By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Eurohoops presents the Top 100 EuroLeague Players ahead of the 2019-2020 season. A list of players compiled with some specific criteria with the purpose of tracing and ranking those hoopers that are expected to define the upcoming EuroLeague season.
While there are some objective and factual elements/data that were taken into consideration when choosing the 100 players and then ranking them, the final result is, inevitably, subjective.
As always, there was a calculated risk with EuroLeague newcomers, especially those who are completely unfamiliar with European basketball. Hence why some players who will now take their first steps in EuroLeague have been omitted from the list or where placed in lower positions in comparison with “rookies” that already have considerable experience at a competitive level of European basketball. Experience in this level and type of game matters since we’ve seen no few quality players, even established NBAers, immensely struggle in their new surroundings simply because of their unfamiliarity with everything that European basketball encompasses.
What should be noted is that a player of a team that is a title or Final Four contender automatically got a relative priority over another with possibly similar or equal, maybe even superior individual strengths. This is why you will find that there is an increased number of players from well-known powerhouses. Of course, there’s also the fact that these teams usually sign a lot of top talent.
It goes without saying that injuries also played a part in picking and ranking the players.
This year there is a slight change in the usual Eurohoops Top 100 Players ranking criteria. Past achievements (individual awards/team titles) are no longer considered or taken into account with the same gravity they used to carry in previous Top 100 features.
It should also be noted that the place an “x player” gets in the list doesn’t necessarily mean that he is overall “better” than another player since there’s a multitude of factors that determine the ranking.
The most important ones are the following:
1) The individual quality of each player in combination with the prospect he carries for 2019-2020, plus the role and playing time we anticipate he will get with his team.
2) The strength of the club the player belongs to. The players of the teams that are usually playoff staples and are considered among the title contenders always have the edge because they combine individual quality with the club’s high aspirations.
3) Prior experience in EuroLeague/European basketball.
4) How the player performed in 2018-2019 and his contribution to his team reaching its goals.
Check out the previous entries:
EuroLeague Top 100 Players of 2019-2020 (91-100)
EuroLeague Top 100 Players of 2019-2020 (81-90)
80. Tyler Dorsey (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
Year of birth: 1996
Position: Guard
Height: 1.96 m
2018-2019 stats: 6.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists in 48 NBA games with the Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Tyler Dorsey had a couple of performances that made an impression once he arrived at the Memphis Grizzlies after the Atlanta Hawks traded him for Shelvin Mack (look for him in the Top 100). He got plenty of minutes but Memphis declined to make him a qualifying offer and the Greek-American guard eventually opted to continue his career in EuroLeague with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Maccabi will provide Dorsey with opportunities to showcase his offensive talents. Putting the ball in the basket is what Dorsey does best, particularly with his jumpers from long or mid-range or floaters. It might take him time to adapt to EuroLeague competition but once he does, don’t be surprised if you see him becoming a scoring sensation.
79. Derrick Brown (Crvena Zvezda)
Year of birth: 1987
Position: Forward
Height: 2.03 m.
2017-2018 stats (Brown didn’t play in 2018-2019): 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists in 20:32 minutes over 16 EuroLeague games with Anadolu Efes.
The only reason Derrick Brown isn’t placed at a higher spot in our 2019-2020 Top 100 ranking is that he spent the previous season without a team since he wasn’t considered by Efes after the end of 2017-208.
Setting aside his 2018-2019 inactivity, Brown has been one of the most quality forwards in Europe over the past years, a player with a highly polished game and a considerable knack to score the ball.
Red Star won’t only give Brown the opportunity to play in front of some of the loudest fans in Europe but also a chance to rekindle his career and show that he can still contribute at a EuroLeague level.
78. Marius Grigonis (Zalgiris Kaunas)
Year of birth: 1994
Position: Guard
Height: 1.96 m
2018-2019 stats: 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists in 20:46 minutes over 30 EuroLeague games with Zalgiris Kaunas.
Zalgiris Kaunas came face to face with the inevitable following the completion of the season: Losing some of its top players (Brandon Davies, Nate Wolters, Aaron White) to other EuroLeague clubs. The Lithuanian team kept someone with the capacity to possibly emerge as a leader in 2019-2020: Marius Grigonis.
Grigonis is a guy who is unafraid to attack the basket and finish the play against bigger opponents. That’s it when he doesn’t massacre the defense from range. He shot the ball with a splendid 49.5% on 65 attempts during the regular season with some of these shots being tough, off-the-dribble 3-pointers, under pressure or with the clock ticking down.
He’s just 23, so there’s plenty of room for him to further grow these skills, and, why not, become the top contributor of Zalgiris.
77. Pierria Henry (Baskonia)
Year of birth: 1993
Position: Guard
Height: 1.93 m.
2018-2019 stats: 10.4 points, 5.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals in 26:39 minutes over 21 EuroCup games with Unics Kazan.
Pierria Henry made a triumphant entrance in the 2018-2019 EuroCup campaign with Unics Kazan, finishing as the MVP of the (short) regular season. Although he didn’t continue in the same impressive fashion and hit a slump in the semifinals vs. Valencia, he earned All-Second Team honors.
What is unquestionable is Henry’s sheer versatility. He’s the kind of guard who contributes in every single area of the game, whether, it’s scoring, assisting his teammates to get buckets, rebounding and defense. A swiss-knife kind of a player.
Hey, we’re talking about a guy who registered a triple-double while playing in Turkey (something rather rare in European basketball) and has flirted with it numerous times. Baskonia will need him to bring his diverse skillset in his debut season in EuroLeague.