3x3 EuroLeague: controversy about standings format and Russian clubs' future in next season / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images, Reuters - Scanpix, BNS | BasketNews illustration Credit Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images, Reuters - Scanpix, BNS | BasketNews illustration

BasketNews 3x3 EuroLeague edition returns, and as usual, three of our colleagues will discuss the three most relevant topics before the upcoming Turkish Airlines EuroLeague round.

This week, BasketNews' journalists Orazio Cauchi, Uygar Karaca, and Giorgos Kyriakidis, the decision regarding EuroLeague standings format, Russian clubs future in the strongest European basketball competition, and the upcoming matchup between struggling Real Madrid and AX Armani Exchange.

EuroLeague standings format: do you think it's fair, and do you agree with clubs' decision?

Orazio: I believe that the winning percentage solution would have been better, but I recognize that there wasn't a specific solution that would have made everyone happy.

This was a very unique situation, and the clubs were pretty torn on the decision, which was made with a very narrow majority. What I don't understand, though, is why CSKA was allowed to vote in this particular situation.

I understand that they're one of the multi-year license teams but let's face it, Russian clubs will not play again this season; it's virtually impossible. So giving CSKA the right to vote in this particular scenario left me surprised.

And CSKA voted for the games against Russian clubs to be voided, so basically, they voted against themselves, which doesn't make any sense if we think about it.

Again, I'm not in favor of the decision because it sends the message that a part of the regular season was absolutely useless and voids even some personal record that was reached in the meanwhile, but I also don't think that there was a specific solution that would have made everyone satisfied.

Uygar: Fairness? I think it is impossible to call this season fair by any means. The Covid-19 situation, the war situation, and everything come along with these… Fairness should not be the thing that we are looking for. Impossible to make it fair by any means.

That being said, I think the second alternative (where the games played against the Russians were counted and winning percentages became the decisive factor) was getting us closer to being fair.

All in all, these games were won and lost on the court, and it makes much more sense to count them in. On the other hand, there come other concerns such as: every team has to play with each other twice (home and away) according to the EuroLeague by-laws.

If the games played against the Russians were counted, this principle would be violated. It could have been a material of lawsuit. Besides, the schedule can become a matter of unfairness because Efes played CSKA and Zenit twice until now, whereas Fenerbahce played only once with CSKA, Zenit, and UNICS, for instance.

So fairness was impossible from the beginning. However, I think it is a little bit strange for CSKA to take part in the voting process as a club whose presence in the EuroLeague was suspended.

Instead of taking all A-License teams, I think all the clubs that took part in the competition this season (like Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, AS Monaco, and ALBA Berlin), except the Russians (because of the special situation), should have been invited to the voting.

It should be the ones who are actively taking part in the league process to make the voting, I believe, not the ones whose situation is precarious regarding the next phase of the competition.

Giorgos:Whatever ranking system was voted on by EuroLeague shareholders, it was certain that the competition would undergo some kind of alteration. When three playoff-level teams suddenly leave the competition at such an advanced point in the regular season, it is impossible to do 100% justice to everyone.

In any case, some would be favored, and others would be wronged by the new system. Nevertheless, the proposal regarding the teams' winning percentage that was put forward would only bring confusion.

It was something that teams like Fenerbahce and Monaco had every right to ask, given the favorable results they scored against Russian teams. If teams were allowed to finish the regular season having a different overall number of games, it would be a solution that assesses the situation by double standards, not by common sense.

For instance, Anadolu Efes have played all their six games against Russian teams, while Olympiacos and Bayern have contested three on the road and none at home. How would their winning percentage be compared to other teams' percentage, like Barcelona, who have played the Russians mostly (three out of four games) at home?

A horizontal cancellation of Russian teams' results is a solution that no one (except, maybe, Fenerbahce) can claim to have been made for the benefit of a certain team, whilst not violating the "everyone plays everyone" principle, which is the backbone of the format introduced in 2016.

If there are 15 teams left, the season should only concern those 15 and the home-away matches between them. A middle-ground scenario would have the remaining games against Russian teams treated as a victory by default (20-0) for their opponents.

But that solution would heavily favor the teams that had those contests scheduled for the last weeks of the regular season.

So, the current system is far from perfect, but it's as fair as a standings format can get, given the circumstances.

Prediction: can you see any Russian team participating in EuroLeague next season?

Orazio:This is definitely a difficult question. Of course, a lot will depend on the development of the current situation in Ukraine.

If Russia will still be involved in the war and continue aggressive behavior, I don't see how Russian teams can play in EuroLeague next season.

No other teams would want to play in Russia either for safety or political reasons, and the vast majority of foreign players wouldn't join Russian clubs for the same reasons. So if the situation remains as it is, I think that next season we will have EuroLeague without Russian clubs.

If the conflict will end, instead, and Russia would return to a more prudent behavior, I think that there'd be a chance to have at least one Russian club, most likely CSKA Moscow, since they're the only Russian club with a multi-year license.

Regardless of the developments that we'll have in the coming months, I just don't see how Zenit and UNICS will be involved in the next season, considering they're not multi-year licensed teams and won't play in the playoffs.

Uygar: I think (and I hope) the war situation will be resolved in the upcoming months, and until next September or October, there will be a new normal. EuroLeague has already shown that they don't want to cut their ties with Russian clubs and sponsors, all together.

Inviting CSKA as an A-license holder club to the famous voting was a clear indicator of this mentality. Regarding the other two clubs, Zenit and UNICS, it depends. If the other sports organization like FIFA, IOC, etc., clears the path for Russian participation, EuroLeague will comply and invite them as well.

But in that case, FIBA can also make an offer for them to play in the Champions League, and they might consider doing that if the financial benefit is somewhat equal or better.

Of course, all these depend on what will happen next in the upcoming days, weeks, or months regarding the war.

Giorgos: My wild guess is that Zenit Saint Petersburg and UNICS Kazan will probably be replaced by strong EuroCup clubs, like Valencia Basket, Partizan Belgrade, or Virtus Bologna. EuroLeague would want to see more of Zenit for many reasons, but I don't think that's possible after recent developments.

On the other hand, CSKA Moscow have always been one of the most rock-solid EuroLeague partners. It's hard to imagine the competition without them since we're talking about a team that has made it to almost each and every Final Four since 2003.

Even in the unlikely scenario that the whole Russian pro basketball construction falls apart, CSKA will probably be the last team standing. If the war goes on for many months and the situation in Ukraine is not stabilized or at least normalized to a certain extent, it is possible that CSKA won't play in EuroLeague either.

Not because other EuroLeague licensed clubs will force them out, but because the war will make hosting any games in the broader region impossible. In the off-season, I expect CSKA to deal with some unprecedented problems in building a new, high-level roster, especially since their European core of players is mostly gone.

That being said, the CSKA remain the most reliable club in the country, both financially and from a basketball perspective.

VTB League can change its rules so that more American players are allowed. That's something that will reduce players' salaries and teams' budgets, but also the Russian clubs' potential in the short run.

Struggling Real face Milan this week: which team would you consider favorites in this one?

Orazio:Real Madrid are living through a difficult period. They have now lost four games in a row in EuroLeague and even in the ACB.

They suffered surprising losses, including the last one against Baskonia. Coach Pablo Laso has been under some pressure from Madrid media, and the quality of the team's performances hasn't been particularly good recently.

So facing a strong and defensive-minded team like AX Armani Exchange Milan right now is not a great thing for Real Madrid. Milan is a team that forces you to play in the way they want you to play, putting a lot of pressure defensively and removing every potential offensive threat.

For a team like Real, who have been struggling mightily offensively, this is probably the worst game that they could have faced as of right now. We saw how Real struggled against another defensive-minded team like Crvena Zvezda and how their offense has been a serious issue in the last month or so.

I see Armani Exchange as the favorite to win the game. I think they're in a better momentum than Real. But since the game will be played in Madrid and coach Laso knows how to get out of a slump, I also believe that it'll be a very close game. A true battle.

Credit ZUMAPRESS.com-SCANPIX

Uygar: I think Milan is a clear favorite. I've never seen Real Madrid's offense struggle that badly in years. The Crvena Zvezda game was a winnable one, though. They missed that chance badly.

Llull's last two clutch threes can be a hope for them because he was doing extremely bad in the last one month, among others. This game against Milan might be another struggle because Ettore Messina imposes some low tempo-hard defense type of basketball there, and the team fights to win at all costs, even though it could be an ugly win.

Giorgos:This is definitely a key game for Real Madrid. If you look at recent form, then Milan would be the obvious choice.

But Real Madrid are in desperate need of a win, especially following another defeat to Crvena Zvezda. Very few things worked in that game for Laso, who's facing severe criticism, maybe for the first time in his almost ten-year stint in the Spanish capital.

It's not only that Los Blancos have lost four games in a row. It's also that they've been playing their worst basketball in the Laso era. They are 18/104 (17.3%) from behind the 3-point line in their last 4 games in the competition. They were also held down to under 70 points in all four of those contests.

The guard play has been lackluster. Since the snowball started in Istanbul against Fenerbahce, only Sergio Llull has produced solid numbers. Nigel Williams-Goss looks inadequate all-year long, Fabien Causeur is out, while his countryman Thomas Heurtel showcases rather flattering numbers compared to his real contribution.

Armani Milan are one of the best defensive teams in the league at the moment. Since their 4-game losing streak, they've been giving up 67.6 points per game over their last 13 clashes. Their last visit in Greece to play Panathinaikos ended on a high note, mainly thanks to Kyle Hines's game-winning offensive rebound at OAKA and a series of favorable calls.

They are a team that can beat opponents up and gets away with it. Now that Real Madrid are dealing with serious and continuous offensive issues, last year's semifinalists have the chance to get closer to their rivals in the standings.

Under other circumstances, one would expect Madrid to react and bounce back. If that's not the case against Milan, it would be interesting to see how their organization will deal with this ever-increasing crisis.

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