By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Well, it’s that time of the year again.
Eurohoops presents the Top 100 EuroLeague Players ahead of the 2018-2019 season. A list of players compiled with some specific criteria with the purpose of tracing and ranking those hoopers that are expected to define the upcoming EuroLeague season.
While there are some objective and factual elements that were taken into consideration when choosing the 100 players and then ranking them, the final result is, inevitably, subjective.
As always, there was a calculated risk with rookies, especially those who are completely unfamiliar with European basketball. Hence why some players who will now take their first steps in EuroLeague have been omitted from the list or where placed in lower positions in comparison with rookies with considerable experience at a competitive level of European basketball. Experience in this level and type of game matters since we’ve seen no few quality players, even established NBAers, immensely struggle in their new surroundings simply because of their unfamiliarity with everything that European basketball encompasses.
What should be noted is that player of a team that is a title or Final Four contender automatically got a relative priority over another with possibly similar or equal, maybe even superior individual strengths. This is why you will find that there is an increased number of players from well-known powerhouses, apart from the fact that these teams usually sign top talent.
It goes without saying that injuries also played a part in picking and ranking the players.
Like every year, the Eurohoops Top 100 Players ranking is based on the following criteria (in this order):
1) The individual quality of each player in combination with the role and playing time we anticipate he will get with his team.
2) The strength of the club he plays for. The players of the teams that are usually playoff staples and are considered among the title contenders always have the edge because they combine individual quality with their club’s high aspirations.
3) What each player has achieved in his career in the EuroLeague, combined with the prospect he carries for the 2018-19 season.
The countdown continues with the spots from 80 to 71. Here are the 90 – 81 plus the 100 to 91 picks.
80. Matt Janning (Baskonia)
Year of birth: 1988
Position: Guard/Forward
Height: 1.93 m.
2017-2018 stats: 8.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22:21 minutes per game with Baskonia in EuroLeague.
Shooting is his business and business is good for Matt Janning. The American swingman has been making a living as one of the most lethal snipers in Europe these past years and that was also the case last season with Baskonia.
Janning’s style is a perfect fit for the brand of basketball that Baskonia head coach Pedro Martinez asks his players to implement. This lightning-fast execution and ability to fire threes at a great rate, either in “5 vs. 5” or in transition situations and his ability to space the floor are of crucial importance to the offense of his team. Even when he has these days where he’s off-target, his notoriety for knocking down 3-pointers is such that the opposing defense is simply forced to pay attention to him.
While Janning is used to playing off the ball and mostly score, he’s shown that can be effective when used even as a pick n’ roll initiator (especially with Lokomotiv Kuban in 2016-2017). Baskonia has other players for this job, sure, but he can also handle that duty if it’s asked from him.
79. Arturas Gudaitis (Olimpia Milano)
Year of birth: 1993
Position: Center
Height: 2.08 m.
2017-2018 stats: 10.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks in 20:41 minutes per game with Olimpia Milano in EuroLeague.
I have to be honest with you. I put Arturas Gudaitis in the list because I get nightmares of him dunking on me.
Seriously though, Gudaitis was one of the absolutely most vicious big guys during the previous EuroLeague season and it was a small wonder that Milano renewed his contract in February. The Lithuanian center re-introduced himself to the EuroLeague crowd as one mean, almost brutal finisher, too strong to be denied even when the opponent was so attached that he could give him a kiss. He actually had no problem launching his attack away from the hoop and just take long strides to reach it by bulldozing everyone on his way.
It wasn’t just crushing all who came between him and the basket though. Gudaitis rolled quickly after the pick and read the spaces in the opposing defense to position himself at the right space in the right time to score. It’s intriguing to see what he can do next season with a pair of guards such as Nemanja Nedovic and Mike James who can attract defenders and “feed” him plenty at the same time.
78. Aaron White (Zalgiris Kaunas)
Year of birth: 1992
Position: Forward
Height: 2.06 m.
2017-2018 stats: 8.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists in 22:28 minutes per game with Zalgiris Kaunas in EuroLeague.
Aaron White debuted in EuroLeague in 2017-2018 as one of the most interesting rookies to watch and, truly, he became a regular in the weekly highlight reels thanks to his slams.
Dunking the ball looks simple enough for a player of his size, but putting yourself at the position to do it so frequently during a EuroLeague game isn’t that easy. White is one of the most dangerous backdoor cutters in the continent and a player who combines speed and energy-packed moves, with knowledge of where to be for the ball to reach his hands off a pass.
It’s also about being a team player who follows the rules of each strategy and is faithful to the plan. White showed that he can do that exceedingly well in a really disciplined, strictly-coached team such as Zalgiris.
While he shot with 38 percent from beyond the arc (38/52) and was 4/5 in the playoffs, White has still much room for improvement regarding his shooting in order to also truly become a stretch forward and an all-around threat on the floor.
77. Vasilije Micic (Anadolu Efes)
Year of birth: 1994
Position: Guard
Height: 1.96
2017-2018 stats: 7.7 points, 4.2 assists, 2.2 rebounds in 22:24 minutes per game with Zalgiris Kaunas in EuroLeague.
2017-2018 broke new ground for Vasilije Micic since he helped Zalgiris Kaunas reach the EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 1999. For the Serbian guard, it was his first Final Four appearance in a season where he showed why he was considered an elite prospect some years ago.
Micic will look to repeat this success with Anadolu Efes. The Turkish team has been in desperate need for some serious floor management, and Micic can provide a wide playmaking spectrum, creative passing, plus the ability to use his size to post up shorter guards. He utilized the latter to great extent last season, especially during the playoffs vs. Olympiacos.
While he’s expected to mostly come off the bench behind Shane Larkin, Micic can also share the court with the American player since he’s comfortable either as a ball-handler or next to ball-dominant players. It’s because he thinks and acts quickly without needing much time to scan the opposing defense and determine the proper course of action, something he also showed last season with Zalgiris alongside Kevin Pangos.
76. Sasha Vezenkov (Olympiacos)
Year of birth: 1995
Position: Forward
Height: 2.06 m.
2017-2018 stats: 3.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists in 11:41 minutes per game in EuroLeague with Barcelona.
A wise man (Red Auerbach) once said: “You can’t teach height.” In Sasha Vezenkov’s case, it goes something like “you can’t teach talent”. And the Bulgarian forward carries that in abundance.
For a variety of reasons, Vezenkov’s role with Barcelona has been greatly diminished in the previous season, something that culminated with him being cut from the team’s postseason roster in ACB. Yet things will be vastly different with Olympiacos, where he’s projected to mainly be Giorgos Printezis #1 backup. It will be Vezenkov’s job to provide ample perimeter shooting (the absence of which has been a headache for Olympiacos in recent years) and generally showcase the offensive craft that once named him MVP and scoring champion of the Greek League at just 19. Allowing 33-year-old Printezis more rest won’t hurt either of course.
While Vezenkov generally has an advanced “feel” for the game and can also contribute as a creator for the low post, his top quality as a player remains the art of “getting buckets”.