EuroLeague Power Rankings: revival in Milan and uncertainty in Istanbul / News - Basketnews.com

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Two thirds of the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season are in the books, so it's time to have a look at the updated Power Rankings edition.

In the latest Power Rankings edition, our experts had a say, and the positions of the teams are determined on their current form and the potential they got in the foreseeable future.

For starters, we have seven teams going down, seven climbing up, and four remaining at their previous spot.

AS Monaco made the biggest jump, climbing up by six places. Meanwhile, UNICS Kazan suffered the biggest fall by going down by five positions.

18. Zalgiris Kaunas ⬇ (17)

Current record: 4-19

Since the last Power Rankings edition, Zalgiris lost six games in a row but managed to skid the total nine-game losing streak in the previous EuroLeague round, edging out Monaco. Still, one victory does not change the overall picture.

17. Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ⬇ (15)

Current record: 7-17

The results are clear - coaching changes did not inspire. Baskonia have lost two positions on the list, as they are experiencing a six-game losing stretch.

16. Panathinaikos OPAP Athens ⬆ (18)

Current record: 6-17

Panathinaikos climbed out of the absolute bottom, claiming two wins in the last six games. The latest solid performance against ASVEL gives hope for the gained momentum.

15. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ⬇ (11)

Current record: 9-16

T.J. Parker's squad was 11th in the previous edition. However, ASVEL's form went down the hills. From being one of the most uncomfortable opponents, they became the must-beat team, getting one victory in the last eight matches.

Of course, there are clear reasons for the cardinal shift. Elie Okobo, who was the top scorer on the team, suffered an injury and underwent surgery. No question, that was a massive game-changer, together with other injuries.

14. ALBA Berlin ↔ (14)

Current record: 8-16

ALBA remain the most stable team in the second part of the EuroLeague table. Despite losing five duels down the stretch, Germans managed to upset big names like UNICS and Zenit. They dismantled the mighty UNICS by 28 points (81-53).

13. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade ⬇ (10)

Current record: 9-14

The Serbian powerhouse went 2-4, though Nikola Kalinic keeps repeating the same phrase after rare wins: "We will try to reach the playoffs."

The mission is possible, but the awaiting schedule is very challenging and demanding.

12. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ⬆ (13)

Current record:11-12

Maccabi just lived through the dismissal of Ioannis Sfairopoulos, therefore, we can only guess their game direction. The fact that they were getting wins in a recent period (4-2), but their road is shaky all-season long.

11. FC Bayern Munich ⬆ (12)

Current record: 12-12

Just like Maccabi, Bayern are experiencing the roller-coaster ride this season. The bad streak is substituted by a series of wins. They turned on the latter one in the latest weeks.

Since the previous appearance on the list, Andrea Trinchieri's men got five victories in seven duels. The Bavarian club keeps the playoffs doors opened, but fresh COVID issues could be a hurdle.

10. AS Monaco ⬆ (16)

Current record:12-13

The trio of Mike James, Donatas Motiejunas, and Sasa Obradovic revived Monaco for the playoffs hunt. The Roca team went on a mission, capturing six victories per seven matches.

However, the picture-perfect display was skidded by the last EuroLeague team Zalgiris. Monaco suffered a nail-biting defeat (82-83), which could cost them a Top 8 spot in the decisive race.

9. UNICS Kazan ⬇ (4)

Current record: 13-11

During the last edition of our Power Rankings, UNICS were on the rise, thanks to a red-hot form and the famous 'Shush' game, which only increased the sympathies for the Russian team.

Since Round 17, UNICS form dipped a little bit, winning 3 games of the last 7. However, UNICS are still in the Top 8 and have everything in their hands regarding the qualification to the playoffs.

UNICS also signed John Holland recently and are looking at the opportunity of adding Vic Law as well.

8. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ⬆ (9)

Current record: 12-10

When Nando De Colo and Jan Vesely suffered severe injuries, it looked like Fenerbahce's hopes of making the playoffs will go down along with their star players. However, Sasa Djordjevic and company had other thoughts.

Currently, Fenerbahce are on a 5-win streak, the longest among all EuroLeague teams. Furthermore, such a successful stretch allowed Fenerbahce to break into the Top 8.

Want to hear more better news for Fenerbahce? They have two games in hand against such teams as Anadolu Efes (10th place), Bayern (9th place), UNICS (7th place), and CSKA (6th place).

If we compare the situation with Monaco (11th place) and Olympiakos (5th place), Fenerbahce have one game in hand. So, pretty good times to be a Fenerbahce fan.

7. Anadolu Efes Istanbul ⬇ (6)

Current record: 12-12

With 10 games to go, it is still unclear whether we'll have the reigning champions in the playoffs phase.

Just like for the whole season, Efes show a shaky form and cannot register a 4 or 5-game winning streak. At the moment, the Turkish powerhouse sits in 10th place but have the same number of victories as the 8th-placed Fenerbahce.

Since the last edition of our Power Rankings, Efes achieved 3 wins in 7 games, but all of them were as tight as it could have gotten. Efes beat Panathinaikos (82-81), CSKA (99-97), and ASVEL (78-72).

At this point, every game is a must-win for Efes, and we might see a longer stretch of victories, as reigning champions will face Maccabi, Fenerbahce, Baskonia, Monaco, and Zalgiris in their upcoming matchups.

6. Olympiacos Piraeus ⬇ (3)

Current record: 14-9

After a very solid first half of the season, a coronavirus outbreak happened, and Olympiacos found themselves in the tight playoffs spot.

"Until now, 11 of our players have gotten COVID, almost at the same time," head coach Giorgos Bartzokas said after the loss against Zvezda on January 27th. "The team's doctors told us that the team will be affected for a whole month. A player needs two weeks to get back to game shape."

"It's something we can't control, no matter how sad it is for us. We'll stick together and fight for a goal, which is to make the TOP 8," he added.

However, it looks like Olympiacos are slowly getting into shape once again, securing two wins in a row against Baskonia and Anadolu Efes.

5. Zenit St. Petersburg ↔ (5)

Current record: 14-9

Shabazz Napier is yet to make his season debut, but despite that, Zenit are still going strong. The Russian team has 14 victories and sits in fourth place.

Not that long ago, Zenit have won 6 games in their last 7 meetings, although now they dropped two games in a row against Real Madrid and ALBA Berlin. However, Zenit are still waiting for their star player, so knowing the circumstances, things look optimistic.

4. CSKA Moscow ⬆ (8)

Current record: 14-10

Just like Zenit and Olympiacos, CSKA have 14 victories, but the biggest news for the Moscow team could come outside the court.

It's been reported that CSKA have an agreement with Kevin Pangos for 2.5-year, $6 million contract. Such an addition, without a doubt, would become a game-changer and make CSKA instant contenders for the title.

Speaking of the current CSKA form, they are winning every second game, and the upcoming games won't be a walk in the park. CSKA will face Maccabi, Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and in-form Fenerbahce in their next matchups.

3. AX Armani Exchange Milan ⬆ (7)

Current record: 17-7

After having some sort of a mid-season slump, Armani Exchange came back to the stellar form they showed at the beginning of the season.

Since the last our Power Rankings edition, the Italian club recorded 7 wins in 8 games, showing the third-best defensive ranking among all teams with 100.0 points allowed per 100 possessions.

On average, Milan allows 70.4 points per game, which is the best number by far. Real Madrid come in 2nd place, allowing 72.1 points per game.

2. Real Madrid ↔ (2)

Current record: 20-5

Real had a 9-game winning streak, which ended only a week ago after suffering a defeat against Fenerbahce (51-66). Last week Los Blancos also couldn't do much in El Clasico, losing 68-86.

Including ACB, Real lost 4 in the last 7 games, so clearly, there's some sort of dip in form. However, the Spanish powerhouse already showed what it's capable of, and there's no doubt that Real will come back to victorious ways sooner than later.

1. FC Barcelona ↔ (1)

Current record: 20-5

No changes at the top. Barcelona almost captured a unanimous first place, receiving only one 2nd place vote.

It's not hard to understand why our experts picked Barcelona as the best team in the EuroLeague. The Catalans show consistency throughout all season, and after losing to UNICS in Kazan, Barca are on a 4-game winning streak.

It's worth mentioning that Barcelona will meet with Zenit, CSKA, and Monaco in their upcoming games. Some mouth-watering matchups!

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