Aiming for the top: The milestones that EuroLeague players are after

By George Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net

Winning the trophy is the No. 1 goal for the teams of the EuroLeague but, at the same time, the stars of the competition are going after unique individual distinctions that will secure them a place in history.

Besides, the competition’s new format with 30 games throughout the regular season gives athletes the opportunity to climb up in the various statistical categories faster.

Eurohoops sorted out and presents here the situation in the statistical tables ahead of the new season…

Blocks: Dunston, Tyus, Lasme and Hines for the lead

Fran Vazquez is at the top of the list with the most blocks in the history of the EuroLeague but falling into lower places is just a matter of time. Bryant Dunston, Kyle Hines, Alex Tyus and Stephane Lasme are coming after him and they’re not messing around, so at the end of the season they will find themselves a lot higher on the list.

Will Efes’s center manage to climb to first place? How far will Panathinaikos’s Gabonese big go since he has the highest average (1.3 blocks) compared to all the other athletes still playing?

Assists: Spanoulis is the boss but Heurtel and Calathes are coming

A quick look at the table with the most assists in the history of the EuroLeague is enough to fill Greek basketball fans with pride. The great Vassilis Spanoulis occupies the top spot with a total of 1287 assists and the huge Dimitris Diamantidis is close behind with 1255 assists.

The Reds’ leader is expected to increase his output this season but it would be an omission not to mention everything that’s happening a bit further down on the list. More specifically, at the age of 29, Thomas Heurtel has already exceeded the 1000 assist barrier and with his amazing average (5.72) it’s certain that sooner or later he will leave everyone else behind.

However, the case of Nick Calathes is especially interesting as well, as he’s coming off a record-breaking season with 8 assists per game and by the end of this season he will make the top 10, at least. Of course, he has several years ahead of him to climb even higher, especially if he continues at this pace.

Rebounds: A race for two

The rebounds table is a two-player affair and, in fact, two veterans, as Felipe Reyes (1734) and Paulius Jankunas (1681) have secured a big lead ahead of the next – still active – player in line, Ante Tomic (1257).

The Lithuanian forward clearly has a more important role in Zalgiris Kaunas compared to that of the Spaniard in Real Madrid and for this reason he can hope to cover the difference by the end of this season even. In any case, the battle that has sprung between the two players is pretty interesting.