By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
A third of the games of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season have been completed and Eurohoops presents the third edition of power rankings after the start of the season, evaluating the dynamics of each team!
The power rankings have several differences regarding the picture presented by the teams after the completion of the Round 10. Eurohoops presents a detailed analysis of each team’s dynamics, the overall record, at home and away, but also the averages on offense and defense.
The criteria have to do with the status of each team, their dynamics and their performance in the first 10 rounds based on expectations, as well as unexpected wins or defeats.
Read here about the teams in positions 1-8
1. CSKA Moscow
Previous ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 9-1
Home: 5-0
Away: 4-1
Offense-Defense: 93.3-84.2
CSKA Moscow has by far the best record in the EuroLeague, with only one defeat. The title-holders are very strong again this year and they prove it in every game, but especially the last three games. Even with Nando De Colo – the player with the second-best performance index rating in the competition – out due to injury, the Muscovites found ways to win, even if Milos Teodosic had to pull off consecutive personal records in points, assists, and index, and even if Vitaly Fridzon had to score a buzzer-beater, like he did in Bamberg.
2. Fenerbahce Istanbul
Previous ranking: 3 (+1)
Record: 7-3
At home: 4-1
Away: 3-2
Offense-Defense: 77.2-77.4
Fenerbahce had suffered three defeats in a row, showing that they were going through a crisis, but reacted immediately with three consecutive wins, returning to a tie for second place in the standings. Zeljko Obradovic‘s players beat Real Madrid at the finish line, winning another big game on the last play, after the one in Barcelona. The team has learned to play without Bogdan Bogdanovic and, led by Kostas Sloukas, Ekpe Udoh, and Jan Vesely in the last few games, they’ve made a dynamic comeback.
3. Real Madrid
Previous ranking: 2 (-1)
Record: 7-3
At home: 4-1
Away: 3-2
Offense-Defense: 89.5-80
Madrid has a 7-3 record, showing consistency throughout the season, but aside from its emphatic win over FC Barcelona Lassa by 39 points, it has lost two games to last year’s finalists (CSKA and Fenerbahce) in the last five, while these were preceded by a home defeat against Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz. The Madrileños have the second-best offense in the EuroLeague, led by Sergio Llull, who is the scorer (18.9 points) and passer (6 assists per game) of his team. He even had a career-best performance in the game against Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens.
4. Olympiacos Piraeus
Previous ranking: 4 (-)
Record: 6-4
At home: 3-2
Away: 3-2
Offense-Defense: 79.1-77
Wins over Panathinaikos at the latter’s court in Athens, against Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul in Turkey, and against Barcelona at home would be enough to take Olympiacos even to second place, alongside Fenerbahce and Madrid. However, defeats at the hands of Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul in Turkey and Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv at home diminished the Reds’ image in terms of the standings and their overall game. Led once again by Vassilis Spanoulis (the seventh-ranked scorer and second-ranked passer in the competition) and Georgios Printezis, the Piraeus team has managed to get three away wins, which they’re hoping will prove valuable as the competition moves on.
5. Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz
Previous ranking: 7 (+2)
Record: 6-4
At home: 4-1
Away: 2-3
Offense-Defense: 80.5-79.5
Can a team be characterized the “surprise of the season” two years in a row? If we’re talking about Baskonia, yes it can! Despite the changes they made to their roster, Baskonia has a 6-4 record and, starring the EuroLeague rookies, Shane Larkin and Johannes Voigtmann, is aiming high again this year. The win by 34 points over Fenerbahce proved that no one can underestimate this team. Their comeback against Brose Bamberg showed what they’re made of and their win with such a low score over Galatasaray proved their adaptability in every game.
6. Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens
Previous ranking: 6 (-)
Record: 5-5
At home: 4-1
Away: 1-4
Offense-Defense: 75.6-75.4
In the last five games, Panathinaikos prevailed over Maccabi and Darussafaka at home, but defeats to Madrid, Olympiacos and Barcelona have kept the team at 5-5. The Greens now have Mike James – who has helped Nick Calathes have more quality minutes on the court – back on their roster, while Kenny Gabriel was also added following James Gist’s serious injury. Chris Singleton’s improvement, though, has been instrumental for the Greens.
7. Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv
Previous ranking: 11 (+4)
Record: 5-5
At home: 2-3
Away: 3-2
Offense-Defense: 81.8-80.9
Maccabi has shown remarkable improvement until the 10th round. The Israeli team has five wins in total and the ones against Fenerbahce and Olympiacos boosted the self-confidence of Rami Hadar’s players. The trio of Andrew Goudelock (16 points), Sonny Weems (13.4 points, 4.3 assists) and Devin Smith (14 points, 6.2 rebounds) is perhaps the most effective in the competition, while the help of D.J. Seeley and Colton Iverson in the last few games has also been valuable. Maccabi is dangerous and the ability of its players in one-on-one situations can frighten anyone in the EuroLeague.
8. FC Barcelona Lassa
Previous ranking: 5 (-3)
Record: 5-5
At home: 3-2
Away: 2-3
Offense-Defense: 70.6-73.7
Barcelona is in the process of regrouping after several injuries and three defeats in a row to Olympiacos, Madrid and Galatasaray. The Blaugrana now have a 5-5 record, but at least they have Justin Doellman, Victor Claver and Petteri Koponen healthy again and back in action, while Alex Renfroe was also added to the roster. The leader of the team throughout this whole time, however, is still Tyrese Rice, who is first in points, assists, and steals for Barcelona. Losing games to direct competitors for a good spot in the top eight – Madrid, Olympiacos, and Galatasaray – might hurt Barcelona in the end.
9. Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Previous ranking: 10 (+1)
Record: 5-5
At home: 3-1
Away: 2-4
Offense-Defense: 85,3-86,5
Efes‘s project is constantly evolving and getting better. After a bad start, the Turkish team has now reached 5-5 and looks like it’s becoming the team that Velimir Perasovic had designed in his mind since the summer. Efes is the best team in rebounds (they have a substantial lead over the others in offensive rebounds) and assists, showing that they’re playing a modern kind of basketball that relies on the players’ athletic qualities.
10. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul
Previous ranking: 8 (-2)
Record: 5-5
At home: 2-3
Away: 3-2
Offense-Defense: 80,4-80,3
Darussafaka presented a very good image and effectiveness in their games up to the seventh round, taking advantage of their favorable calendar, but they couldn’t keep it up. The great win over CSKA was followed by tree defeats in a row by Galatasaray, Panathinaikos, and Olympiacos, plunging David Blatt’s team lower in the standings. The player-revelation, though, in Darussafaka’s recent games is Will Clyburn, who has 19,6 points on average in the last month! All their games are close (all ten games have been decided by single-digit margins) and now they have to “learn” how to win more.
11. Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul
Previous ranking: 14 (+3)
Record: 3-7
At home: 3-3
Away: 0-4
Offense-Defense: 81.6-87.3
In the last month, Galatasaray is a completely different team compared to the start of the season, showing that they can claim a spot in the top eight if they keep improving. The most indicative element of the Turkish team’s impressive change is their defensive performances. In the first five games, they conceded 97 points on average and in the next five just 77.6! Now Ergin Ataman has changed the rotation considerably, with Blake Schilb and Tibor Pleiss standing out. Of course, the wins over Olympiacos, Barcelona and Darussafaka have to be followed up on, so that Galatasaray can manage to fully reverse the situation.
12. Zalgiris Kaunas
Previous ranking: 16 (+4)
Record: 4-6
At home: 3-2
Away: 1-4
Offense-Defense: 80.9-82.2
Zalgiris is by far the most in-form team among those that have fewer than five wins. The Lithuanians started out with a 1-5 record, but now, in the last four games, they have three wins against teams that have the same or similar objectives (Galatasaray, Bamberg and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade). Zalgiris has been able to rely on the experienced Paulius Jankunas and showcase Brock Motum and Leo Westermann, but in reality they are an excellent unit that carries the signature of head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius.
13. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
Previous ranking: 13 (-)
Record: 4-6
At home: 2-3
Away: 2-3
Offense-Defense: 73.5-76.2
Zvezda celebrated two wins against teams that are outside the top eight and went up to 4-6, but the defeats to Unics Kazan and Zalgiris in the same span might cost them dearly. The Serbs have the EuroLeague’s lowest accuracy rate in two-point shooting and seem to have lost the dynamic they had at home in previous years. Marko Simonovic is the most consistent player on the team, while Nate Wolters’s addition also proves to be valuable.
14. Brose Bamberg
Previous ranking: 9 (-5)
Record: 2-8
At home: 2-3
Away: 0-5
Offense-Defense: 78.5-81.4
The “Bamberg phenomenon” is without precedent in the history of the EuroLeague. After the end of the 10th round, the German team was at the bottom of the table with only two victories and was saddled with five defeats in a row. But their overall point differential after eight defeats total was only -29. Seven of their eight defeats were by single-digit margins, and five of those (against Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Darussafaka, Zvezda and CSKA) were decided on the last play! So, if Andrea Trinchieri’s players had been more careful in the closing minutes, they could even have been among the top three teams! The five consecutive defeats, however, brought Bamberg to last place in the standings through the first third of the season.
15. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Previous ranking: 12 (-3)
Record: 4-6
At home: 3-2
Away: 1-4
Offense-Defense: 85.4-89
Milan started out the season raising expectations, but in the last eight games they have a 2-6 record, celebrating wins only against Efes and Baskonia. The Italian team has the worst defense in the competition, conceding 90.5 points on average. Alessandro Gentile’s departure is expected to change the plans of Jasmin Repesa, who has Rakim Sanders as a reliable reference point in recent games.
16. Unics Kazan
Previous ranking: 15 (-1)
Record: 3-7
At home: 2-3
Away: 1-4
Offense-Defense: 80.9-83.1
Unics have the top scorer and top player in the index ratings in the EuroLeague, but they’re not consistent and don’t have a lot of depth on their roster in order to pull off some more wins. Keith Langford is not sufficient, despite his excellent numbers (23.2 points, 4.2 assists, and a 24.2 index). The Russians have several ups and downs in their performance, as they have the lowest accuracy rate from behind the three-point line and dish the fewest assists. The additions of Orlando Johnson and Paul Stoll can make them better, though, soon.