By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Status, dynamics, form and the significance of results were the criteria for ranking the 18 teams.
Here’s the second edition of the Power Rankings which include some big changes in the playoffs race.
#18 VALENCIA BASKET
Previous ranking: 15 (-3)
Record: 1-5
At home: 1-1
Away: 0-4
Offense-Defense: 72.2-83.2
Better late than… later, Valencia celebrated its first win in the EuroLeague. To do so it had to go higher than its scoring average (third-worst) and to move in the other direction on defense (third-worst). With 29.3% three-point shooting (the lowest in the competition) on the one hand and 22.2 defensive rebounds (the lowest average) on the other, there is a lot of room for improvement.
#17 ALBA BERLIN
Previous ranking: 17 (-)
Record: 1-5
At home: 1-2
Away: 0-3
Offense-Defense: 81.5-87
It was on opening night when ALBA won for the first and – so far, the only time. Since then the team has come close twice, both away from home: against Efes right after and then later against Milan, but ALBA must improve a lot to get another win. Most of all, it has to improve its overall (dys)function on defense (worst of all, despite having the second-highest average in steals with 7.7 spg.), which comes into extreme contrast with its effort on offense (fifth-best). Otherwise, the teamwork, for which ALBA stands out like few others do (first in assists with 20.2 apg.), will continue to have no impact.
#16 CRVENA ZVEZDA MTS BELGRADE
Previous ranking: 13 (-3)
Record: 2-4
At home: 2-1
Away: 0-3
Offense-Defense: 74-77.2
The recent home win over Khimki was the first under the instructions of Coach Andrija Gavrilovic (who took over for Milan Tomic three rounds ago) and the Serbian champs must build on it. Until then Zvezda had suffered three consecutive defeats and elements in its game such as having the sixth-worst offense with the fifth-lowest average in assists (15.0 apg.) and the most turnovers (15.3), suggested that things could have been a lot worse. Especially away from home, although this will start being of concern again from the ninth round onwards.
#15 OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS
Previous ranking: 12 (-3)
Record: 2-4
At home: 1-2
Away: 1-2
Offense-Defense: 72.5-78.8
Changing coaches after the first game (splitting with David Blatt and promoting Kestutis Kemzura), adding players (Taylor Rochestie, Willie Reed) after just one month of action… So far, this season is not at all reminiscent of the glorious ones of the recent past for the Reds, who are very low in the rankings as well. Their ineffectiveness on offense (fourth-worst and with the lowest average in assists with 12.7 apg.) stands out among their many problems. The 65-90 home defeat by Maccabi is just the most recent example.
#14 ZENIT ST PETERSBURG
Previous ranking: 16 (+2)
Record: 2-4
At home: 0-3
Away: 2-1
Offense-Defense: 72.7-81
For a newcomer in the competition, this team already has plenty of things to look back on, but a home win is not one of them. Perhaps not by chance, their only wins, away at Olympiacos and Zalgiris, came after overtime. Zenit needs more work both in offense (fifth-worst) as well as in defense (sixth-worst). The second-highest average in steals (7.7 spg.) comes in contrast to the second-highest average in turnovers (15) and shows that, if anything, it’s trying.
#13 LDLC ASVEL VILLEURBANNE
Previous ranking: 18 (+5)
Record: 3-3
At home: 3-0
Away: 0-3
Offense-Defense: 69.7-76.5
Not even the French champs’ most optimistic fan would imagine that their return to the EuroLeague after nine years would start with consecutive home wins against teams that are legends in the competition, like Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. They didn’t stop there as they added another win over Baskonia, at home of course since they’re still struggling away. A possible improvement in offense (worst of all, even though they have the fifth-lowest average in turnovers with 12.0 per game) might allow for something more as the sixth-best defense is not enough by itself. Tonye Jekiri, who leads the league in double-doubles with four, is doing everything he can in both areas.
#12 FENERBAHCE BEKO ISTANBUL
Previous ranking: 2 (-10)
Record: 1-5
At home: 1-1
Away: 0-4
Offense-Defense: 70.8-77
You take one look at the team’s record and their position in the rankings and then you have to take another one. Yes, it’s the worst start in Coach Zeljko Obradovic’s career in the EuroLeague, even if Nando de Colo (second in PIR with 21.7 and top scorer with 22.3 points) more than anyone else did everything in his power to make it the best. It seems unlikely that Fenerbahce will continue in this fashion, but to date, it is ranked last in rebounding (30.0 rpg.). The games that are coming up (at home against Bayern and the away games at CSKA and Barcelona) will say a lot about the team’s mentality too.
#11 FC BAYERN MUNICH
Previous ranking: 14 (+3)
Record: 3-3
At home: 3-1
Away: 0-2
Offense-Defense: 79.8-78.7
The German champion started with four home games in the first five rounds and got the most out of them based on who the opponents were. If away losses like the recent one by Baskonia, which messed up the team’s averages in offense and defense, prove to be the exception to the rule, the home-court is expected to be Bayern’s biggest asset once again this season. The same could be said about its three-point shooting, from where the team has the third-highest percentage (40.2%), but with the fewest attempts of any team (17). Greg Monroe’s presence obviously explains a lot.
#10 KIROLBET BASKONIA VITORIA-GASTEIZ
Previous ranking: 11 (+1)
Record: 3-3
At home: 2-0
Away: 1-3
Offense-Defense: 77.3-69.3
The Spanish team is one of the notable cases in these first six rounds since it has either won comfortably (by 12 points or 33 points) or lost by a small margin (3 points to 7 points). This is how it has the best defense and the eighth-worst offense. It’s not that Baskonia isn’t trying. After all, it’s first in offensive rebounds (12.8). Perhaps if Tornike Shengelia (first in the league in PIR with 21.8) and his teammates improve their three-point shooting (third lowest with 33.1%), the situation will change.
#9 PANATHINAIKOS OPAP ATHENS
Previous ranking: 8 (-1)
Record: 3-3
At home: 2-1
Away: 1-2
Offense-Defense: 84-82
The Greek champion was hoping for a better start, but then came a road loss at ASVEL and a home defeat by Milan right after. Nick Calathes (third in the PIR with 20.2) helped the Greens bounce back. Perhaps if they didn’t concede the most offensive rebounds in the competition (15.0), which directly correlates to the fourth-worst defense, things would be different. All this in contrast to the second-best offense (first in two-point shooting at 58.2%), though it’s third-worst in free throws (68.6%).
#8 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
Previous ranking: 10 (+2)
Record: 3-3
At home: 2-2
Away: 1-1
Offense-Defense: 74-73.7
It wasn’t the best possible start for the renewed Lithuanian champs, but they recovered quickly, as they should with Sarunas Jasikevicius on the bench, who knows how to get the best out of his players. The home win over Real Madrid, the first of three, as well as the recent road win over Fenerbahce, prove it. In contrast to its offense (sixth-worst with the second-most turnovers, 15), its defense (fourth-best) is what gives the team its rhythm.
#7 KHIMKI MOSCOW REGION
Previous ranking: 9 (+2)
Record: 4-2
At home: 3-0
Away: 1-2
Offense-Defense: 87-84.7
The Russian team was impressive at the start and the wins over Maccabi, Baskonia, Bayern and Panathinaikos confirm this, even though most of them were at home. Its offense is mostly responsible (Alexey Shved is second in the league in scoring with 21.2 points), since it’s second-best in the competition (fourth in two-point field goals with 54.6%, sixth in three-point shooting at 38.1% and third in assists with 18.5) and makes up for any weaknesses in their defense (second-worst).
#6 ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
Previous ranking: 4 (-2)
Record: 4-2
At home: 3-1
Away: 1-1
Offense-Defense: 80.7-78.8
The difficult home win over ALBA Berlin and the equally difficult away win over Valencia straight after, both of which came after the home loss to Barcelona, hinted at the fact that perhaps the team was not ready yet. The back-to-back home wins over Real Madrid and Crvena Zvezda came as a direct rebuttal. Its offense (sixth-best) remains a benchmark of its game, but the seventh-worst defense takes away from that. The effort is being made (third in steals with 7.3) but there is room for improvement, as was seen in the recent road loss to Panathinaikos.
#5 REAL MADRID
Previous ranking: 1 (-4)
Record: 3-3
At home: 3-0
Away: 0-3
Offense-Defense: 78.5-81.7
Consistency seems to be what Real needs most of all. Tough home wins against Fenerbahce and Maccabi, consecutive road losses at Zalgiris, Efes and Bayern and a stressful return ost to home with a win over ALBA is the report card for the first six rounds. The offense of just 78.5 points – though they have the second-highest average in assists (19.2 apg.) – is low for Real’s standards and having the fifth-worst defense makes it look even lower. They need to work on their rebounding too (second-lowest, 31.8 rpg.) in the absence of the injured Felipe Reyes, Salah Mejri and Trey Thompkins.
#4 MACCABI FOX TEL AVIV
Previous ranking: 6 (+2)
Record: 4-2
At home: 3-0
Away: 1-2
Offense-Defense: 80.8-71.2
Road losses at Khimki and Real Madrid did not deter the Israeli champion, which found the results and the mentality it needed to bounce back immediately, at home. The road win over Olympiacos complemented in the best possible way the streak of consecutive home wins over Crvena Zvezda, Valencia and Fenerbahce. Its offense stands out, as it’s the fifth-best (first in two-point shooting at 58.3%), but not as much as the team’s defense, which is second best. In general, it’s getting a lot out of its defense (first in steals with 8.2).