By George Orfanakis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 16 teams of the competition give their own battles each week in order to climb as high as possible in the rankings and get a step closer to their goals.
Of course, everything will be decided by the big protagonists: the players themselves! Some shine more than others, they are the contenders for the MVP award on a weekly basis and they skyrocket their value.
Eurohoops presents the Top 3 players in every position with the main criteria being each player’s individual performance and his contribution to the team’s progress…
The following players were left out of the list at the last minute: Arturas Gudaitis, Vincent Poirier, and Gustavo Ayon.
1. Jan Vesely (Fenerbahce Beko)
Stats: 15 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 22.2 PIR
Where does one even begin with this season’s Jan Vesely? Fenerbahce Beko’s center is having by far his best season in all the years he has been playing in the colors of the Turkish club, with his stats demonstrating his rich and multifaceted contribution.
You’ll catch him dunking with fury on the rival basket and scaring away any opponents that come close to his own! Vesely’s collaboration with Kostas Sloukas and the other guards on the team is ideal and this has helped him finish plays with an impressive 68%. Furthermore, the Czech has increased his energy levels in defense, with his 1.4 steals most of the time leading to easy dunks on the counter.
Vesely is without a doubt the big favorite to win the MVP award this season in the EuroLeague! It will be the best reward for the hard work he has been putting in for years, improving every aspect of his game, among which, his free throw shooting (85.5%).
2. Nikola Milutinov (Olympiacos)
Stats: 10.7 points, 65.2% in two-point field goals, 7.6 rebounds, 18.6 PIR
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Nikola Milutinov has “carried” Olympiacos almost on his own in the center position in the first phase of the EuroLeague. There were periods in the past when the Serbian center received some harsh criticism, though now he’s providing the best responses to everyone who doubted him.
Milutinov’s big body helps him dominate in the paint and finish plays with a pretty high 65.2%, while his improvement in defense and his positioning has been remarkable too. He’s the Reds’ top rebounder, first in the PIR (260) and the most consistent help for David Blatt on the court.
Where will Olympiacos’s big man stop? No one can answer that. At only 24 years of age, “Milu” has his entire future ahead of him and his two MVP of the Round awards provide a huge boost for him to continue being a part of Europe’s elite.
3. Brandon Davies (Zalgiris Kaunas)
Stats: 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 19 PIR
Brandon Davies broke out towards the end of the 2017-2018 season and, since then, his course has only been going upwards. In the hands of Sarunas Jasikevicius, the American center has grown into a fully developed player in offense and the spearhead for the Lithuanians.
He’s by far Zalgiris’s most valuable player, which is confirmed by him being first in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, won fouls and, of course, the PIR!
It’s impressive how Davies can put the ball on the floor, “dance” past rival big men and execute with great efficiency from close- and mid-range. A center who can create plays for himself is a luxury and Zalgiris are pleased to have one. Who wouldn’t want him on their team?
Photo: EuroLeague