By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Their stats lines may go overlooked, but at the end of the day, coaches will give them extra praise for successfully doing key jobs without which their teams cannot thrive.
These guys may be considered as supporting cast members most night, but as in a film, the protagonists need them in order to shine. These are some of the Unsung Heroes of EuroLeague this season.
The players are mentioned in alphabetical order.
Dogus Balbay (Anadolu Efes Istanbul)
You might wonder: How can the captain of the team be unsung? Well, considering that other Efes players usually receive the bulk of the attention, in the case of Dogus Balbay, it can happen. The energy Balbay brings on the court, especially on defense, is inspiring for his teammates. He has also made 12 three-pointers on 19 attempts this season, which is more than all his previous EuroLeague seasons combined. He even opened the season with a game-winning triple vs. Khimki.
Balbay is one of those players who will any kind of “dirty work” on the court without complaining or second-guessing it, and you can easily understand why coach Ergin Ataman appreciates him so much.
Jeff Brooks (AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan)
You won’t hear many people talking about what Jeff Brooks does this season with Milano, but he has the team’s fourth-highest plus/minus rating. The American forward provides more than the 5.7 points and 5.4 rebounds he averages, although the latter is a pretty fine number, ranking him 11th in the entire competition.
Brooks’s athleticism has been a key part of Milan’s success this season, especially the way he uses it on defense, as either a one-on-one or help defender. His most notable defensive outing was arguably holding All-EuroLeague forward Tornike Shengelia to a then season-low 8 points in Milan’s Round 8 home win over Baskonia. No small feat, eh?