BasketNews players survey reveals MVP, All-EuroLeague Teams, and top coach / News - Basketnews.com

Despite being ranked second in the mid-season survey, Mike James emerged as the undisputed MVP award winner by the EuroLeague players in the regular season vote. The Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-EuroLeague Teams selections had the most competitive race among all the award categories

Credit: EuroLeague, Getty Images, Scanpix/BasketNews illustration Credit EuroLeague, Getty Images, Scanpix/BasketNews illustration

BasketNews is excited to unveil the EuroLeague Players survey, recognizing outstanding performances from the 2023-24 season.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens / Schedule

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv87-91 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv95-79 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Panathinaikos AKTOR AthensTue17:00 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Panathinaikos AKTOR AthensThu18:45

This survey collected insights from 35 EuroLeague players, who shared their candid thoughts anonymously on a range of categories, including Most Valuable Player (MVP), Best Coach, Rookie, Defensive Player, Breakout Player, Rising Star, Executive of the Year, and the All-EuroLeague Team selections.

At BasketNews, we advocate for the determination of standout EuroLeague players after the conclusion of the regular season rather than before the Final Four, in contrast to the EuroLeague's approach.

With 34 games, we have a fair sample size to identify the top performers. The postseason could have its own awards, while this approach avoids the influence of recency bias that may occur when voting includes playoff performance.

BasketNews expresses sincere gratitude to the players for their active participation, response to invitations, and contribution to the discussions that shed light on the season's standouts.

This player-centric approach highlights BasketNews' dedication to involving players in the ongoing discussions revolving around the league's most compelling topics.

MVP

In the eyes of EuroLeague players, the indisputable MVP for the 2023-2024 season undoubtedly goes to Mike James.

The star point guard of AS Monaco garnered an overwhelming 76% of the total votes in the poll, solidifying his dominance over other contenders.

Facundo Campazzo, Tornike Shengelia, Wade Baldwin, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and Dzanan Musa have also received votes.

James has been leading the competition in points created through scoring and assisting as the only EuroLeague player to average more than 30 per game, contributing to 37% of Monaco's total points.

3-pointers this season

38%9,0Points made:9,0Accuracy:38,1%Place in standings:11Record max:15Record min:2Most made 3FGs:Marius GrigonisTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The all-time EuroLeague scorer leads in isolation shots made and ranks second in contested field goals made. James has been instrumental in Monaco's success, propelling his team to a top 6 offensive rating and securing a top 3 winning record—a historic feat for the Roca Team this season.

In comparison, Mike James was second behind Facundo Campazzo in the mid-season survey.

Player Vote cast 1. Mike James (AS Monaco) 76%

All-EuroLeague Teams

According to players, Mike James, the EuroLeague MVP, dominated the All-EuroLeague vote, securing 92% of first-team selections.

James, a 9-year EuroLeague veteran, officially has one first-team and two second-team selections.

Following near behind was Panathinaikos Athens center Mathias Lessort. He was the standout player behind Mike James, receiving 76% of first-team votes.

Lessort was officially selected to the first team last year. If he makes it two straight years, he'll be the third center after Edy Tavares and Jan Vesely to be on the first team in back-to-back seasons in the last ten years.

Facundo Campazzo (60%), Wade Baldwin (48%), and Nigel Hayes-Davis (40%) rounded out the All-EuroLeague First Team.

Neither of them ever made it to the first team. Only Baldwin has a previous second-team selection.

Chima Moneke led the All-EuroLeague Second Team, joined by Jan Vesely, Shane Larkin, Alec Peters, and Markus Howard.

Notably, three players who ranked in the top 8 in the mid-season survey missed out on All-EuroLeague honors: Tornike Shengelia, Kevin Punter, and Shavon Shields. Their teams' absence from the EuroLeague playoffs likely influenced their exclusion.

1st Team 2nd Team Facundo Campazzo (Real) Shane Larkin (Efes) Mike James (Monaco) Markus Howard (Baskonia) Wade Baldwin (Maccabi) Alec Peters (Olympiacos) Nigel Hayes-Davis (Fenerbahce) Chima Moneke (Baskonia) Mathias Lessort (Panathinaikos) Jan Vesely (Barcelona)

Coach of the Year

In a season marked by nine coaching firings in the EuroLeague, standing out among some of the greatest coaches in the league's history to secure the Best Coach award is a significant achievement.

In a tightly contested Coach of the Year race, most EuroLeague players have chosen Ergin Ataman, the head coach of Panathinaikos Athens.

Ataman orchestrated the most significant turnaround in the new-format EuroLeague, transforming Panathinaikos from a 17th-place finish in the 2022-23 season to a remarkable second-place finish this year.

Panathinaikos improved their winning record by 41% and secured 12 more victories than the previous season.

Ataman narrowly edged out Sarunas Jasikevicius, who took charge of Fenerbahce mid-season and led them to a top-six finish.

Chus Mateo claimed the third place in the votes, followed by Georgios Bartzokas in fourth.

Oded Kattash, Dusko Ivanovic, Luka Banchi, and Zeljko Obradovic also received votes.

Interestingly, Ataman didn't figure in the mid-season survey voting, while Banchi, Obradovic, and Ivanovic were in the top three.

Coach Vote cast 1. Ergin Ataman (Panathinaikos) 28.0% 2. Sarunas Jasikevicius (Fenerbahce) 24.0% 3. Chus Mateo (Real) 12.0%

Rookie of the Year

Cody Miller-McIntyre of Baskonia has been named Rookie of the Year by the EuroLeague players.

A 29-year-old point guard has carved his name into EuroLeague history. He achieved a rare feat by recording just the 4th triple-double in the competition's history (11 points, 11 rebounds, 20 assists vs. ASVEL), making him only the third player to accomplish this milestone.

In the same game, he also set a new EuroLeague assists record (20).

McIntyre's leadership as a floor general was instrumental in Baskonia's playoff berth, a success few had predicted at the start of the season.

Following closely in second place was Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos Athens. His arrival saw Panathinaikos achieve a solid 21-7 record (75%), just 4% behind Real Madrid's record.

Nunn emerged as a top 10 scorer in the league, averaging 15.4 points per game. During the second part of the regular season, he ranked among the top 4 scorers in the competition.

Codi Miller-McIntyre also won the vote in the mid-season survey.

Player Vote cast 1. Codi Miller-McIntyre (Baskonia) 36.0% 2. Kendrick Nunn (Panathinaikos) 28.0%

Breakout Player

Improving your game presents a considerable challenge when logging nearly 11 months per season, leaving little time for individual skill work compared to NBA players. Moreover, players often face situations where changing teams can result in significant transformations, freeing them from the constraints of coaches who may not fully utilize their potential.

Therefore, the Breakout Player Award is a fitting recognition for those who substantially elevate their performance compared to the previous season.

Chima Moneke of Baskonia emerged as the top selection in the mid-season survey and has further solidified his lead, facing minimal competition.

Notably, his teammate Tadas Sedekerskis closely followed with 12.0% of the votes.

Other players receiving multiple votes include Mathias Lessort, Alec Peters, Tarik Biberovic, and Johannes Thiemann.

Moneke averaged 4 points last season with AS Monaco. After a disappointing EuroLeague rookie experience, Moneke bounced back impressively with Baskonia.

He ranked among the top 15 players in scoring, top 5 in rebounds, top 12 in steals, and top 25 in blocks.

Moneke, a standout player in the EuroLeague, has been creating buzz on and off the court.

Player Vote cast 1. Chima Moneke (Baskonia) 36.0% 2. Tadas Sedekerskis (Baskonia) 12.0%

Best Defensive Player

In a closely contested race for the Best Defensive Player award, Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos Piraeus emerged as the winner by a narrow margin.

Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos Athens and John Brown III of AS Monaco closely followed Walkup in the voting, with only a few percentage points separating them from the winner.

With Walkup on the court, Olympiacos maintains a defensive advantage, outscoring opponents by 8.7 points per 100 possessions, per BBallytics.

Notably, Olympiacos boasts the top 4 best defensive rating in the EuroLeague.

Interestingly, Edy Tavares was initially favored in the mid-season survey but has since been surpassed by Jerian Grant in the top 3 race.

Player Vote cast 1. Thomas Walkup (Olympiacos) 24.0% 2-3. Jerian Grant (Panathinaikos) 20.0% 2-3. John Brown III (Monaco) 20.0%

Rising Star

Gabriele Procida, a 21-year-old Italian wing whose draft rights belong to the Utah Jazz, is poised to claim the Rising Star trophy, as indicated by most EuroLeague players surveyed by BasketNews.

Procida has emerged as the top-scoring under-23 player in the EuroLeague this season, averaging 8.3 points per game.

In four of ALBA's five victories this season, Procida has averaged 14.0 points per game.

Following closely behind Procida in the vote is Fenerbahce's Tarik Biberovic, who showcased a strong finish right before the postseason with 10.3 points per game, shooting 56.7% from three-point range in the last nine EuroLeague regular season games.

Player Vote cast 1. Gabriele Procida (ALBA) 41.7% 2. Tarik Biberovic (Fenerbahce) 25.0%

GM of the Year

Panathinaikos earned recognition for the Executive of the Year award in the poll to determine the team and front offices that made the best offseason moves.

44.4% of the EuroLeague players who voted for the GM of the Year award gave their accolades to Panathinaikos.

Vassileios Parthenopoulos is the club's president, Stavros Ntinos is the general manager, and Sani Becirovic is the technical director.

Team Vote cast 1. Panathinaikos 44.4% Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.