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 new format of the EuroLeague 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
1. The individual quality of the player IN COMBINATION with the role and playing time we anticipate he will get in his team.
2. 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.
3. What each player has achieved in his career in the EuroLeague combined with the prospects he has for the 2017-18 season.
Here are the 100-91 and the 90-81 picks.
#80 Rodrigue Beaubois (Baskonia)
Year of Birth: 1988
Height: 1.88m
Position: G
In his second season in the EuroLeague with Baskonia, he can become even more productive and consistent. A scoring guard with many attacking virtues, especially in transition situations. When he gets into a rhythm, he can do a lot of damage from the three-point line as well. What is going to take him up a notch is if he improves his creative ability and utilizes his teammates more.
#79 Leo Westermann (CSKA Moscow)
Year of birth: 1992
Height: 1.97m
Position: G
Yet another French guard, one who made the leap from Zalgiris to CSKA. A player who works for the whole, a consistent creator and a good rebounder for his position. He has room for improvement, especially in the part of execution, and it’s the first time at the club level that he will be tested under a lot of pressure in championship conditions.
#78 James Nunnally (Fenerbahce)
Year of birth: 1990
Height: 2.01m
Position: F
A modern forward with a reliable mid- and long-range shot, and excellent in open court situations. In Italy he proved that he can deliver even if he’s not the main scorer. His role, though, remains complementary in the European champions, who, with so many options in the backcourt, it’s a given that we will see Zeljko Obradovic using line-ups with three guards for long periods of time.