By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
We’re almost halfway through the regular season and some things have already started to become clear. Perhaps what is clearer than anything else is the need some players have felt to step up. So they did it. And they continue to do so.
Eurohoops looked at and compared their stats, evaluated their role in their team’s game and presents here the Top 5 breakout performers.
#5 VINCENT POIRIER
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | Center | October 17, 1993 | France
10.6 pts | 7.7 reb | 1.1 ast | 0.9 stl | 0.7 blk | 1.2 tov | 24:24 min | 15.3 PIR
With Vitoria being the host city for this season’s Final Four, KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz’s players knew from the outset that they had to give more than 100%. The 25-year-old French center is way ahead. His stats compared to last season, his first, are improved in almost every main category, with his ability in rebounding – where he has a new career high (12), like he does in points (24), among other categories – placing him ahead of everyone else in the EuroLeague. He was the man of the hour for Velimir Perasovic‘s team in its recent win over Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, in which he registered his fourth double-double this season (first in the competition), when last season he only had two. Everything he does every time on the court ranks him 15th in the PIR.
#4 MARKO GUDURIC
Fenerbahce BEKO Istanbul | Guard | March 8, 1995 | Serbia
9.1 pts | 1.9 reb | 2.3 ast | 1.1 stl | 0.1 blk | 1.5 tov | 20:38 min | 10.6 PIR
Fenerbahce BEKO Istanbul are ranked first in the standings and the 24-year-old Serbian guard played a big part in achieving this position. In his fourth season in the EuroLeague and second with the team, he has the best averages of his career, exactly what the situation calls for on a team with such high goals. In the recent win over AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan, he had his best game this season and reminded everyone why Zeljko Obradovic can count on him. He’s very close to becoming the fourth player with a double-digit point average on his team, and he’s third in assists. His contribution is not limited to these numbers and his average PIR of 10.6 (fourth) confirms this fact.