By Stelios Toromanidis/ info@eurohoops.net
As the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague moves towards the end of the regular season, Eurohoops analyzes the offensive production of the starters and bench players of this season’s 16 teams, two categories whose correlation leads us to useful conclusions.
The even distribution of points scored by starters and reserves can often be a key to better overall performance for a squad. In modern basketball, roster depth is now a requisite component. Here at Eurohoops we did our research and compiled the output of the starters and bench players for each of the 16 teams that take part in this season’s competition and we ranked them according to the smallest possible deviation between those teams’ starters and their subs. At the same time, we listed some useful stats, like the players who start the most games.
Before we present the list, it’s worth noting that only seven players in the EuroLeague have found themselves in the starting lineup for every game through the first 26 rounds. They are Pierre Jackson of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, Kevin Pangos of Zalgiris Kaunas, Chris Singleton of Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens, Milko Bjelica of Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, Alexey Shved and James Anderson of Khimki Moscow Region and Kaleb Tarczewski of AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan.
1. CSKA Moscow
Games: 26
Total points: 2,341 Average points: 90.0
Starters’ points: 1,151 (49.2%)
Bench players’ points: 1,190 (50.8%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: -1.6%
Players who have started at least one game: 11 of 17 (64.7%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Nikita Kurbanov (25)
The leaders in the standings and the unwavering favorites for the top spot at the end of the regular season have so far used 11 of the 17 players on their roster as starters at least once. Nikita Kurbanov, Kyle Hines, Sergio Rodriguez, Nando De Colo, Semen Antonov and Cory Higgins account for the most appearances in the starting lineup for Coach Dimitris Itoudis. Despite this, as the deviation in points between the starters and bench players shows, CSKA Moscow gets almost the same percentage of points from these two categories with a slight advantage for the bench players. This shows that in addition to quality, the Muscovites also boast great depth. After all, we’re talking about the best offense in the competition with an average that exceeds 90 points per game.
2. Real Madrid
Games: 26
Total points: 2,223 Average points: 85.5
Starters’ points: 1,108 (49.8%)
Bench players’ points: 1,115 (50.2%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: -0.4%
Players who have started at least one game: 14 of 16 (87.5%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Facundo Campazzo (24)
Ranked fourth in the standings, Real Madrid has an even distribution of points between its starters and bench players, a privilege shared by CSKA as we mentioned above. Maybe this also has to do with the fact that Los Blancos’ best scorer this season, Luka Doncic, usually starts games on the bench and is then thrown in the game. Pablo Laso most often relies on Facundo Campazzo, Fabien Causeur, Walter Tavares, Trey Thompkins and Jeffery Taylor as starters. The Madrilenos are again considered masters on offense with a plethora of options, while also boasting the second-best scoring average in the competition.
3. Unicaja Malaga
Games: 26
Total points: 2,018 Average points: 77.6
Starters’ points: 1,096 (54.3%)
Bench players’ points: 922 (45.7%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +8.6%
Players who have started at least one game: 14 of 15 (93.3%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Ray McCallum (22)
Unicaja may not have any real chances of qualifying for the playoffs and may be the 13th best offense in the EuroLeague, but it is one of the best teams in terms of the distribution of points scored by starters and bench players, something that can be largely credited to Coach Joan Plaza. Ray McCallum, Nemanja Nedovic, Dragan Milosavljevic, Jeff Brooks and Giorgi Shermadini are the players who have started more games than the rest, while 14 of 15 players on the roster have started at least one game.
4. Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz
Games: 26
Total points: 2,136 Average points: 82.2
Starters’ points: 1162 (54.4%)
Bench players’ points: 974 (45.6%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +8.8%
Players who have started at least one game: 12 of 16 (75%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Janis Timma (22)
Baskonia is fighting for a spot in the playoffs of Europe’s top club competition and has a favorable schedule until the end of the regular season. It also has the third-best offense, behind CSKA and Madrid.
Perhaps the rather even distribution of points between the starters and bench players helps in this. Janis Timma, Jayson Granger, Vincent Poirier, Tornike Shengelia, Matt Janning and Rodrigue Beaubois are Coach Pedro Martinez’s top choices for the starting lineups.
5. Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv
Games: 26
Total points: 2,136 Average points: 82.2
Starters’ points: 1,174 (55%)
Bench players’ points: 962 (45%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +10%
Players who have started at least one game: 11 of 13 (84.6%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Pierre Jackson (26)
Maccabi is also a candidate to make the playoffs. In recent seasons, it may not have been as competitive as it used to be, but it’s still an important team in the competition. Besides, together with Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz, Maccabi has the third-best attack in terms of points, while there is no great deviation between the points scored by the starters and bench players for the Israeli team. Jackson, Jonah Bolden, Art Parakhouski, DeAndre Kane and Michael Roll are Maccabi’s starters in most cases, while its second- and third-leading scorers, Norris Cole and DeShaun Thomas, come off the bench.
6. Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens
Total points: 2,030 Average points: 78.1
Starters’ points: 1,125 (55.4%)
Bench players’ points: 905 (44.6%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +10.8%
Players who have started at least one game: 13 of 16 (81.3%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Chris Singleton (26)
After five seasons of absence, the Greens want to return to the Final Four more than anything and they’re doing everything in their power to achieve this. The Greek champs may have only the 11th-best offense in the EuroLeague, but they’re sixth in the standings. Panathinaikos has variety in its starting lineups with Singleton, Nick Calathes, Matt Lojeski, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and James Gist those who appear the most among the starting quintet. The distribution of points between the starters and bench players ranges at very normal levels, even though the starters fare better than the subs.
7. Olympiacos Piraeus
Games: 26
Total points: 1,995 Average points: 76.7
Starters’ points: 1,111 (55.7%)
Bench players’ points: 884 (44.3%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +11.4%
Players who have started at least one game: 11 of 16 (68.8%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Georgios Printezis (23)
The Reds are one of the most consistent teams in the EuroLeague, something that can also be learned from the second place they currently occupy in the standings. Offensively, Olympiacos may not be the best team in the EuroLeague, since it is 15th in terms of output, but despite that, it places very high on this list thanks to the team’s homogeneity and know-how. Olympiacos‘s starters are more productive in terms of scoring compared to the bench players, though this doesn’t mean that the subs are not helping on offense. Georgios Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou, Vassilis Spanoulis, Nikola Milutinov, Brian Roberts and Vangelis Mantzaris start most of the Reds’ games.
Games: 26
Total points: 1,973 Average points: 75.9
Starters’ points: 1,106 (56.1%)
Bench players’ points: 867 (43.9%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +12.2%
Players who have started at least one game: 13 of 16 (81.3%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Ricky Hickman (20)
Brose Bamberg is once again a team with principles on offense and defense, even though the German champs are once again about to be left out of the top half of the standings at the end of the regular season. What Brose is missing is perhaps a little more talent on offense and more options, as it ranks last in the EuroLeague in terms of scoring. The Brose starters score a considerably greater amount of points than the team’s reserves. After Ricky Hickman, Augustine Rubit, Leon Radosevic, Nikos Zisis and Dorell Wright are the players with the most appearances in the Brose starting lineup.
9. FC Barcelona Lassa
Games: 26
Total points: 2,099 Average points: 80.7
Starters’ points: 1,180 (56.2%)
Bench players’ points: 919 (43.8%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +12,4%
Players who have started at least one game: 15 of 16 (93.8%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Adam Hanga (23)
FC Barcelona Lassa was unable this season to meet the great expectations the club’s name carries. Despite missing out on the playoffs, Barcelona has improved in recent games. The team has the seventh-best offense in the competition and its starters provide most of the points. Together with the now-injured Adam Hanga, Pau Ribas, Adrien Moerman, Thomas Heurtel and Kevin Seraphin have started the most games for the team this season in the EuroLeague.
10. Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul
Games: 26
Total points: 2,090 Average points: 80.4
Starters’ points: 1,180 (56.5%)
Bench players’ points: 910 (43.5%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +12.9%
Players who have started at least one game: 12 of 15 (80%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Jan Vesely (19)
Reigning champion Fenerbahce is sitting third in the standings and once again is among the main contenders for the trophy. It has the eighth-best offense in the competition, its starters score 56.5% of its points and 12 of its 15 players have started at least once. Brad Wanamaker joins Jason Thompson, James Nunnally, Jan Vesely and Luigi Datome as the ones named most often by Coach Zeljko Obradovic to be in the starting lineup.
11. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
Games: 26
Total points: 2,039 Average points: 78.4
Starters’ points: 1,250 (57.4%)
Bench players’ points: 789 (42.6%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +14.8%
Players who have started at least one game: 10 of 17 (58.8%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Milko Bjelica (26)
This season, the Serbian champions are worse off than last season, when they fought to the end before narrowly missing qualification to the playoffs. Despite this, Zvezda once again has a solid squad that battles hard. It has the ninth-most points scored while relying on its starters for most of the offense. Bjelica, Branko Lazic, Mathias Lessort, Taylor Rochestie and James Feldeine have started the most games for Zvezda.
12. AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan
Games: 26
Total points: 2,118 Average points: 81.5
Starters’ points: 1,239 (58.5%)
Bench players’ points: 879 (41.5%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +17
Players who have started at least one game: 11 of 16 (68.8%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Kaleb Tarczewski (26)
Milan cannot qualify for the playoffs this season either, as, despite the quality of the roster, it lacks homogeneity. The starters provide most of the points, while Milan has the fifth-most-productive team in the competition in terms of scoring. Tarczewski, Andrew Goudelock, Vladimir Micov and Jordan Theodore are regulars in the starting lineup.
13. Zalgiris Kaunas
Games: 26
Total points: 2,117 Average points: 81.4
Starters’ points: 1,251 (59.1%)
Bench players’ points: 866 (40.9%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +18.2%
Players who have started at least one game: 11 of 15 (73.3%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Kevin Pangos (26)
Zalgiris is on course to make the playoffs for the first time in the modern era of the competition. The Lithuanian champs have the sixth-best offense in the EuroLeague, with their starters scoring many more points than their bench players. Pangos, the leader, is joined by Brandon Davies, Paulius Jankunas, Edgaras Ulanovas and Axel Toupane as the players who start most often.
14. Valencia Basket
Games: 26
Total points: 2,028 Average points: 78.0
Starters’ points: 1,248 (61.6%)
Bench players’ points: 779 (38.4%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +23.2
Players who have started at least one game: 12 of 16 (75%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: Will Thomas (19)
Even though it is the Spanish champion, Valencia Basket has not produced the necessary results to stay in the EuroLeague playoff race. Of course, Valencia has been plagued by multiple injuries, which was the reason for the lack of options on the bench. It has the 12th-best offense in the EuroLeague and the ratio of points between starters and bench players, as expected, is great, while 12 of the 16 players on the roster have been used as starters. Of them, Tibor Pleiss, Sam Van Rossom, Will Thomas, Erick Green and Aaron Doornekamp have started the most games.
15. Khimki Moscow Region
Games: 26
Total points: 2,034 Average points: 78.2
Starters’ points: 1,390 (68.3%)
Bench players’ points: 644 (31.7%)
Deviation between starters and bench players: +36.6
Players who have started at least one game: 10 of 14 (71.4%)
Most appearances in the starting lineup: James Anderson, Alexey Shved (26)
Perhaps, more than any other, this is the team in which one player has the greatest impact. We’re talking of course about Khimki’s leader, Shved. Khimki, which is a near lock to make the EuroLeague playoffs, has the 10th best offense and get 68.3% of its points from its starters. Shved, Anderson, Malcolm Thomas, Charles Jenkins and Anthony Gill are the names most often inserted into the starting lineup.