By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Like the EuroLeague, Eurohoops “awards” each season’s best players and we continue with the 2017-18 EuroLeague MVP.
Read about the candidates and vote in Eurohoops’ poll
Nick Calathes
Panathinaikos | Guard | 1.98 | 07/02/1989 | Greece
14.2 points | 3.9 rebounds | 8.1 assists | 1.8 steals | 0 blocks | 2.3 turnovers | 28:55 minutes | 18.4 PIR
Panathinaikos’s season is overflowing with Nick Calathes and how could it be otherwise when we’re talking about his most productive season in the EuroLeague. And it’s not just what he does in terms of organization and execution. His average of 1.8 steals puts him ahead of everyone else in the competition and at the very least proves what he can do in defense as well, which cannot be fully reflected in the stats. All of this has him in fifth place in terms of the index rating.
Nando De Colo
CSKA Moscow | Guard | 1.96 | 23/06/1987 | France
17.2 points | 2.4 rebounds | 4 assists | 1.3 steals | 0.1 blocks | 2.3 turnovers | 26:20 minutes | 20.2 PIR
Nando De Colo knows how to stand out in a team full of stars like few others and this season is no different. He’s first in points and steals and second in assists for CSKA Moscow, but also second in points and the index rating and fourth in steals in the EuroLeague. And this is not even his best season in the competition. That was 2016 when he won the MVP award.
Luka Doncic
Real Madrid | Guard | 1.99 | 28/02/1999 | Slovenia
16.9 points | 4.8 rebounds | 4.6 assists | 1.2 steals | 0.4 blocks | 2.3 turnovers | 25:39 minutes | 22.7 PIR
At 19 years of age, Luka Doncic has already grown on the court and his stats prove it. The career-high averages in almost all the main statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, index rating) are characteristic of his third season in the EuroLeague, where he’s first in the index rating. He’s Real’s solution in a season full of injuries.
Tornike Shengelia
Baskonia | Center | 2.03 | 05/10/1991 | Georgia
13.9 points | 6.2 rebounds | 2.1 assists | 0.8 steals | 0.6 blocks | 1.5 turnovers | 25:34 minutes | 18.7 PIR
Baskonia looked unstoppable in the last few rounds of the regular season and Tornike Shengelia is the one who set the pace. This season is by far his best of five in the competition, and his career-high averages in points, rebounds and steals confirm that. His name is fourth on the list of the highest index ratings.
Alexey Shved
Khimki | Guard | 1.98 | 16/12/1988 | Russia
21.4 points | 2.4 rebounds | 5.2 assists | 1.4 steals | 0.2 blocks | 3 turnovers | 32:17 minutes | 20 PIR
Alexey Shved left almost nothing behind for anyone else in the 30 rounds of the regular season. Khimki’s – and the competition’s – top scorer put up a record of total points scored in a season (643), and he leads his team in assists and steals. He also achieved career highs in points (29), assists (12) and the index rating (35), for his team’s first ever qualification to the playoffs.
Vassilis Spanoulis
Olympiacos | Guard | 1.93 | 07/08/1982 | Greece
13.1 points | 1.6 rebounds | 5.7 assists | 0.8 steals | 0 blocks | 3.3 turnovers | 25:52 minutes | 11.5 PIR
He missed the first third of the regular season due to an injury, but as soon as he returned he wasted no time making up for lost ground. At 36 years of age, the MVP of the 2013 season reminded everyone that age is not always a factor and in 20 appearances he got to the point of leading his team in points as well as assists. His second-best career average of 5.7 assists helped bump him up to first place on the competition’s All-Time list.
Jan Vesely
Fenerbahce | Center | 2.13 | 24/04/1990 | Czech Republic
12.9 points | 4.9 rebounds | 1.7 assists | 0.9 steals | 0.8 blocks | 1.4 turnovers | 26:56 minutes | 16.5 PIR
In his seventh season in the competition, Jan Vesely gives Fenerbahce everything the effort to defend the crown requires. The career-high average of 12.9 points made him his team’s top scorer in the regular season, while he was also second in rebounds and first in blocks among his teammates. In 28 appearances, he managed to come up with three career highs (points, assists, index rating).