Iron men

John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net

The number does not exceed 44 and the fact that only 17,3% of the players appeared in all games makes their achievement even more special.

Zalgiris Kaunas has the most iron men on its roster – five – while CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul follow with one player less. Olympiacos Piraeus is at the other end, with just one player out of the 17 they have used having made 30 out of 30 appearances.

Out of this total of 44 players, some managed to stand out even more thanks to their stamina and consistency.

Here are the Top 10 Iron Men based on playing time:

#10 Sergio Rodriguez (CSKA Moscow)
13.5 points | 1.9 rebounds | 4.8 assists | 0.8 steals | 0.1 blocks | 2.2 turnovers | 25:30 minutes | 13.2 PIR

His first season in Moscow has turned out to be his most productive in the competition, but former EuroLeague MVP Sergio Rodriguez never did just one thing well (he leads his team in assists). At the rate he’s going, the career highs in points (25) and the index rating (35) were only a matter of time.

#9 James Gist (Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens)
10.1 points | 4.5 rebounds | 1.1 assists | 0.9 steals | 0.5 blocks | 1.1 turnovers | 25:50 minutes | 11.1 PIR

He’s in his sixth season in Panathinaikos and every time he walks onto the court he makes sure to remind everyone why he’s still playing in green. He’s one of the four players on his team with double-digit point averages and ranked second in rebounds, with a career high (11) in that category for good measure.

#8 Nicolo Melli (Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul)
8.2 points | 5.2 rebounds | 1.7 assists | 0.8 steals | 0.4 blocks | 1 turnover | 25:51 minutes | 11.4 PIR

Fenerbahce trusted him for his ability to contribute in all areas and Nicolo Melli made sure to vindicate them with a full set of stats. He leads his team in rebounds and his career high in steals (4) was the cherry on top in these first 30 rounds.

#7 Taylor Rochestie (Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade)
13.4 points | 2.3 rebounds | 5 assists | 0.8 steals | 0.1 blocks | 1.8 turnovers | 26:00 minutes | 14.4 PIR

His performances were not enough for Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade to make the extra step, but they were more than enough for Taylor Rochestie to remind everyone of his value. Leading his team in points and assists and posting his career highs in rebounds (9), steals (4) and the index rating (38) did the job.

#6 Will Clyburn (CSKA Moscow)
11.7 points | 5.7 rebounds | 1.9 assists | 0.8 steals | 0.2 blocks | 1.5 turnovers | 26:12 minutes | 14.1 PIR

Signing with CSKA came with increased responsibilities, but Will Clyburn proved quickly that he can rise to the challenge. Dominant in the air (first in rebounds among his teammates), he also came up with multiple career highs (28 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 34 index rating).

#5 Brad Wanamaker (Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul)
11.4 points | 2.6 rebounds | 3.9 assists | 1.3 steals | 0.1 blocks | 1.5 turnovers | 26:32 minutes | 12.7 PIR

The weight of defending the title is great for everyone in Fenerbahce, but Brad Wanamaker has been able to lift a large part of it on his back as the second-best player among his teammates in points and assists, and the first in steals. He added a career-high in steals (5) as a bonus.

#4 Kevin Pangos (Zalgiris Kaunas)
12.4 points | 2.8 rebounds | 6.2 assists | 0.8 steals | 0.1 blocks | 2.6 turnovers | 27:34 minutes | 13.9 PIR

Kevin Pangos gets better every year and he’s one of Zalgiris’s protagonists in his second season in the competition. The proof of this: the fact that he leads his team in points and assists (third in the competition), and had an assortment of career highs, in points (22), rebounds (7), assists (15) and the index rating (28).

#3 Bryant Dunston (Anadolu Efes Istanbul)
10.2 points | 5.4 rebounds | 1.3 assists | 0.7 steals | 1.7 blocks | 1 turnover | 28:10 minutes | 15.5 PIR

Anadolu Efes Istanbul couldn’t make it past the regular season, but no one can blame Bryant Dunston for not trying to make the opposite come true. He finished the season with career highs in rebounds (13) and blocks (5), while being the best blocker in the competition (1.7).

#2 Chris Singleton (Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens)
10.3 points | 5.8 rebounds | 1.1 assists | 1 steal | 0.7 blocks | 1.6 turnovers | 30:14 minutes | 12.3 PIR

His presence on the court is essential for Panathinaikos and Chris Singleton has the stats to prove it, both in offense (third in points) as well as in defense (first in rebounds and blocks). Add to that three career highs in rebounds (13), assists (4) and blocks (4).

#1 Alexey Shved (Khimki Moscow Region)
21.4 points | 2.4 rebounds | 5.2 assists | 1.4 steals | 0.2 blocks | 3 turnovers | 32:17 minutes | 20 PIR

The top scorer of Khimki Moscow Region as well as the competition – with a record total of points in a season (643) – he also leads his team in assists and steals, and has career highs in points (29), assists (12) and the index rating (35). His team’s first-ever qualification for the playoffs had his fingerprints everywhere, as Alexey Shved did it all in these first 30 rounds.

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