The top European club competition might be changing for the best in recent years, as the new system with many great games every week, is very attractive for the fans, however many top-shelf players are… departing for foreign shores and, more specifically, the NBA and China.
Now, with so many important absences, it remains to be seen whether the EuroLeague will be devitalized and to what extent it will affect the league.
This year alone, during this summer’s long transfer period, a total of 18 players left (11 of them for the NBA and 7 for the CBA) and we are talking about some of the most important names in European basketball, who, in the new season, will step on the courts of another continent, looking for a different… fate.
The reasons for the decisions of the stars of European courts to leave their teams – for a change of scene as well as continent – are many, the most basic of all having to do with money. The money that is being offered by the Chinese, the increase of the salary cap in the NBA, but also the most guaranteed contracts on the rosters of the teams in the best League in the world that, at the same time, offer them the prestige of competing at the highest level in the world.
From EuroLeague to the NBA
Ekpe Udoh
The absolute MVP for Fenerbahce in the 2016-17 season was Ekpe Udoh. After his first year in Zeljko Obradovic’s team, the 30-year-old American center catapulted his performance levels and forced his opponents to bow down to him after every game. It’s no coincidence that he was the MVP of this year’s Final Four, which he combined with winning the first European title for the Turks.
Udoh completed the season in the EuroLeague with 12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.1 assists and 1 steal on average, stats that are amazing and very hard for a player to achieve at the high level of the competition. His performances, especially in the Final Four in Istanbul and in the semifinal against Real, will remain unforgettable, as will his prodigiousness in the playoffs against Panathinaikos.
Now, together with Rudy Gobert, they will form an excellent duo in the ‘5’ position of the Utah Jazz and NBA fans will have the chance to enjoy him.
Milos Teodosic
The EuroLeague has already lost many first-rate stars to the other side of the Atlantic, and one of them is Milos Teodosic, who played in CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos for a number of years. The Serbian playmaker signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers for the next 3 years (2+1) with total earnings of 12.3 million dollars. His absence from CSKA will definitely be hard to cover, especially after an excellent season in which he had 16.1 points and 6.8 assists, as well as numerous magical moments.
Milos will certainly get a lot of playing time in the position of the playmaker in his new team, as Doc Rivers is expected to allocate the ‘1’ position between the Serb and Patrick Beverley, after Chris Paul’s departure to Houston. Teodosic is going to make DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin very happy with his assists, but he will also provide a lot of solutions in offense through his aptitude for scoring.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
The other star who is leaving Europe for the NBA – and, more specifically, the Sacramento Kings of Papagiannis and Koufos – is Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is departing from Fenerbahce for a big contract after his excellent performances in the playoffs and the Final Four of the EuroLeague that was completed this year. His stats were extremely impressive with 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists on average.
The Serbian “killer” will have strong competition in the position of the shooting guard in the Kings. Hield, Richardson and Temple will be sharing playing time with him, while some will also play in ‘3’ or even as playmakers. In his rookie season in the magical world of the NBA, Bogdanovic will certainly have to make an adjustment and grab any chances he will be given. Besides, let’s not forget that few Kings players have his talent for scoring or his prodigious game in many areas, like in one-on-one defense, assists, and rebounds.
Mike James
Another absence is that of, as of recently Suns player, Mike James. The explosive American combo guard was an indispensable part of the Greens’ perimeter, which is not easy to cover. James’ 13.1 points, 3 assists, and impressive plays are going to be missed in Xavi Pascual’s team, but will now be enjoyed by the fans of the Phoenix Suns whenever he’s on the court.
The unbelievable Devin Booker and the experienced scorer Leandro Barbosa might have the edge for the position of the shooting guard in the Suns, but James will get time and room in which to play. He has attributes that are a good match for the NBA, like explosiveness, excellent adjustments in on-ball defense against rival guards, a very good contact with the basket, but also an aptitude for rebounding despite his small size. The only thing that is certain is that he will be used in the ‘1’ position as well, and that’s where he will be called upon to respond in distributing the ball.