EuroLeague mid-season awards: Nikola Mirotic selected as unanimous MVP / News - Basketnews.com
After reaching halfway through the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, it's time to have a look at who performed the best.
Nikola Mirotic
MIN:25.16PTS:17.82 (69.32%)REB:5.76As:1.53ST:0.94BL:0.29TO:1.71GM:17ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022For the festive weekend, BasketNews presents EuroLeague mid-season awards, consisting of six different categories: the biggest surprise, biggest disappointment, the best quote, the best mid-season signing, All EuroLeague mid-season team, and the MVP.
In this article, all five BasketNews experts - Orazio Cauchi, Uygar Karaca, Giorgos Kyriakidis, Donatas Urbonas, and Miguel Lois Vidal - agreed that the mid-season MVP award should go to FC Barcelona star Nikola Mirotic.
Uygar: His contract was a heavy burden on the club's table of expenses, and it was a big question whether he and Jasikevicius could get along. It is working now.
Mirotic is a huge wildcard for post-up heavy Barcelona offensive setup, and he is also operating with a 49% three-point accuracy in EuroLeague, a career-best figure.
It remains an intrigue whether he could reflect all his valuable contributions into playoff series and potential F4 stage due to his previously infamous reputation on that issue. It will be fun to watch.
Donatas: Mirotic had some unfinished business before this season. But so far, he's the best scorer in the tournament, the most efficient player as well, and his team is at the top of the EuroLeague. That's unanimous MVP material.
Mirotic usually brought his A-game when it was needed in some of the toughest EuroLeague matchups so far. He had 31 points vs. Real, 22 vs. Olympiacos, 21 vs. CSKA, 20 against Zenit, and 18 vs. Anadolu Efes.
You had that feeling that he took some games in his hands and won it for Barca. That's what the real MVP does. Last year Vasilije Micic left Mirotic behind winning the MVP trophy. This year there's no race for Mirotic yet.
Nikola Mirotic
Team:FC BarcelonaPosition:PF, SFAge:30Height:208 cmWeight:102 kgBirth place:Podgorica, MontenegroProfileNewsStatisticsGiorgos: No other than Nikola Mirotic. In most cases, the EuroLeague regular season MVP is decided based on both individual and team performance.
FC Barcelona lead the standings, while the Montenegrin forward is posting 17.2 points per game on an astounding 49,2% from the three-point range, plus 5.9 rebounds and 22.1 in PIR.
Apart from excelling at most statistical categories, Mirotic has also been the ultimate go-to guy for Barca. He's performing exactly at the level that the highest-paid player in Europe is supposed to.
Orazio: For the mid-season MVP, it's almost impossible not to pick up Mirotic. The former NBA forward has been an absolute beast so far, averaging nearly 18 points per game and leading Barcelona to a record of 15 wins and just two losses.
And it wasn't necessarily easy. Mirotic received several critics after being not very productive in last season's playoffs, and the environment around Barcelona has been in a difficult situation with all the financial troubles they're trying to navigate through.
Mirotic, so far, has handled everything like a true champion.
Miguel:Nikola Mirotic. Without a shadow of a doubt. The best player of the best team so far.
He is the only player averaging more than 20 PIR (22.5) while leading in scoring (a career-high average with 17.8).
He is leading FC Barcelona, showing character in the crunch time. He decided the game in Istanbul against Fenerbahce, even though he was shooting badly that day. His determination is remarkable.
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