Pleissing in Disguise: Anadolu Efes transforming their way for more titles / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Aykut Akici/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Aykut Akici/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Despite the expectations, the summer did not bring many changes for Anadolu Efes. Vasilje Micic and Shane Larkin, the main components of last season's Euroleague title-winning roster, opted to stay.

Tibor Pleiss

Team:Anadolu Efes IstanbulPosition:CAge:32Height:221 cmWeight:116 kgBirth place:Bergisch Gladbach, GermanyProfileNewsStatistics

Surprisingly, it was Sertac Sanli who decided to leave for the team that actually lost in the final against Efes, Barcelona.

Replacing players like Sertac is more difficult than it seems.

First and foremost, he was a good spacer and offensive table-setter. Alongside Krunoslav Simon, he played a big role in creating all those suitable plays for Larkin and Micic. His defense and rebounding improved, and certainly, his long-range shooting turned him into a deadly weapon.

Can you beat that kind of contribution? Pleiss says, "Hold my beer".

Scoring 20 points with 8/11 shooting and taking 8 rebounds, he became the Turkish Cup finals MVP against Fenerbahce Beko, where Efes grabbed the season's first title.

"More than my individual contribution, I'm happy that we won the Cup," he said after the game. "I did not do it alone, but rather it was a team effort."

The 32-old year German center is by no means a secret weapon. Everybody knows about his capabilities and his outside shooting threat. He was just not using that as often as he does now.

Currently, Pleiss is taking 7.9 field goals in all competitions, and hitting 4.6 of them per game, both highest figures in his entire career.

In his last 5 games, including the Cup final, his field goal efficiency reached a mind-blowing 76% (36/47), and his scoring contribution got over 16 points per game in this stretch.

His plus/minus contribution on average for this period was +17.5! He was an efficient monster nowadays.

Tibor Pleiss

MIN:17.86PTS:9.71 (60.71%)REB:4.5As:0.5ST:0.29BL:0.46TO:0.67GM:24ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

"Pleiss helps us to play with the model that we were accustomed to playing with Sertac Sanli, especially in the second half of the season," Ergin Ataman underlined his enhanced role in the offense in an earlier interview.

"He had a bad injury last year, he could not play for 2-3 months. After his recovery, he was very willing to play, but Sertac and Dunston got ahead of him in terms of minutes and role.

Currently, he is in good form, and he is training hard. He proves to be very useful for our offensive system. That is why we are using him more and more," Ataman explained.

Sometimes, losing a crucial part of a team opens up new potential for those who remain. Was Sertac Sanli's departure became a blessing in disguise for Pleiss?

"No, no, no," he says.

"I miss Sertac. Sertac is a great guy. We were really good teammates. We spent some good years together. I would be happy if he would still be in our team."

As a 2.18 m giant center, Pleiss was always a good shooter from extended range. But throughout the years, he transformed his play type and improved the outside threat more and more extensively.

This season, he is producing1.27 points per possession as a pick and roll player, which is very elite.

Also, his post-up play shares diminished from 26% in 2017-2018 (as a Baskonia player) to 18.3% last season. This season, it is a mere 8.6%. In all his shots.

The shot selection is also pointing in the same direction. Throughout the years, he got away from the rim in his shot attempts and diminished short-mid range two-pointers along the way. Long-range two-pointers replaced them.

This season, he is taking 50% of all his shots close to the rim, while 41% of all his shots are either long-mid ranges or 3 point shots.

The same percentages were 61% (rim shots) to 27% (long midrange shots or 3-pointers) in 2018-2019. A very big transformation, indeed.

In short, he became more of a long-mid range shooter rather than a rim-finisher and also a reliable outside threat. He took 1.5 shots from deep per game with 45% accuracy: a personal best.

As a concluding remark, I am leaving his game-winning assist to Adrien Moerman, which saved the day against Panathinaikos. Not many people mentioned it that day, but we see you, Tibor Pleiss!

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