Unstable champions, the brilliance of Paris, and Real's crisis: highlights from the first half of the EuroLeague season.
The NBA is all about spectacle, names, and speed. The EuroLeague focuses on defense, although scoring is certainly on the rise here as well, along with tactics and emotions. I feel devotion, as they say.
At the start of the season, it seemed quite clear: who would be the leader, who would be the "average team", and who would be the underdog. However, not everything followed the classic script. Sometimes it was arthouse, sometimes a Villeneuve-style fantasy, and at times comedies on the level of Monty Python.
The Champion's Instability
Dimitris Giannakopoulos is Mr. Eccentricity. The owner of Panathinaikos took several significant steps in the summer of 2023: he brought Ergün Ataman to the coaching bench, capitalized on the conflict between Kostas Sloukas and Olympiacos coach Georgios Bartzokas, and signed the experienced playmaker, while laying down other bricks to build a championship team. The signing of Kendrick Nunn mid-season proved to be crucial.
Even the best machine must undergo a crash test. Pao took some hits in the first half of the season, but then brought the matter to a logical conclusion – winning the EuroLeague for the first time since 2011. In the previous three seasons, the Athenian club didn’t even make it to the playoffs.
During the offseason, the "greens" didn’t reduce their momentum. Ergün Ataman attracted his fellow countrymen Cedi Osman (who had played in the NBA for the last seven years) and Omer Yurtseven (who spent the last four seasons in the NBA). The deep backline was bolstered by Lorenzo Brown, a European champion with the Spanish national team, who averaged 13.2 points and 6.1 assists with Maccabi in the EuroLeague.
It seemed that Goliath had transformed into a Goliath on steroids. A true juggernaut that would confidently rack up win after win.
But no one could dismiss the fact that there is only one ball on the court, and basketball is played not by names, but by teams. Then factors like injuries and suspensions of key players came into play. Panathinaikos, with a record of 10-7, is currently only eighth.
The outlook for the rest of the season: the depth of the roster, the presence of Nunn and other experienced players will allow for improvement. Given the density of the standings, Panathinaikos will only need 12 wins in the second half to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The main issue is the loss of Matias Lessor. The center is not just a star for Pao, but for the entire EuroLeague. He suffered a ridiculous injury. The phrase "out of nowhere" truly fits such injuries. The big man won multiple games for the team with his skills, but Ataman will definitely have to manage without him in the second half.
Rebuilding a Giant
Real Madrid underwent a true overhaul in the summer. Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez retired, who were not leaders in terms of minutes but brought quality and experience in their 10-15 minutes on the court.
Frenchman Vincent Poirier grew tired of being Walter Tavares' backup and accepted an offer from Anadolu Efes. Gershon Yabusele bought out his contract after a successful Olympics to return to the NBA after five years. Probably, only the loss of 37-year-old Fabien Causeur couldn’t be considered critical.
Yes, the "blancos" added experienced Serge Ibaka, but otherwise, they strengthened with players who don’t even come close to having the accolades of their predecessors: Felice, Retin Mays, Garuba. All of this has made its mark.
0The Madrid club lost the battle for Cedi Osman and failed to convince Lonnie Walker, who later joined the much "poorer" Zalgiris. So an 8-9 record and 12th place is not that bad. And thanks should go to Campazzo and Tavares. Of course, we shouldn’t forget Hezonja and Musa, but more was expected from them.
Outlook for the rest of the season: it seems that in recent weeks the "blancos" have found a path to stability, which gives fans some hope. The team could finish the season with a record of 19-15 or 20-14 and make a direct playoff berth.
Rumors have started that Real plans to compete for Dennis Smith Jr. Probably, nothing will come of it. The 10th pick in the 2017 draft is determined to return to the NBA via the G League. But it’s good that there’s a realization that they need to find their joker. Pao guessed right with Kendrick Nunn last year. Will Real be able to replicate such a move?
The Chase for the Rival
Olympiacos received a true blow from Pao in the spring. Such successes by a rival hit the ego of the "legends". And there was no better idea than to act like the main opponent.
They managed to lure Evan Fournier with a good contract. They brought back EuroLeague MVP 2022/23 Sasha Vezenkov after a year in the NBA. Argentine Luca Vildosa moved from Athens to Piraeus. The leader of Zalgiris, Keenan Evans, was signed – by the way, he still hasn’t played for the "red-whites" due to an injury sustained last spring.
But if you act like your opponent, then the problems will be similar. Not everything immediately became a cohesive mechanism.
1Outlook for the rest of the season: it seems that only a serious injury to Vezenkov or Fournier would diminish the Greek giant’s chances of a direct playoff berth. Moreover, for some reason, this club is the main contender for the regular season victory in the eyes of the author of this article.
Stable Instability
Fenerbahce dropped out of the title race after the departure of Zeljko Obradovic but gradually returned to the top. The arrival of Sarunas Jasikevicius allowed them to finish last year's chaotic season with a Final Four appearance.
The "Canaries" had higher ambitions. The signings of Baldwin, Colson, and Marjanovic confirmed this. A serious injury to Scottie Wilbekin made some adjustments, but the Istanbul club still started the championship well. They even led the standings for a while. However, they ran out of steam – only 1 win in the last 5 games.
Probably, Fenerbahce will continue to alternate wins and losses where least expected. Since every EuroLeague club currently has such a "disease," they will indeed make it to the playoffs. However, during trophy matches, maintaining concentration and composure will be essential. And this applies to everyone, not just Nigel Hayes-Davis.
A Rookie's Indifference to Authority
Paris is a newcomer to the EuroLeague. You could say it’s a newcomer to the European basketball scene altogether. The club was founded only in 2018 and spent its first three seasons in the second tier of its country.
Ambitions were substantial, as the team proved last year by winning the EuroCup.
In the summer, they signed Kewan Smith, Yakubu Ouattara, and Maodo Lo for roster depth. In their previous EuroLeague teams, they were at best starters without star status.
The main loss was the departure of Finnish specialist Tuomas Iisalo, who after a great year with Paris decided to join the coaching staff of Memphis.
He was replaced by Brazilian Tiago Splitter. He was an assistant to Gregg Popovich and also worked as an assistant for the Brazilian national team, but had no solo experience. All of this indicated that Paris would not achieve significant success.
Unstoppable T.J. Shorts, who was the MVP