By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
In Europe, individual performances are usually only celebrated when your team wins. That’s why in many cases an amazing, but ultimately losing, performance can be overlooked.
That’s why this weekend in the Adriatic League Goga Bitadze will not take any award for his performance, while Jaycee Carroll also made history in Spain but that’s a sidenote since Real Madrid was defeated.
Add an amazing performance by an NBA veteran, a surprise in Germany and a show in Italy and you have a Fabulous Five.
Goga Bitadze – ABA LIGA
He had a 43 rating, that translated to an amazing double-double. The Georgian center of Mega Bemax finished the game against Partizan with 28 points on 10/11 FG, missing his only three-point attempt. He also grabbed 12 rebounds and had four blocks. Partizan won the game 81-74 but with no doubt, Bitadze, a well-known NBA project, was the best player on the court.
Jaycee Carroll – Liga Endesa
Jaycee Carroll scored 32 points, registering a new career high with Real Madrid in the Spanish domestic league and tying his EuroLeague best.
He also made six threes in 11 attempts and entered the all-time Top 10 with the players who scored the most triples in the Spanish Liga Endesa. However, this was the first defeat of the season for Real Madrid, a 107-105 upset at home by Andorra, and Carroll’s big night took the back seat.
| Pos. | Player | Triples | Games |
| 1 | Herreros, Alberto | 1233 | 654 |
| 2 | Navarro, Juan Carlos | 1179 | 689 |
| 3 | Mumbrú, Álex | 901 | 677 |
| 4 | Perasovic, Velimir | 882 | 354 |
| 5 | Martínez, Rafa | 774 | 508 |
| 6 | Pérez, Raúl | 770 | 495 |
| 7 | Bullock, Louis | 734 | 364 |
| 8 | Fernández, Rudy | 719 | 413 |
| 9 | Jofresa, Rafa | 712 | 756 |
| 10 | Carroll, Jaycee | 710 | 367 |
Brandon Jennings – VTB United League
This is obviously not a surprise. Brandon Jennings had a league season-best with 13 assists, he also scored 20 points and Zenit St. Petersburg got the 116-81 easy win over Enisey.
Even if Jennings and his team have their ups and downs early in the season, there’s no question about his abilities and how those can be translated in Europe.
Caleb Green – Legabasket Serie A
When Norris Cole is on your side, he has a 22-points-9-assists game and you are stealing his thunder, there’s no question about your abilities. Caleb Green did that, he was also the beneficiary from many of those nine assists and he finished the game with 30 points and 9 rebounds.
Of course, Avellino got the easy 110-72 win over Trento in a game that was expected to be hard for both sides but ended up being a walk in the park for the hosts.
Max Landis – Easy credit BBL
Max Landis had the surprise performance of this weekend. He is averaging 14 points but scored 32 on 5/6 threes leading Giessen to the 97-88 win over EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
The American point guard made things happen for the surprise team which is currently third in the German league standings with a solid 5-1 record.