Utkan Sahin & M. Bahadır Akgun / info@eurohoops.net
Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has been the leading basketball competition in the Old Continent for quite a while. Now with its new format allowing all the teams to play against each other, it’s even more exciting.
We got underway with the new season six weeks ago and we’ve already seen 72 games! Each team played against nine of the best teams in Europe and none of them look unbeatable. Distinguished readers, I would like to state a certain fact regarding this competition: Are you planning to predict the result of a particular game? It does not seem so likely. Everyone can beat anyone. CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus are the leading powerhouses, and even they have two losses each.
And no team is doomed to lose! Each team has at least two wins, with some coming against the biggest rivals. Anyways, let us cut the long story short.
At Eurohoops, we decided to analyze each player’s numbers in every single quarter, to see who dominates when. After 72 games, here are the leaders in each main category for every 10-minute period of competitive action… And we uncovered some pretty interesting facts.
Please note that wherever the numbers were tied, we took into consideration the minutes spent on the court as a tiebreaker.
QUARTER 1
Points
Nick Calathes
Team: Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens
Total points scored: 128
Points in Q1: 53 (18/27 2FG, 4/12 3FG, 5/7 FT)
The Greek mastermind keeps doing what he did in EuroBasket 2017: he leads! Without a doubt, Nick Calathes is the leading figure in Athens. When he takes the court, he proves this immediately. The 28-year-old guard is known for his passing abilities, yet, there is no other player who has scored more points than him in the first quarter. The fact that he scored in double figures in seven of the nine games also demonstrates us that he is more than capable of scoring.
Other players with the most points: Alexey Shved (53) and Luka Doncic (50).
Rebounds
Kaleb Tarczewski
Team: AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan
Total Rebounds: 64
Rebounds in Q1: 25
Kaleb Tarczewski has started all the nine games for the Italian powerhouse and the numbers explain why. Tarczewski has grabbed 25 rebounds in the first quarter, which accounts for 39% of his total. The center is dominating the paint by limiting his counterparts on the glass. Even if he gets limited playing time during the rest of the game, Tarczewski has played at a high level and been very productive for his team.
Other players with the most rebounds: Malcolm Thomas (20) and Jonah Bolden (20)
Assists
Thomas Heurtel
Team: FC Barcelona Lassa
Total Assists: 62
Assists in Q1: 28
Thomas Heurtel sits in sixth place on the EuroLeague career assist charts, so it’s no surprise to see him on this list. Like a guided missile from the very first moment he steps onto the court, he has something pretty clear on his mind: To create more and more opportunities for his teammates to score. The Chef de Barcelona is always more than ready to provide easy baskets for his friends, but the first quarters are his spécialité.
Other players with the most assists: Nick Calathes (22) and Jordan Theodore (18).
QUARTER 2
Points
Team: Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Total points scored: 126
Points in Q2: 51 (14/26 2FG, 5/14 3FG, 8/10 FT)
Have you ever seen someone born to score? If not, here you are… Errick McCollum is doing something no other player can do in the second quarter. The margin between him and his runner-up, who is very own teammate, is 9 points! Even though Anadolu Efes Istanbul has not had quite a good start, McCollum is giving everything he has on the court to shoot Efes into a winning streak.
Other players with the most points: Vladimir Stimac (42) and Taylor Rochestie (42).
Rebounds
Thomas Robinson
Team: Khimki Moscow Region
Total Rebounds: 70
Rebounds in Q2: 25
In general, the last-minute signings are risky for contending teams. However, Thomas Robinson proved this archaic idea to be wrong. The center joined Khimki Moscow Region in September and he didn’t need any adjustmen period. After coming off the bench in most games, he went to work right away by controlling the paint in the second quarters.
Other players with the most rebounds: Othello Hunter (20) and Jason Thompson (19).
Assists
Team: Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul
Total Assists: 50
Assists in Q2: 16
Some guards are naturally gifted at creating for their teammates. With Bogdan Bogdanovic having departed, the new floor-general of the reigning champs paired up with Brad Wanamaker. The two have formed a deadly duo. Kostas Sloukas is producing a career best 6.3 assists per game, 2.0 of which have come in the second quarter.
Other players with the most assists: Sergio Rodriguez (14) and Vasilije Micic & Luka Doncic (13).