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).
QUARTER 3
Points
Luka Doncic
Team: Real Madrid
Total Points: 177
Points in Q3: 50 (11/14 2FG, 2/13 3FG, 22/26 FT)
Luka Doncic has done so many amazing things that we are missing the fact that he is still just 18 years old. Sharpshooters like Jaycee Carroll and deadly scorers like Nando De Colo are in this competition, but wonderkid Doncic is dominating the scoreboard. No matter who he plays against…
Other players with the most points: Alexey Shved (45) and Pierre Jackson (39).
Rebounds
Thomas Robinson
Team: Khimki Moscow Region
Total Rebounds: 70
Rebounds in Q3: 21
The fact that Robinson is the leader in this category in both 2nd and 3rd quarters tells a simple story: he will beat you close to the rim for nearly 20 minutes per game! At a certain level, grabbing rebounds requires great concentration throughout the game and using your size well. Coming from the bench for eight of nine games, Robinson adjusts his concentration level and brings his best.
Other players with the most rebounds: Gustavo Ayon (17) and Georgios Printezis (16).
Assists
Nick Calathes
Team: Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens
Total Assists: 67
Assists in Q3: 23
It takes too many words to define what he does for one of the most successful clubs in the modern era of the EuroLeague. In a few words, though, he does it at the highest level in a competition that is also at the highest level of basketball in the Old Continent.
Other players with the most assists: Sergio Rodriguez (14) and Jayson Granger (12).
QUARTER 4
Points
Pierre Jackson
Team: Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv
Total Points: 131
Points in Q4: 46 (9/16 2FG, 4/11 3FG, 16/19 FT)
Though many may not even remember, this is his second crack at the highest level in Europe. In 2013-14 season, Jackson joined a newly-built Fenerbahce under the leadership of the almighty Zeljko Obradovic. Having played only six games for Fenerbahce, Jackson scored just 20 points and returned home to the States (to avoid any mistakes, that’s 20 in total). However, he is back now and we are lucky to have him back. He is averaging 14.6 per game and doing even more for us to enjoy watching him play.
Other players with the most points: Alexey Shved (45) and Luka Doncic (43).
Rebounds
Alex Tyus
Team: Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv
Total Rebounds: 55
Rebounds in Q4: 20
Back in Tel Aviv, Tyus is doing what he does best. The athletic master of the rim is leading the rebounding charts in final quarters and giving no easy chances to his counterparts. Playing against Maccabi, you have to avoid the Alex Tyus-effect at the rim. If you can’t, you have to make all the shots you attempt; otherwise, Tyus will come and get what is his.
Other players with the most rebounds: Luka Doncic (17) and Matthias Lessort (17).
Assists
Jayson Granger
Team: Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz
Total Assists: 54
Assists in Q4: 19
In his fifth season in Europe’s best basketball competition, he has registered a career-high 6.0 assists per game. Granger played for two different teams before Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz in the EuroLeague and never had such a high figure in this category. Honestly, I would have been truly sad if he had not made this list and here he is.
When the game has to be decided, Granger takes a step forward and creates for his friends.
Other players with the most assists: Thomas Heurtel (18) and Stefan Markovic (18).