By 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
- 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.
Here are the previous picks: 30-21, 40-31, 50-41, 60-51, 70-61, 80-71, 90-81, 100-91
#20 Will Clyburn (CSKA Moscow)
Year of Birth: 1990
Height: 2.01m
Position: F
CSKA Moscow was missing this kind of forward. He was impressive last season with Darussafaka and this season we’re expecting him to be even better. Extremely athletic with endless energy, he goes for every rebound and is very effective both in transition as well as in 1-on-1 situations. If he makes his threat and his percentage from the three-point line more consistent and at higher standards than last season, he can develop into a “nuclear weapon” for the Army Team.
#19 Τornike Shengelia (Baskonia)
Year of birth: 1991
Height: 2.06m
Position: F
Once again this season he will be a central component of Baskonia’s offense. A forward with many gifts in offense. Excellent in the 1-on-1, effective in the low post, capable of threatening mainly from mid-range but also from the three-point line on a good night. He has the athletic qualities and the feet to contribute more in rebounding but also in defense.
#18 Gustavo Ayon (Real Madrid)
Year of birth: 1985
Height: 2.07m
Position: C
For one more season he will be a pillar of Real’s frontline. A good scorer, he can score with both hands close to the paint, but also provide support in execution in the pick-and-roll. A pretty good rebounder and a tough defender in the post, even though he lacks speed in switching defenses. He has to improve last season’s bad free throw percentage (48.5%) and hold his own in the games that will define the goals of the Whites.
#17 Kyle Hines (CSKA Moscow)
Υear of birth: 1986
Height: 1.98m
Position: C
The most successful big man (even though the smallest in his position) in the EuroLeague this decade. He has won three titles with Olympiacos (2) and CSKA (1) and has been in every Final Four since 2012! All this is no coincidence. He’s the ultimate fighter. A very effective defender close to and away from the basket, he knows how to move flawlessly in the offense to finish pick-and-roll plays and he is the very definition of a key player in numerous situations, without this being reflected in his stats.
#16 Thomas Heurtel (Barcelona)
Year of birth: 1989
Height: 1.89m
Position: PG
He got one win away from the Final Four last season with 12.7 points, 5.6 assists and 1.7 rebounds on average. Theoretically, he’s entering the peak of his career and the demands are very high since it looks like Barca has decided to hand him the floor manager’s baton. He knows the fundamentals extremely well. He has a mid- and long-range shot, very good ball handling skills and a big repertoire with his passes. What’s missing from his career and is the greatest challenge? To lead the team that is under his guidance to titles, and in Barca, we will see if he can do it!
#15 Adam Hanga (Barcelona)
Υear of birth: 1989
Height: 2.01m
Position: F
The best defender in the league last season, an energy-producing machine and a multidimensional forward who contributes in all areas of the game. He’s no longer simply the player who is everywhere in defense. He gets rebounds, steals balls, helps out in the creation and is effective on the open court. He completed last season with a double-digit point average (10.5), he got his three-point shooting over 30% for the first time (33.6%) and he’s a full and prolific package. As with Heurtel, what will be judged above all this season is his level of leadership.
#14 Nicolo Melli (FenerbahceΦενέρμπαχτσε)
Year of birth: 1991
Height: 2.05m
Position: F
He switched gears last season with Bamberg and proved that he belongs among the elite. The 11.5 points along with the 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 43.4% from the three-point line account for his move to the European champions. A complete player who can maintain a balance between offense and defense at a high level, and who has a great perception of the game for his position. What remains to be seen is how he will respond at the top level, with more pressure, in the title games that await Fener again this season.
#13 Anthony Randolph (Real Madrid)
Year of birth: 1989
Height: 2.11m
Position: F
The European champion with Slovenia in the recent EuroBasket is one of the brightest and most talented players in the league. He can play in both big men positions with ease and at a top level. He scores from short-range and long-range, all the way from outside the three-point line. He gets rebounds, he makes impressive blocks, he can deliver in defenses of varying demands, and he’s effective in transition as well as set plays. A top big man who combines substance with spectacle on a regular basis.
#12 Kostas Sloukas (Fenerbahce)
Year of birth: 1990
Height: 1.90m
Position: PG
One of the most successful players in the league, with 3 titles and lots of Final Fours on his list of achievements. He’s developing into a top class guard, combining harmoniously his skills in creation and execution, and has very good percentages and is coldblooded in critical situations. He has improved his athleticism, which, in combination with his experience now, makes him a crucial component for the European champions. He has more room to elevate his game, since he has an amazing work ethic.
#11 Αleksey Shved (Khimki)
Year of birth: 1988
Height: 1.98m
Position: G
He’s coming off a great EuroBasket (named to the All-Tournament Team) and a productive season on an individual level with 15.9 points, 4 assists and 2.8 rebounds. An amazing talent in offense with natural instincts, he has every possible and impossible way of scoring. When he wants, he can create very well as he has an elevated perception and an excellent pass. The point is whether Shved can balance all this, make the right decisions and, in a season with high expectations, if he can not just register high stats, but make his teammates better as well, and take Khimki to the next level in Europe.