Εuroleague Top100 players (40-31)


 
By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net



#Euroleaguerankings 40-31



#40 Andres Nocioni 1979 2m.03F Real Madrid

He is still a standard of quality in the league, despite his age. He averaged 13.6 points and 5.7 rebounds last season, but his role in Real will be quite different and also his shots attempts are expected to be less. The big bet for the Argentinian legend will be to prevail as the missing piece of the puzzle in the games in which a win may mean a title.

#39 Brad Oleson 1983 1m.91G Barcelona

He is one of the most important players of Barca and one of the best off the drible shooters in the league. What’s lacking from him until now is stability in big games. He has quality, a great shot and he is never afraid to use it in clutch time.

#38 David Moss 1983 1m.95F EA7 Milano

His numbers just don’t do him justice. He is the kind of player who provides much more than the stat sheet presents. He is a great defender, he brings balance to his team and he is the “glue”. Add to that a reliable three point shot and you have an all around forward.



#37 Daniel Hackett 1987 1m.99G EA7 Milano

He is the player who changed the image of Milano during last season’s Top16. He is a jack of all trades who has to provide play making, defense, score and rebounding. He is a key figure in his team and a player who still has margin for improving his game. This year he should try to be among the league’s elite.

#36 Nenad Krstic 1983 2m.12C Anadolu Efes

He is one of the best centers in the league and one of the most skilled big men. He comes from a strange season, during which for the first time in his career he played so much as a “4”. If he is healthy and gets his rhythm, he can be very productive. That been said, since his return to Europe, he had never been great in big games.

#35 Sasha Kaun 1985 2m.13C CSKA Moscow

He is a great pick and roll finisher, a very good defender above the rim and a very solid rebounder. If his team feeds him the right way, he can do damage all night. He is not a good free throws shooter and he also needs to be consistent in the really crucial games



#34 Carlos Arroyo 1979 1m.88G Galatasaray

Once more he is the leader of his team. His good numbers are a given, because his experience and quality are top level. Still the big question is if he can be the player who will help his team do more than expected in the league.

#33 Devin Smith 1983 1m.96F Maccabi Tel Aviv

He is a great team player, some times looking a little bit old school in a good way. He can score either in transition, or in set game, he is a gifted rebounder and he doesn’t “steal” in defense. He is one of the most complete players in his position.

#32 Jeremy Pargo 1986 1m.88 G Maccabi Tel Aviv

He wants to forget about coach Messina and last season, which was a black hole in his career. We expect his numbers to be like the 2010-11 season, but he still has much to prove on the matter of being a leader and making his teammates better.



#31 Marcelinho Huertas 1983 1m.90G Barcelona

His presence is more than crucial for Barcelona, his quality and skills are above doubt. On a good day, he is a joy to watch, but the truth remains that in three final fours he couldn’t make a difference and that’s what he will probably have to address also this season.

Осећам да ће ова Цедетевита у групи да има 1-9 кад не могу Олимпију да победе

i ja kazem 

cedevita kup je zakon 

  Од кад ти пратиш Евролигу? Тачније кошарку? Мислим, можда пратиш, да не грешим душу, ал искрено први пут те видим. Изненадио сам се право.

ja to vise onako u prolazu naisao pa ko velim da bacim pogled u principu veze nemam ko igra, a i bas me briga dok se Zvezda ne vrne 

Εuroleague Top100 players (30-21)


30 Jan Vesely 1990 2m.10 F Fenerbahce/Ulker

He returns to Europe after three seasons in the States. A large body for his position, great athletic ability and one of the few players that he can really do everything on the court. His team failed last season because of its bad defense, which deprived them from having a transition game and gaining possessions. That’s where he can be crucial.

#29 Stephan Lasme 1982 2m.03 C Anadolu Efes

Ηe comes from two great seasons. He had a tone of energy and a great influence to the defensive game of his team, not only as a rim protector, but also in cases of switching in screens. That’s probably why Ivkovic got him. His offense may be an issue, without a creator like Diamantidis playing alongside him.

#28 Ricky Hickman 1985 1m.89 G Fenerbahce/ Ulker

His status changed to star during the last two seasons. He proved in Maccabi that he can combined his all around game with good numbers in the top level. He is a guard with quickness, high basketball IQ and well above average in most aspects of the game. Time is all that he needs in order to thrive in Istanbul.



#27 James Gist 1986 2m.06 F Panathinaikos

Since he signed with Panathinaikos, he is a totally different player than the one we were used to. He is more than valuable, specially this season with Lasme gone, and he is expected to play also a lot as a center. He is a lock down defender who can guard every position, he is a great athlete and he has shown great improvement in his outside shot.

#26 Alex Tyus 1988 2m.03 F/C Maccabi T.A.

Shawn James’ injury was a blessing in disguise for him and Maccabi. He got minutes, a role in the rotation and the season ended with him being one of the keys for winning the Euroleague. He is pick and roll player, great at finishing it at offense, master into blocking it as a defender. He can still evolve his game, starting with his free throws.

#25 Linas Kleiza 1985 2m.03 F EA7 Milano

He is still a big name player, has an important career and the chance to start fresh at Milan. His quality in offense can’t be doubt. The big question for him will be consistency and being there when his team needs him in the big games of the season, as a part of coach Banchi’s system.



#24 Dario Saric 1994 2m.07 F Anadolu Efes

He has played just four Euroleague games as a member of KK Zagreb. Still, he is already the favorite to win the rising star award and also the player who is the most likely to finish the season averaging a double double. Despite being just 20 years old, he is a top level player, an all around prospect and a natural basketball genius.

#23 Alessandro Gentile 1992 1m.96 G/F EA7 Milano

He had his first “full” season last year, a lot of talent and even bigger margin for improvement. The captain of Milan is a gifted offensive player. He needs to be better in teamwork, evolve his creating ability and be consistent in defense.

#22 Kyle Hines 1987 1m.98 C CSKA Moscow

He still is one of a kind player. He is the one who change the trend in Europe as an undersized center by winning two championship titles and beating along the way every other big man. If CSKA manages to get the title this season, Kyle is expected to play a big part on that, having a role in the team in which he will be comfortable.



#21 Tibor Pleiss 1989 2m.18 C Barcelona

He is one more big time prospect who is expected to end up some time in the future in the NBA. It will be more than interesting to see him playing in the same team with Tomic. He is a very skilled player for his size, a great finisher, a reliable post player and a good free throws shooter. He needs to get even more mature and strong.

Да, Панатинаикос га је винуо у сводове небеске. Да није њих вероватно би играо у школксом дворишту. Поправио шут? У Панатинаикосу? Неееееемо да причате.

Εuroleague Top100 players (20-11)

#20 Bryan Dunston 1986 2m.03 C Olympiacos

Ηe had an impressive first season in Euroleague. He has energy, rebounding ability and he is maybe the best big man in the league in finishing when getting contact. He needs to work on his free throws and in his defense against smaller and quicker opponents.

#19 Gustavo Ayon 1985 2m.06 F/C Real Madrid

He is a scoring machine for European standards, a good rebounder and a big man who knows his fundamentals pretty well. He seems to be capable playing also as a power forward and with a quick adaption in the league, he may be the biggest addition to Real’s roster.



#18 Giannis Bourousis 1983 2m.10 C Real Madrid

He is more mature than ever. He has quality, experience, he is a good scorer, a good shooter and an efficient rebounder. He is one of the few players of Real who had his usual good numbers in the final against Maccabi Tel Aviv. His weakness is defending the pick and roll, specially after switches In screens.

#17 Giorgos Printezis 1985 2m.03 F Olympiacos

He is one of the most quality players of the league playing the “4” during the last three seasons. He is a great low post scorer, he can play also facing the basket and his strange kind of a hook shot still is deadly. What he needs is to be a more consistent three points threat and also a more solid rebounder and defender.

#16 Andrew Goudelock 1988 1m.91 G Fenerbhace/ Ulker

Τhe MVP of last season’s Eurocup. He is a great offensive talent and a lighting quick guard. The big bet for Obradovic will be to make him more of a team player and teach him to operate within the system, when he is the focus of the opponents’ defense. He can do it, but he has to work in the mental aspect of his game.



#15 Nando De Colo 1987 1m.95 G CSKA Moscow

He was our number 1 pick in the summer signings, as the biggest name who returned to Europe from the States, and he is expected to make a difference. After two seasons in the NBA – which were not bad – he is back. He has quality and he can play both guard positions. Of course, the quest for him will be to help CSKA Moscow return to the throne and that will make or break his season.

#14 Emir Preldzic 1987 2m.06 Point F Fenerbahce/ Ulker

He is the only player who can be called a point forward in Europe. He has talent, a multidimensional game and potentials. He needs to be mature, consistent and efficient every night. He can do it and he can emerge as a leader, as he shown during the recent World Cup.

#13 Viktor Khryapa 1982 2m.03 F CSKA Moscow

He comes from a bad season according to his standards, but he remains one of the icons of the league, a true all around forward who is the glue of his team in offense and defense. He is solid defender and rebounder, a key offensive threat and an amazing passer for his position.

#12 Sonny Weems 1986 1m.98 F CSKA Moscow

One of the best small forwards in Europe. A great scorer, unstoppable at one on one situations, very athletic, great rebounder and what made his even more interesting as a player last season was his improvement at reading the game and creating. That’s now part of his game. Still, he wasn’t himself during the Final Four.



#11 Bogdan Bogdanovic 1992 1m.97 G Fenerbahce/ Ulker

He is the reigning Euroleague’s rising star. He had 14.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists last year, but those numbers may drop this year. His role will be different and the demands from his also. He is a one of a kind scorer, he knows how to pass, but he needs to work a lot on his defense. That’s his main issue.



Eto crnjo fircaj se u guzu od srece.

lista nikad gluplja i budjavija 

Euroleague Top100 members (10-6)


#10 Ante Tomic 1987 2m.17 C Barcelona

He is the best center in the league, combining great size and a great skill-set. He is a great offensive option in the low post, he can finish with both hands and a great passer when he is double teamed. Considering the fact that big men usually improve until the end of their career, Tomic can evolve even more.

Why he is just at number 10? He is not a factor yet in games that win titles. His leadership quality during the Final Fours is poor to say the least.



#9 Sergio Llull 1987 1m.90 G Real Madrid

He is productive machine of pure basketball energy, the player who had more minutes on the court than any other for Real Madrid last season. What makes him great, besides his quickness, is that he gives 110% on both ends of the court, something very rare in modern basketball. He is a great one vs one defender, a streaky scorer and he is constantly improving his outside shot.

His passion and his experience can make him even better. However, even if he has stood his ground in many games against Barcelona, he hasn’t done that yet in a Euroleague final four and that’s an issue.



#8 Juan Carlos Navarro 1980 1m.91 G Barcelona

Like the gentleman in the next spot, he is already an icon in the league. He is probably the best ever scorer in the competition, his “bombas”, or floaters if you prefer, are a trademark, he is a proven leader and a player that has already carved a dominant place in the history of the sport.

He is the all time leading scorer of the league and the all time first in games played, has won two titles in 2003 and 2010 and he was also the 2010 Final Four MVP. He is past his prime and that has also to do with his chronic foot injuries. He can’t be consistent like he used to, but he is still the number one danger for every opponent.



#7 Dimitris Diamantidis 1980 1m.96 G Panathinaikos

Ηe is the most efficient all around player in the modern Euroleague era and one of the top5 players of the last decade. He is also a living legend. He is a jack of all trades, doing almost everything on the court with perfection and in his case this means a deadly efficient simplicity on every move and every decision.

He won 3 Euroleague title, two of them (2007, 2011) as the MVP and he was six year the best defensive player of the league. However he can’t also beat time. During the last two seasons his game is declining, but he has the basketball IQ to adapt. As a result he was the top passer of the league last year, averaging 6.21 assists. What’s also true is that the overall quality of Panathinaikos is not what it used to be, specifically when he was also on his primes.



#6 Keith Langford 1983 1m.93 G Unics Kazan

He is on the pick of his career, a real scoring machine and of course the top scorer of last season’s league, winner of the “Alphonso Ford” trophy with 17.6 points per game. He is not only that, as his 3.4 rpg and 2.9 asp prove. His role will be the same this season, despite leaving EA7 Milan for Unics Kazan. He will be the first option in his team’s offense and he is expected to be a leader.

He is a player who is maturing year by year and our opinion is that his distance from the Top five comes to this: Being a true leader who can make his teammates better, specially on the – rare we have to admit – nights his shots don’t fall in.


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