Barcelona wants to put behind them the particularly bad season that they had and the signing of Thomas Heurtel can put smiles on the faces of the team’s fans.
The French guard made some excellent appearances in the colors of Anadolu Efes, with whom he averaged 12.7 points and 5.6 assists in a total of 35 appearances, getting a breath away from the Final Four in Istanbul.
Barca’s management wants to… press ‘restart’ under the instructions of Sito Alonso, who replaced Georgios Bartzokas, and Thomas Heurtel is expected to have a very important role at the helm of the team. It will be very interesting to see how he’ll manage to “gel” with his new teammates so that he can keep them satisfied through his unique skills in creation.
3. Will Clyburn (CSKA Moscow)
CSKA Moscow moved swiftly and from the beginning of the summer signed Will Clyburn, who, under the instructions of David Blatt, managed to shine in the EuroLeague, despite the fact he was a rookie.
With this particular move, Dimitrios Itoudis’s team was strengthened very significantly in the forward position with a player who is excellent in the one-on-one, has athletic qualities and will contribute additional points and quality minutes.
The fact that two of the most important transfers of the summer came from the Russians is characteristic of the intention of CSKA’s management to reinforce their roster.
2. Nicolo Melli (Fenerbahce)
Nicolo Melli cashed in his excellent appearances in the colors of Bamberg in the best possible way, by securing a place on the roster of the European champions.
The completion of the transfer, however, is a great success for Fenerbahce too, since the player had received strong interest from the other side of the Atlantic.
His averages last year (11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 43.4% in three-point shooting) are indicative of the multifaceted contribution of a player who, under the instructions of Zeljko Obradovic, can improve even further and become the best power forward in Europe. What is certain is that Fener was strengthened themselves tremendously in the ‘4’ position with a player who has everything that is required to maintain the Turks at the top of Europe.
1. Sergio Rodriguez (CSKA Moscow)
Following the departure of Milos Teodosic, CSKA Moscow was looking for the ideal replacement to fill in the best possible way the gap left by the Serbian guard, who will now be playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The “bomb” of Sergio Rodriguez’s transfer undoubtedly stands out compared to all the other transfer moves of the summer! After a pretty good season in the NBA playing in the colors of the Sixers (7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in a total of 68 appearances), the Spanish point guard returns to the EuroLeague in order to lead CSKA to the top.
The 31-year-old player’s talent, his given ability to score and create, but also the money that was spent to complete the move, rightly place him at the top of this list.