By George Orfanakis/ info@eurohoops.net
The suspense from the 2018-19 season is culminating and after the completion of the first 25 rounds, there are certain teams and players who have stood out. With the help of five specific criteria, Eurohoops presents the updated race for the MVP award. Take another look at the rankings in the fourth MVP Ladder of the season.
The criteria that were used are the following:
Player’s performance: The individual performance in combination with the demands that existed before the start of the season greatly affects the decision as to who is the MVP. Certain players exceeded initial expectations and others confirmed they belong in the elite of European basketball.
Team’s course: Basketball is a team sport and if someone cannot convert their individual performances into wins for their team, then they automatically lose points in the race for the MVP.
Player’s role: How would each team perform if we automatically removed the MVP candidate from the squad? There are players who are the alpha and omega of their squad, with their key presence providing an advantage on the MVP Ladder.
Consistency: The performance of certain star players varies in big games. Some play consistently at full throttle, without fluctuations. There are also players who specialize in making their teammates better in every game, even if they themselves don’t put up good numbers. As the season progresses, however, their value peaks.
Leadership: The biggest names in the EuroLeague have to step up when their team needs them. Their contribution in those moments – both in defense as well as in offense – can be as important as their overall numbers. This element, along with other leadership characteristics, adds points and is seriously taken into account when drafting the MVP Ladder.
Honorable mentions: Nick Calathes, Will Clyburn, Derrick Williams, Anthony Randolph
5. Nikola Milutinov
Player’s performance: 9
Team’s course: 7
Player’s role: 9
Consistency: 9
Leadership: 8
Total: 42
Nikola Milutinov has been Olympiacos Piraeus’s best player throughout this season and he’s one of the most important reasons the Reds are in the playoff zone. It’s no coincidence that the Serbian center has the third-best PIR in the competition with 19.3 points on average in the rating system, as a result of the 11.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists he contributes in every game.
Milutinov belongs among the elite of European centers as he makes excellent use of his big body and helps in the function of the entire team’s offense. He has an aptitude for offensive rebounding (3.4), he finishes plays at 65.5% and he covers the ‘5’ position for the Reds almost exclusively. If Coach David Blatt’s squad goes the extra mile and qualifies for the Final Four, then Milutinov has every reason to believe that he deserves the MVP award.
4. Adrien Moerman
Player’s performance: 9
Team’s course: 9
Player’s role: 9
Consistency: 9
Leadership: 8
Total: 44
Anadolu Efes Istanbul constitutes this season’s pleasant surprise. The club invested a considerable sum of money in the summer of 2018 and almost seven months later they see their choices paying off as Coach Ergin Ataman’s team is the big favorite to secure fourth place and home-court advantage. There are several protagonists on the roster, but none of them exhibit the consistency and multifaceted contributions of Adrien Moerman. The Frenchman moved to Istanbul from Barcelona and offered great solutions in defense and in offense as soon as he got there, without needing a lot of time to adapt.
He hasn’t missed any games in this season’s EuroLeague (25 appearances) and his averages are excellent. More specifically, Moerman is highly productive with 12.4 points (43.2% on three-point field goals), he grabs 6.4 rebounds, dishes 1.6 assists and steals 1.4 balls. In short, he does everything.
3. Nando De Colo
Player’s performance: 9
Team’s course: 9
Player’s role: 9
Consistency: 9
Leadership: 10
Total: 46
There’s no need for words when it comes to CSKA Moscow’s leader, who is the only player on this list who has won the MVP award before (in 2016). Will he manage to repeat this great personal distinction? CSKA is an absolute favorite to qualify for the Final Four and will compete for the top spot in the regular season until the end. It’s a given that, as more crucial games approach, Nando De Colo’s performance levels will rise. In his first 24 games, the guard has averaged 14.8 points (44.4% on three-point field goals), 2.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 16.5 PIR.
Coach Dimitris Itoudis is pleased to have at his disposal a player who has plenty of individual talent, who makes the right choices in crucial moments and who doesn’t hesitate to ask for the ball when it’s “hot”. De Colo’s performance at the end of the regular season and especially in the playoffs, will definitively make his case for the MVP award.
2. Mike James
Player’s performance: 10
Team’s course: 8
Player’s role: 10
Consistency: 9
Leadership: 10
Total: 47
Will Mike James emerge as the MVP of the EuroLeague for the first time in his career? The answer is easy and will be decided by whether or not AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan will qualify for the Final Four. If the Italian champs pull off this huge feat and reach the final phase, then choosing the American guard looks like an easy choice. James’s feats this season are impressive and, among other things, include playing in all 25 games with a double-digit number of points, an average of 19.7 points and 6.8 assists, and a league-best 21 PIR.
As was perfectly natural, the 28-year-old star emerged as the MVP of the competition for the month of February. In this way, he became the first player in Milan history to win this award and now he aims even higher. James is a pain in the neck for any rival defense and is facing one of the biggest challenges of his career.