Βy Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Let’s get started for another season! A concept established in Europe by Eurohoops.net regarding the top league and which is, by nature, subjective! It can generate disagreements, objections, agreements, and, above all… interest!
In recent seasons, the choices are becoming even harder and more torturous to make! Because all the good players are packed in 16 teams and the top clubs in Europe have greater depth in their rosters in order to manage the EuroLeague’s new format and the levels of energy it requires. Which makes the ranking very difficult and leaves out of the list of the EuroLeague’s Top 100 players, athletes that could have easily been among our choices.
As we wrote last season, there are at least 50 players who could have been objective and subjective choices, especially between 100 and 80, and we ask for your understanding because, unfortunately, there is not enough room for everyone.
However, we promise that after the first 15 rounds, when we will have a substantial sample by the end of the first phase, we will rank the Top 100 players based on their performance up to that point, and so, any possible mistake will be rectified! You are familiar with our criteria from previous seasons. The only footnote is that, some players who are coming back from a long absence due to injury (for example, Zoran Dragic) were not ranked and that this will happen during the season. With the exception of Sergio Lull, who is in a category of his own!
Criteria
- The individual quality of the player IN COMBINATION with the role and playing time we anticipate he will get in his team.
- The strength of the club he plays for. The players of the teams that are in the Top 8 and that are title contenders every season always have an edge because they combine individual quality with their club’s high aspirations.
- What each player has achieved in his career in the EuroLeague combined with the prospects he has for the 2017-18 season.
#100 Mathias Lessort (Crvena Zvezda)
Year of birth: 1995
Height: 2.05m
Position: PF/C
He’s going to have a key role in Crvena Zvezda. He has tremendous athletic skills, he’s an energy-producing machine and after his experiences in France, he’s going to be tested at the top level. He will contribute a lot to his team and the important thing for his future is to improve his technique and mainly his shooting, but also to decide whether he wants to establish himself as a center.
#99 Johannes Voigtmann (Baskonia)
Year of birth: 1992
Height: 2.11m
Position: C
Already from his first season in the EuroLeague, he proved what he can do. He had a double-digit number of points (10.1) and he’s one of the few centers who can also threaten from outside the three-point line as well, but also keep up with his team in transition. A good rebounder, he can become even more effective if he improves in the post as well as in a more physical game.
#98 Josh Adams (Anadolu Efes)
Year of birth: 1993
Height: 1.88m
Position: PG
In his first season in the EuroLeague and second in Europe, he’s called to adjust to the heavy demands of Anadolu Efes. He’s an excellent scorer, a good creator, a good rebounder for his size and if he clicks with Velimir Perasovic and the chemistry of his team, he can make a lot of noise in the league.
#97 Giorgi Shermadini (Unicaja Malaga)
Year of birth: 1989
Height: 2.16m
Position: C
He has a six-year experience in the EuroLeague with five different clubs and he has already won the trophy with Olympiacos in 2013. He’s coming off an impressive season in Andorra. He’s at the peak of his career and he can offer a lot. Consistent scoring, rebounding, rim protection, productive stats. The style of Spanish teams suits him!
#96 Kaleb Tarczewski (Milano)
Year of birth: 1993
Height: 2.11m
Position: C
He is a rookie 7-footer in the EuroLeague. Still, the product of Arizona has a great feel for the game, he knows how to finish around the basket and he is a great rebounder. He is expected to be a key player and the challenge for coach Pianigiani will be to “hide” him on defense. His relatively slow legs can be an issue when he will have to defend the pick and roll.
#95 Taylor Rochestie (Crvena Zvezda)
Year of birth: 1985
Height: 1.85m
Position: PG/SG
Lower on our list this season after his absence from the EuroLeague last year and because this season’s Crvena Zvezda is a very young team that will have a hard time getting very far in the league. He has an excellent grasp of basketball basics, is a rhythm scorer and an inspired passer. It will be interesting to see how he will respond this season and whether he will manage to take his new team one step further.
#94 Vladimir Micov (Milano)
Year of birth: 1985
Height: 2.01m
Position: SF
Very experienced, he’s entering his seventh season. His main characteristic is his emphasis on scoring, especially on nights when he gets into a rhythm. He can offer solutions in rebounding and creation. Last season he had 11,2 points and he was one of the most consistent players in the offense for Galatasaray. This season, it’s going to be harder to reach a double-digit figure with so many scorers gathered in Milan!
#93 Andrey Vorontsevich (CSKA Moscow)
Year of birth: 1987
Height: 2.07m
Position: F
At 30 years of age, he’s entering his 12th season with the same team, CSKA Moscow! A very useful and athletic forward, he contributes in every area of the game. In 5-on-5 he helps to maintain the right spacing with his reliable three-point shot (a career figure of 41.9% and 47.7% last season!) and what remains to be seen is whether he will manage to stay at the same level in a season in which the Army Team has more solutions in big men.
#92 Deshaun Thomas (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
Year of birth: 1991
Height: 2.01m
Position: F
Maccabi is his fourth club in the EuroLeague. A flexible forward, who can fit well with his new team and surpass his career average of 7.5 points, since he got a lot of playing time in the preseason. He can offer a bit of… everything, be productive in transition and in half-court situations, and his specialty is corner threes.
#91 Pero Antic (Crvena Zvezda)
Year of birth: 1982
Height: 2.11m
Position: PF
After 12 years, Mr. Antic returns to Crvena Zvezda! A very smart big man, with a great understanding of the game, he has character and a reliable three-point shot. The years are getting by for him too, he cannot be as effective. He’s going to have remarkable nights this season too, while, aside from his contribution on the court, he will definitely have a key role in the locker room as well, being the most experienced and successful in a group of young players.