By George Orfanakis/ info@eurohoops.net
The EuroLeague is in full swing and every week the main protagonists give their best on the court in order to take their teams at the highest possible level.
Some are doing splendidly, some have outdone themselves and some others didn’t justify expectations and, as a result, were left out of the final selections.
With the main criteria being the player’s performance and his contribution to the team’s game, Eurohoops picked out and presents here this season’s All-EuroLeague Second Team.
Nick Calathes
Stats: 11.1 points, 8.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 12.9 PIR
Panathinaikos’s brain this season. Nick Calathes is the epitome of the modern point guard who will set the pace of a game, organize his team’s game and function as the driving force in every possession, with his primary concerns being facilitation and excellent defense.
The Greens’ leader is having another very good season, as he’s first in assists (8.1) and second in steals (1.7) in the entire EuroLeague. After a period of being out of form that lasted about 3 weeks, Calathes returned to his normal performance levels that automatically elevate the Greek team.
Despite the fact that his shooting percentages are not what he would have liked, the 29-year-old point guard scores 11.1 points on average and is the alpha and omega of Panathinaikos. If he continues to improve, it’s very likely that, by the end of the season, he’ll be in the All-EuroLeague First Team.
Vasilije Micic
Stats: 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 13.5 PIR
We are going to come across many players in the All-EuroLeague First and Second Teams. None of them has managed to outdo himself quite as Vasilije Micic has and, as a result, he’s the most important unit in this season’s Efes team, who are on course to get the home court advantage.
The Serbian guard has amazing consistency in his game and he combines scoring points (11.6), dishing assists (5.5) and amazing percentages in two-point (56.9%) and three-point field goals (43.5%). There were games where Micic was amazing and the only blemish in his stats are the 3.5 turnovers, which, to an extent, are justified as so many plays go through his hands.
It will be very interesting to see how the season will pan out for Micic since, if he continues at the same pace, he will keep being a contender for the most improved player award until the end of the season. No one was expecting that he’d be in the All-EuroLeague Second Team this season but it’s something he totally deserves.
Mike James
Stats: 19.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 18.6 PIR
The competition and the level of basketball in the EuroLeague are particularly high! It’s telling that a player with the quality and skills of Mike James wasn’t able to get in the First Team, despite the fact he’s having an amazing season.
Armani Milan’s leader is, based on the rating system, one of the best in the competition, with a great contribution to the Italians’ offensive game. Besides, we’re talking about the top scorer (19.4 points) and second best facilitator (7.4 assists), who has been playing non-stop with 15-for-15 appearances and 35.2 minutes on the court.
James came closer than any other player to making the First Team but the Italians’ six defeats in the last seven games and the low percentages in two-point (41%) and three-point (31.5%) field goals left him out at the last minute. A player that any team would want to have on their roster…
Brandon Davies
Stats: 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 18.4 PIR
The tower of Zalgiris Kaunas picks up from where he left off last season. Brandon Davies is having a great season with very good averages and performances that automatically make him Zalgiris’s MVP.
Sarunas Jasikevicius’s squad is giving its own fight to earn a spot in the EuroLeague playoffs and it’s not an exaggeration to say that, without the American player, this would not be possible. Davies makes the most of his size and good technique and, as a result, he shoots with 62% from inside the paint and scores an average of 15.4 points.
His choices in offense are what they should be and it’s impressive that, together with Vesely and Ayon, he’s the only center who dishes more than 2 assists in every game. A complete player with room for improvement but also a very important presence…
Nikola Milutinov
Stats: 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 62% in two-point field goals, 18 PIR
Olympiacos’s most important player this season! Nikola Milutinov is vindicating all those who kept their faith in him throughout tough times and now he’s rightly considered one of the best centers in the EuroLeague.
The Serb covers the 5 position for the Reds almost exclusively, he has won the MVP of the Round award twice and has dominated in most of the games he has played. His collaboration with the Greek team’s guards is impeccable and this helps him maintain a double-digit point average (10.4) with the highly satisfactory 62%.
At the same time, Milutinov is the top rebounder of the competition with 7.7, of which 3.7 are offensive that lead to several second chance points. At 24 years of age, the Reds’ center is highly effective with excellent positioning, strong screens, and few turnovers (1.6), and he’s a key player in David Blatt’s squad. The fact that the San Antonio Spurs have their eye on him is no coincidence…