By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
After seven months and 256 games, the EuroLeague is nearing the end of the season. The ending will be written in the Stark Arena in Belgrade, where Fenerbahce, Zalgiris, CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid will give their final battles for the competition’s precious trophy. Predictions are always risky, especially for a Final Four, but 30 Eurohoops writers across all of our editions – Greek, English, Turkish, Spanish, Russian, German – made their own anyway, so… may the best one win.
THE PAIR OF THE FINAL
With 73.3%, last season’s winners, Fenerbahce, are for Eurohoops’ writers the absolute favorites to qualify from the first semifinal against Zalgiris, but opinions regarding their last hurdle on the road to defending their title differ.
QUALIFICATION FOR FENERBAHCE – 73.3% (22 writers)
vs. Real Madrid – 13 out of 22 writers in favor of Fenerbahce
vs. CSKA Moscow – 9 out of 22 writers in favor of Fenerbahce
On the other side, the 26.7% that is in favor of the Lithuanian team, sends them to the final to face only Real Madrid.
QUALIFICATION FOR ZALGIRIS – 26.7% (8 writers)
vs. Real Madrid – 8 out of 8 writers in favor of Zalgiris
These 8 votes are not enough for Real Madrid to qualify from the second semifinal since their figure is 70%.
QUALIFICATION FOR REAL MADRID – 70% (21 writers)
vs. Fenerbahce – 13 out of 21 writers in favor of Real Madrid
vs. Zalgiris – 8 out of 21 writers in favor of Real Madrid
The other 30% that is in favor of CSKA Moscow corresponds to 73.3% in favor of Fenerbahce in the first semifinal, for a repeat of 2016 final.
QUALIFICATION FOR CSKA MOSCOW – 30% (9 writers)
vs. Fenerbahce – 9 out of 9 writers in favor of CSKA Moscow
TITLE WINNERS
43.3% of Eurohoops’ writers think multiple trophy holders Real Madrid will win the EuroLeague for the tenth time in their history, while Fenerbahce’s back-to-back wins follow with 33.3%.
CSKA Moscow, who have seven titles, gathered just 16.7% of the vote, while only 6.7% predicts that Zalgiris’s fairytale season will a have an ending similar to that of 1999.
See how 30 Eurohoops writers voted
FINAL FOUR MVP
As in the vote for the MVP of the year, the majority of Eurohoops’ writers think Luka Doncic will lead Real Madrid to the trophy as the MVP of the Final Four.
With 16.7%, Kostas Sloukas is the closest threat in case of a repeat with Fenerbahce, who also have Brad Wanamaker in third place together with CSKA Moscow’s Nando De Colo, with 10% each.
Luka Doncic (Real Madrid) – 33,3%
Kostas Sloukas (Fenerbahce) 16,7%
Brad Wanamaker (Fenerbahce) – 10%
Nando De Colo (CSKA Moscow) – 10%
Jan Vesely (Fenerbahce) – 6,7%
Kevin Pangos (Zalgiris) – 6,7%
Sergio Rodriguez (CSKA Moscow) – 6,7%
Sergio Llull (Real Madrid) – 6,7%
Gustavo Ayon (Real Madrid) – 3,3%
See how 30 Eurohoops writers voted
FINAL FOUR TOP SCORER
Whether CSKA Moscow win the title or not, the majority of Eurohoops’s writers believe two of their players will score more than anyone else. Nando De Colo is first with 30%, while Sergio Rodriguez follows with 23.3%.
The Madrilenos’ duo Llull-Doncic rounded off the quartet of double figures with 16.7% and 13.3% respectively.
Nando De Colo (CSKA Moscow) – 30%
Sergio Rodriguez (CSKA Moscow) – 23,3%
Sergio Llull (Real Madrid) – 16,7%
Luka Doncic (Real Madrid) – 13,3%
Brad Wanamaker (Fenerbahce) – 6,7%
Ali Muhammed (Fenerbahce) – 3,3%
James Nunnally (Fenerbahce) – 3,3%
Cory Higgins (CSKA Moscow) – 3,3%
See how 30 Eurohoops writers voted:
