By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Eurohoops examines the defenses of every Euroleague team during the regular season and compares them to the Top 16, trying to find out who improved and who just can’t keep up with the higher level of competition.
The Greek coach, Panagiotis Giannakis used to say that “paying attention in the offense is like investing in the stock market and in the defense is like investing in the bank”. Eurohoops “calculated” the points per game that were allowed every team in the regular season and the same Top 16 numbers, drawing a conclusion about which teams have improved and which didn’t their defense in the most crucial period of the season.
Three are the teams that distinguish themselves with their improvement in the defense. Real Madrid’s and Fenerbahce’s games have the same number of possessions in the Top 16 and it’s obvious that Laso’s and Obradovic’ players play harder and harder in the defense and have improved their teamwork. The same applies also to Alba which has more possessions per game in the Top 16 than in regular season.
Hat’s off also to the Greek teams, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos who are among the best defenses in the Euroleague all season long. The Reds have the best defense in the Top 16 and had the second best in the regular season, behind Efes. Panathinaikos improved a lot during the Top 16 and has the third best defense following its eternal rival, Olympiacos and Real Madrid.
The teams that have better defense in the Top 16
|
Team |
Top 16 |
Reg. Season |
+/- points |
% change |
|
Real Madrid |
71,9 |
77,5 |
-6,1 |
-7,8% |
|
73,1 |
78,7 |
-5,6 |
-7,1% |
|
|
Alba Berlin |
73,8 |
79,1 |
-5,2 |
-6,5% |
|
75 |
78,3 |
-3,3 |
-4,2% |
|
|
Panathinaikos |
71,9 |
74,3 |
-2,4 |
-3,2% |
|
79,9 |
81,8 |
-1,9 |
-2,3% |
|
|
70,6 |
71,1 |
-0,5 |
-0,7% |
On the contrary, the majority of Euroleague teams, 9 out of 16, allow more points per game in the Top 16 compared to the regular season. It’s something expected because the Top 16 games are more competitive and the level of the teams is higher. Having said that, two powerhouses, CSKA and Efes, which have the goal to reach the Final Four, seem to be taken a step back in defense. CSKA finished the regular season unbeaten and has already two losses in the Top 16. Efes had 6-4 wins in the RS and now holds a 4-4 record in the Top 16.
The teams that have worse defense in the Top 16
|
Team |
Top 16 |
Reg. Season |
+/- points |
% change |
|
Nizhny |
84 |
82,3 |
+1,7 |
+2% |
|
Laboral |
81,6 |
79,8 |
+1,8 |
+2,2% |
|
78,5 |
75,7 |
+2,8 |
+3,6% |
|
|
74,3 |
70,9 |
+3,4 |
+4,7% |
|
|
83,4 |
79,5 |
+3,9 |
+4,9% |
|
|
Barcelona |
78,5 |
75,7 |
+4,2 |
+5,6% |
|
77,6 |
72,8 |
+4,8 |
+6,5% |
|
|
Efes Anadolu |
78,6 |
69,6 |
+9 |
+12,9% |
|
CSKA M. |
81,1 |
71,8 |
+9,3 |
+12,9% |