By Stefanos Tatsios / info@eurohoops.net
Now, the eight teams that have qualified for the playoffs are getting ready for the most difficult part of the competition, the one that will decide who will go all the way to the end of the road, which is the Final Four in Vitoria.
All the teams that are in the postseason of the competition, aside from their virtues in offense, also have a very good defensive function, with players that make the difference in the backcourt and are considered among the best of their kind.
Players like Calathes, Vesely, Hines, Dunston and Papanikolaou have always been distinguished in their career in the EuroLeague for their defensive skills and they are important weapons for their clubs in the way each defense functions and in the effort to contain their quality opponents.
Eurohoops presents the best defenders of this regular season in the EuroLeague and gives you the chance to vote for the best in the following poll!
Fenerbahce | Center | April 24, 1990 | Czech Republic
13 pts|5.4 reb|2.4 ast|1.5 stl|0.5 blk|1.9 tov|26:11 min|19.3 pir
Fenerbahce had their best regular season in the EuroLeague ever, based on their results and how they look on the court, and the first place in the rankings tells the absolute truth. One of the main reasons for the successful course of Zeljko Obradovic’s team is definitely Jan Vesely.
The Czech international center – aside from his rapid improvement in the offensive department and in free throw shooting – when he’s on the court, he turns Fenerbahce’s key into a “restricted zone” for opponents, since he doesn’t allow anyone to score, while with his long arms he intercepts the attempts of rival players, whether small or big. It’s certain that Vesely is considered one of the big favorites for the best defender award, but also the MVP of the regular season.
Fenerbahce | Forward | November 8, 1991 | Serbia
9.8 pts|3.3 reb|1.9 ast|0.7 stl|0.2 blk|1.1 tov|25:43 min|10.9 pir
As we mentioned above, the big protagonists of the regular season in the competition are Fenerbahce, since they have been the best team so far, something that is reflected in the stats too, with several of their players standing out. One of them, mainly in the defensive part, is the Serbian forward, Nikola Kalinic.
The Turks’ tough player together with Vesely are the best two defenders on the team, as Kalinic, despite being a forward, can guard opponents from every position, either face to face or when they post, and he forbids every player he encounters from scoring or he wears him down with his great amounts of energy. The Serbian international forward is rightly considered a defensive beast and has a large share in the Turks’ success, not just this season, but in recent years too.