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.