Spain over everything: ACB teams are once again at the top of the European competitions / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix, Rodolfo Molina, Sonia Canada - Getty Images Credit ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix, Rodolfo Molina, Sonia Canada - Getty Images

We live in uncertain times, that's for sure. In the last few years, between a global pandemic, conflicts, invasions, and environmental issues have left us with growing insecurities about both the present and future.

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But the good thing about sports, and in our case about basketball, is that we can still find some guarantees, those things that, in one way or another, are always present in our favorite sport.

And when we talk about European basketball, one of the constant elements is that Spanish teams are pretty damn good.

ACB has been the best domestic league in Europe for years because, often, even the smaller teams have solid projects, and they're able to spend more than teams in other leagues.

Also, ACB is incredibly good at selling its product. When it comes to the value of TV rights and the commercial side of the business, there's no other domestic league like ACB, period.

The trend of the European competitions this season confirms that the Spanish clubs are at the top of the pyramid. Barcelona and Real Madrid are leading EuroLeague, and they have already qualified for the playoffs.

Badalona is at the top of Group A in EuroCup, where Andorra is also on its way to getting a spot in the playoffs. In the Group B of EuroCup, Gran Canaria and Valencia are at the very top, and they'll be among the most dangerous contenders for the competition.

There are also three Spanish clubs in the FIBA Basketball Champions League quarter-finals: Manresa, Unicaja Malaga, and Tenerife.

Barcelona are dominating the regular season, and they have already secured first place. Coach Jasikevicius' side has the best offensive rating in the competition (117.2), they shoot the ball extremely well from 3-point, with an average of 42% and their true-shooting percentage is also the best in the EuroLeague (61.6%).

3-pointers this season

36%10,6Points made:10,6Accuracy:36,4%Place in standings:3Record max:16Record min:4Most made 3FGs:Klemen PrepelicTeamEuroCupStatisticsSchedule

The ball movement is super effective, and in fact, Barcelona have the best assist percentage in the competition with 28%. Not only do they have the best offense in the EuroLeague, but also a strong rebounding presence.

The Catalan club has the third-best offensive rebound percentage (33.3%) and the third-best defensive rebound average (24.2).

Both offensively and defensively, this team is absolute elite. Even without a key player like Cory Higgins, Barcelona are doing a tremendous job, and they're heading into the EuroLeague playoffs as the team to beat.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, are approaching the playoffs with some issues. Recently, the team definitely lost some brilliance. Coach Pablo Laso and his guys lost 6 of the last 8 games they played in EuroLeague, and, especially on the offensive end, they're struggling.

Real Madrid only shoot 34% from 3-point, and they're also among the worst teams in the EuroLeague in terms of drawing fouls with an average of 18.2 per game. Another sign that the offense is not aggressive enough and doesn't generate pressure on the opponents.

However, defensively coach Laso's side is doing a really good job. As of right now, Real have the best defensive rating in the competition (102.3) and the best rebounding percentage (54.8%).

They allow opponents only 54.1% of true shooting percentage, which is hands down the best number in the EuroLeague.

At the point-guard position, both Nigel Williams-Goss and Thomas Heurtel have struggled to provide the performances that were expected from them at the beginning of the season. That has represented a big issue for Real Madrid, who keep relying on Sergio Llull offensively.

Despite the recent difficulties, I don't see a single team that would be happy to play against Real Madrid in a playoff series, especially with the Spanish club holding the home-court advantage.

In EuroCup, the situation doesn't change that much. Spanish teams are positioning themselves among the main contenders for the title. In Group A, in which Partizan Belgrade was by far the most anticipated team, Joventut Badalona are doing an amazing season, and they're currently at the top of the standings.

The team coached by Carles Duran, who recently signed a contract extension until 2025, has the best defensive rating of the competition (99.0) and the best net rating (15.1). They're also the second-best team when it comes to average assists per game (21).

They might not be the fastest team, but they're extremely effective. Slovakian forward Vladimir Brodziansky is currently their best scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game while shooting almost 50% from 3-point. In the single-game matchup playoff format of the EuroCup, they will be a really tough opponent for every single team out there.

In the same group, MoraBanc Andorra might not have the same title ambitions, but they're absolutely on the right path to getting a playoff spot, currently sitting at fourth place in the group.

Codi Miller-Mcintyre is having a really good season, averaging 13.3 points and 7.1 assists per game, and the team is in the top-10 in both defensive rating (7th) and net rating (10th).

In group B of EuroCup, Spanish sides Herbalife Gran Canaria and Valencia are leading the standings. Gran Canaria, coached by Porfi Fisac, have the third-best defensive rating (105.8), the fifth-best offensive rating (113.9), and the third-best net rating (8.1).

They're shooting the ball extremely well from three-point (40%). Defensively, they're a nightmare to play against. They're the second-best team in terms of steals per game (8.4) and in forced turnovers (15.3). Last night they lost a close battle against Virtus Bologna, but they remain among the most difficult teams to deal with in EuroCup.

On the other hand, Valencia are the best offensive team in the competition as of right now, with a 118.5 offensive rating and the third-best true shooting percentage (56.5%).

Coach Penarroya's side are also the best rebounding team in the EuroCup with a 56.1% percentage. Despite losing a key player like Klemen Prepelic to a season-ending injury and a roster that is not extremely long, coach Penarroya and his guys were one of the main contenders at the beginning of the season.

There is no doubt that they will continue to fight until the very end with the dream of reaching the EuroLeague next season.

With at least one Spanish club already in the semifinals of the Basketball Champions League (there'll be a derby between Manresa and Malaga in the quarter-finals), the ACB has once again cemented its position as the strongest domestic league in Europe.

Whatever it's going to happen in the playoffs, the relevance, and the force of the Spanish teams in the European competitions, will not go away easily.

Even in uncertain times, some things never change… or, since we're talking about Spanish teams algunas cosas nunca cambian.

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