By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
In everyday life, it is the science that studies the composition and structure of matter as well as its properties. In team sports, it’s something that can’t be bought, but which everyone needs in order to succeed. Eurohoops counted how many years players have been present in their respective EuroLeague teams and found how much chemistry those teams have.
The survey concerns the teams that have been ever-present (FC Barcelona Lassa, KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Olympiacos Piraeus, Zalgiris Kaunas) or… almost ever-present (Anadolu Efes Istanbul 18 of 19 EuroLeague seasons, CSKA Moscow 18/19, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 18/19, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv 18/19, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 18/19, Real Madrid 17/19, AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan 13/19) in the modern era of the EuroLeague and their current players.
The order in which they are presented is based on their current standings:
FENERBAHCE BEKO ISTANBUL
You don’t change a winning team. With four consecutive appearances in the Final Four and one trophy, in Fenerbahce’s case, this is blatantly obvious. The latest qualification for the playoffs in just 22 rounds reinforces the argument even more. Seven players have been present for the entire journey and, in general, the additions to and subtractions from the roster of the Turkish champions are still few. And one of them was forced due to Tyler Ennis’s serious injury.
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1 |
Erick Green, Tyler Ennis, Tarik Biberovic, Joffrey Lauvergne |
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2 |
Ergi Tirpanci, Nicolo Melli, Marko Guduric, Sinan Guler |
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3+ |
Ahmet Duverioglu (3), Nikola Kalinic (4), Kostas Sloukas (4), Egehan Arna (4), Ali Muhammed (4), Luigi Datome (4), Jan Vesely (5), Melih Mahmutoglu (6) |
With 15 appearances in the Final Four and three titles in 18 seasons in the EuroLeague, CSKA has become a synonym for consistency. The way it plans out each season allows for nothing less. The few and well-thought-out changes in the roster give CSKA a considerable advantage over most opponents. There are no more than four new faces, while from the almost untouched main body, only three players are in their second season and the rest, with Andrey Vorontsevich leading the way (13), have more under their belt.
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1 |
Joel Bolomboy, Alec Peters, Ivan Ukhov, Daniel Hackett |
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2 |
Sergio Rodriguez, Will Clyburn, Othello Hunter |
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3+ |
Semen Antonov (3), Cory Higgins (4), Mikhail Kulagin (4), Nikita Kurbanov (3+3+4), Nando De Colo (5), Kyle Hines (6), Andrey Vorontsevich (13) |
Madrid has made six appearances in the Final Four and collected two trophies since 2011, but had none before that in the modern era of the EuroLeague. The wait was well worth it, as was its faith in a specific plan. Eight players, including Facundo Campazzo in his first stint with the team (2014-15), were present for the two trophies in 2015 and 2018. Of the remaining six, only two weren’t members of last season’s championship-winning squad.
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1 |
Gabriel Deck, Klemen Prepelic |
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2 |
Fabien Causeur, Facundo Campazzo (1+2), Walter Tavares, Ognjen Kuzmic |
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3+ |
Anthony Randolph (3), Trey Thompkins (4), Jeffery Taylor (4), Gustavo Ayon (5), Rudy Fernandez (8), Jaycee Carroll (8), Sergio Llull (13), Felipe Reyes (15) |
ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
In recent years, Efes has intensified its efforts to qualify for a Final Four, which would be the first in 18 seasons. This time, Efes looks more capable than ever, paradoxically at a time when there are plenty of new faces. It’s telling that only four players remain from last season and just two of them are back for a third season. This group of four players has had an active role in the team’s course so far.
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1 |
Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois, Metecan Birsen, Sertac Sanli, Adrien Moerman, Bugrahan Tuncer, Tibor Pleiss, Vasilije Micic, James Anderson |
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2 |
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|
3+ |
Bryant Dunston (4), Dogus Balbay (8) |
FC BARCELONA LASSA
Nine years after it last hoisted the trophy and five after its last appearance in the Final Four, Barcelona is still trying to find the roster that will put the team back on the road to success. With half the squad having stayed on from last season and players of known value having been added, Barcelona looks like it’s on the right track. The ones who stayed – captain Ante Tomic stands out among them – have contributed greatly to the team’s success far. The summer acquisitions haven’t contributed as much, but enough to get the job done.
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1 |
Kevin Pangos, Chris Singleton, Jaka Blazic, Rolands Smits, Artem Pustovyi, Kyle Kuric |
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2 |
Kevin Seraphin, Adam Hanga, Thomas Heurtel, Pierre Oriola |
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3+ |
Victor Claver (3), Pau Ribas (4), Ante Tomic (7) |
OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS
Olympiacos has made seven appearances in the Final Four and two – back-to-back – trophy wins since 2009. Holding on to a big part of the main squad was catalytic and this is the plan with which the Reds continue this season as well. The additions may have totaled six – including the most recent, Briante Weber, but only two players are in their second season in the team and the rest are at least in their fourth. The standouts are the ageless captain Vassilis Spanoulis and second-in-command Georgios Printezis, the latter with the most appearances of any other, just not consecutive.
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1 |
Briante Weber, Nigel Williams-Goss, Axel Toupane, Janis Timma, Sasha Vezenkov, Zach LeDay |
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2 |
Janis Strelnieks, Georgios Bogris |
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3+ |
Nikola Milutinov (4), Kostas Papanikolaou (4+4), Georgios Printezis (6+2+8), Vangelis Mantzaris (8), Vassilis Spanoulis (9) |
KIROLBET BASKONIA VITORIA-GASTEIZ
The memories of Baskonia‘s last appearance in the Final Four (2016) still haven’t faded, but the fact that the next one will be held in Vitoria-Gasteiz have forced the team and its management to be even more careful with their moves during the summer. The additions were few and most players continue at least from the previous season, with three players still on the team from before 2016. Marcelinho Huertas deserves a special mention, as he was present for the two seasons between 2009 and 2011.
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1 |
Ajdin Penava, Jalen Jones, Shavon Shields, Darrun Hilliard |
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2 |
Luca Vildoza, Miguel Gonzalez, Marcelinho Huertas (2+2), Matt Janning, Jayson Granger, Vincent Poirier, Patricio Garino |
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3+ |
Johannes Voigtmann (3), Tornike Shengelia (5), Ilimane Diop (6) |
AX ARMANI EXCHANGE OLIMPIA MILAN
Milan looks back on its appearance in the 2014 playoffs fondly, since it was the team’s only one in 13 seasons in the EuroLeague. However, the second appearance looks like it could be near, depending on the ability of Mike James, who needed very little time to emerge as the team’s chief protagonist. On the other hand, the many new faces that have an important role are in a familiar situation for the team. The only two players with more than two seasons make do with smaller roles.
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1 |
Amedeo Della Valle, Mike James, Nemanja Nedovic, James Nunnally, Christian Burns, Jeff Brooks, Alen Omic |
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2 |
Vladimir Micov, Arturas Gudaitis, Dairis Bertans, Kaleb Tarczewski, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Curtis Jerrells (1+2) |
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3+ |
Simone Fontecchio (3), Andrea Cinciarini (4) |
MACCABI FOX TEL AVIV
Maccabi has experienced many unforgettable moments in its 18 seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague, but also some moments it would like to forget. Many of those were in recent seasons, something that has had an impact on the roster as well since there is no one with more than two consecutive seasons on the team. This possibly played a part regarding the poor first month and a half. Four players (Jeremy Pargo, Alex Tyus, Jake Cohen, Yovel Zoosman) have more than two seasons, though they are not consecutive.
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1 |
Kendrick Ray, Scottie Wilbekin, Johnny O’Bryant, Angelo Caloiaro, Tarik Black |
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2 |
Jeremy Pargo (1+1+2), Michael Roll, DeAndre Kane, Deni Avdija, Alex Tyus (2+2), John Dibartolomeo, Jake Cohen (2+2), Yovel Zoosman (1+2) |
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3+ |
– |
PANATHINAIKOS OPAP ATHENS
For Panathinaikos, each new season starts with only one goal in mind and that’s to get to the Final Four because the seven seasons the Greens have been absent are too many for a team with such history. The many changes in terms of players from 2012 onwards have played their part, but since the return of Nick Calathes in 2015 Panathinaikos look like it is on the right track to succeed. The team captain is one of three players with at least four consecutive seasons on the squad. The rest are divided into rookies and sophomores.
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1 |
Deshaun Thomas, Adreian Payne (1+1), Keith Langford, Georgios Papagiannis (2+1), Ioannis Papapetrou, Sean Kilpatrick |
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2 |
Ian Vougioukas (2+2), Lukas Lekavicius, Matt Lojeski, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Konstantinos Mitoglou |
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3+ |
Nick Calathes (3+4), Nikos Pappas (6), James Gist (7) |
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
With last season’s appearance in the Final Four being the first after the historic 1999 championship, Zalgiris tried as hard as it could to keep the main body intact. The roster is the same by almost 50%, with three players back for a second season and four players for at least the third. Paulius Jankunas stands out as he has spent a lifetime on the team, except for a brief break (Khimki Moscow Region 2009-10).
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1 |
Deon Thompson, Nate Wolters, Thomas Walkup, Leo Westermann (1+1), Lukas Uleckas, Erikas Venskus, Laurynas Birutis, Marius Grigonis |
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2 |
Brandon Davies, Aaron White, Rokas Jokubaitis |
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3+ |
Arturas Milaknis (6+2+3), Antanas Kavaliauskas (3), Edgaras Ulanovas (5), Paulius Jankunas (6+9) |