By Giorgos Orfanakis/ info@eurohoops.net
The sample from this season is now large enough: 15 rounds, 120 clashes and thousands of minutes of basketball, with the big protagonists often outdoing themselves.
Eurohoops follows up on a tradition that began last season and presents the Top 3 players in every position for the first half of the season. The criteria that shaped the final selection are the following:
- Performance: A player’s performance and presence on the court in at least 10 games! His contribution in the different statistical categories and the degree to which he met the demands in terms of what was expected of him.
- Role: How important is this player in the overall picture of the whole? How crucial is his role for the team, and to what extent can it remain at the same level without him?
- Team’s course: It’s not enough for a player to have played well. He has to have guided his team on a decent course, according to the expectations that existed before the start of the season.
- Quality: There are some players who belong to the so-called “top shelf,” with their value and quality seriously taken into account.
- Subjective view: As is always the case in such matters, the subjective element has the final say. Besides, what could be better than conversations and arguments about basketball?
The presentation is concluded with the Top 3 centers who have taken on a key role in their teams and have been impressing with their performances so far…
1. Jan Vesely
Team: Fenerbahce
Stats: 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 18.1 PIR
Age: 27
Ekpe Udoh’s departure from Fenerbahce’s roster took Jan Vesely to the ‘5’ position and, at the same time, his game surged! This season, the Czech is the Turkish team’s barometer and it’s no coincidence that Zeljko Obradovic has been using him for more than 30 minutes per game.
The 27-year-old center’s stats are scary for any opponent since, with 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a PIR of 18.1, he’s a contender for the EuroLeague’s MVP prize.
But what is it that makes this athlete so special? Jan Vesely is flawless in the pick and roll, very athletic, agile and has a long body. All of these things help him to be highly effective in offense (62.8% FG) and especially useful in defense, where he can mark any opponent regardless of their position. His 70% from the free throw line also deserves a special mention, since for a number of years that was his weakness.
Finally, it’s worth noting that, aside from a top big man in the EuroLeague, Vesely is also one of the most Fun-to-Watch players with a constant presence in the Top 10.
2. James Gist
Team: Panathinaikos
Stats: 10.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 11.9 PIR
Age: 31
Panathinaikos have made impressive progress in the first phase of the EuroLeague and if we had to pick out the big protagonist, after Nick Calathes, that would be James Gist! The American is like a beast in green, as his passion combined with his energy and his great athletic qualities make him unbeatable close to the basket.
Xavi Pascual uses him in ‘5’ and Gist absolutely justifies his choice! In fact, the 31-year-old forward/center completed the first 15 rounds with averages that are the best in his career in every statistical category in all the seasons he has been playing in green!
More specifically, Gist scores 10.3 points per game, with the highest percentages in two-point field goals (62.2%) and three-point field goals (45%). He also grabs 4.6 rebounds, dishes 1.3 assists and, above all, contributes with screens, cuts, constant movement and finishes in the Greens’ offensive game. He can easily mark every position and he’s an… air traffic controller in the paint.
The American resembles Jan Vesely in that he knows how to rouse basketball fans like few others do…
3. Vladimir Stimac
Team: Anadolu Efes
Stats: 12.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 17.2 PIR
Age: 30
Vladimir Stimac outdid himself in this first half of the season and despite Efes’s… tragic course, he wins the third spot on Eurohoops’ Top 3 on his own merits.
When the Serbian center was transferred to Efes from Besiktas in the summer, not many people expected such an impressive presence. And yet, the 30-year-old has been showing he can be more than useful at the top level, and with 12.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and a PIR of 17.2, he’s considered one of the Turkish team’s most efficient players.
Since he’s lacking in athletic qualities, Stimac makes sure to make up for this weakness with passion, fighting spirit and his impeccable positioning. In this way, he grabs 3.7 offensive rebounds and often combines a shot on target with a drawn foul! Most of the battles he gave in the first 15 games were won and it will be of great interest to see whether he will be able to keep his performance levels this high.
Common sense says that, as the season wears on, the top centers in the league (Kyle Hines, Bryant Dunston) will manage to surpass Vladimir Stimac on this particular list.