By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Merry happy Christmas everyone. For another year, Eurohoops sources found out what the 16 clubs of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague asked from Santa Claus.
These findings have been neither confirmed nor denied by the clubs however, sources are adamant that this is what Santa read when he opened the letter from each EuroLeague team.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Milos Teodosic
Anadolu Efes has been making a strong push for the playoffs this season and, right now, it will be a surprise if they don’t get there. Heck, they are even presenting a strong case for being a Final Four contender.
There’s always more room for improvement though and if their Christmas wish about Milos Teodosic comes true that would be one kingly gift by Santa.
Ax Armani Exchange Olimpia Milano
Experience
Milano has all the tools needed for playoffs return (established as the primary goal of the team for 2018-2019). The pair of Mike James/Nemanja Nedovic is doing heavy damage, Arturas Gudaitis is a “beast” inside the paint, Vladimir Micov is having his “best season ever” and there are more than solid players in every position. So what does Milano need? A special pinch of experience to help them handle difficult situations, particularly down the stretch. This can be a difference maker in their hunt for postseason.
Buducnost Voli Podgorica
Earplugs
You can’t really blame Aleksandar Dzikic when he turns up the volume to express his complaints to his players. Often in NSFW fashion.
At the same time, you should really feel for the guys when they hear their head coach increasing the decibels to make his point. So yes, get these dudes some earplugs.
More love from fans of other teams
“We played also with some significant players out last season and nobody was feeling pity for us,” CSKA Moscow Dimitris Itoudis said after a recent EuroLeague game. While CSKA Moscow is generally considered as the team that performs the most attractive and effective basketball in recent years in EuroLeague, the love and appreciation they receive from fans of teams “not named CSKA” is disproportionate to that.
Darussafaka Tekfen
Deliver down the stretch
Darussafaka could’ve been in a much better position than the 1-15 record that has placed them at the bottom of the EuroLeague standings, if they had a bit more luck in crunch time scenarios. They lost the game to Maccabi in the very last second, had a drought in the final minutes vs. Panathinaikos and almost made an upset on the road vs. Khimki Moscow. Against Gran Canaria, they led by 15 in the third period but they collapsed afterward and they were up by 3 vs. Zalgiris with 1:14 left. Thus yes, some help in endgame situations could come in handy.
Barca Lassa
Chemistry
Barcelona made some high-profile summer signings but so far, Svetislav Pesic has rarely seen his team performing according to the quality of its roster. The players are there so if Santa would inject a strong dose of chemistry then you could see a completely different squad, much better performances, a playoffs return and, why not, a Final Four spot.
Bayern Munich
Devin Booker back
Bayern Munich has been among the pleasant surprise of this EuroLeague season and is currently within the playoff zone with a 7 – 7 record. If they get starting center Devin Booker back as soon as possible, they might even solidify their place among postseason teams and get there for the first time in the history of the club.
Fenerbahce Beko
A bunch of planes to transfer fans to Vitoria
Here’s how it is: Fenerbahce is currently playing the best basketball in EuroLeague and have the record to show for it (13-1). It will be a huge surprise if they don’t make the Final Four for the fifth season in a row so what do they need? An army of planes for the thousands of fans that will want to be in “Fernando Buesa” arena in Vitoria where the 2019 Final Four takes place.
Gran Canaria
A teleportation device
It must be sweet living Las Palmas in a state of everlasting summer. Not as much though when you have to play EuroLeague games and travel longer distances than any other club in the competition. Gran Canaria could really do with some piece of machinery that would directly send them to their destination each week. Or maybe twice a week. “Beam me up Jordi”