EuroLeague teams that were hit the most by player absences this season / News - Basketnews.com

Valencia Basket have been significantly impacted by player absences this season, with main players missing a total of 99 games.

Credit: Juan Navarro/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images, Vangelis Stolis, ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix Credit Juan Navarro/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images, Vangelis Stolis, ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

Maintaining a full active roster throughout the EuroLeague season is a mission imporssible, given the inevitability of injuries and unforeseen circumstances that trouble players on a weekly basis. So, the more games core players compete in, the better the team's chances in the long run.

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne / Schedule

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne AS Monaco77-87 Valencia Basket LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne04-0418:45

This season, Valencia Basket have been hit hardest by player absences, as their athletes with a 10+ minutes per game average missed 99 games, according to journalist Marco Pagliariccio.

Currently without Brandon Davies (calf) and Boubacar Toure (back), and with Jared Harper not in the lineup due to a coach's decision, the Spanish team has struggled with player shortages all season. Chris Jones and Damien Inglis have been reliable contributors, appearing in all but one EuroLeague game this season.

On top of that, Valencia, along with LDCL ASVEL Villeurbanne, is the only team with no players who have participated in all EuroLeague games in 2023-24.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan come in second, with 94 games missed due to injuries and other reasons. The Italian team has had a challenging season, with Billy Baron playing just three games and Nikola Mirotic (Achilles tendinopathy) and Maodo Lo (thigh and ankle injuries) facing long-term health issues. Nicolo Melli is the only starter who has played in all games this season.

Credit Giuseppe Cottini via Getty Images

Real Madrid, despite comfortably leading the league, rank fourth in terms of player absences, with 80 games missed by players averaging over 10 minutes per game. However, their deep roster, which consists of at least 14 highest-level players, has allowed them to remain competitive even when some players are unavailable.

On the other hand, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Zalgiris Kaunas have been the least affected EuroLeague teams by injuries or other absences.

Maccabi leader Wade Baldwin missed the start of the season due to a back strain, but overall, the Israeli team has managed to keep its main players available for most of the season. At least, Maccabi have luck in this department, as the squad is forced to play its home games in Belgrade, Serbia, due to the war situation in the homeland.

Meanwhile, Zalgiris experienced a rough patch when key players like Brady Manek, Lukas Lekavicius, and Arnas Butkevicius were sidelined with injuries before New Year's. However, their unanimous leader, Keenan Evans, has played all 32 games this season, bouncing back from an Achilles tendon injury last season.

Total games missed by players with a 10+ minutes per game average (via Marco Pagliariccio):

Rank Team Games missed 1. Valencia Basket 99 2. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 94 3. ALBA Berlin 87 4. Real Madrid 80 5. Aandolu Efes Istanbul 76 6. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 75 7. FC Bayern Munich 73 8-9. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 66 8-9. AS Monaco 66 10. Olympiacos Piraeus 65 11-12. Virtus Segafredo Bologna 57 11-12. LDCL ASVEL Villeurbanne 57 13-14. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 56 13-14. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 56 15. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 44 16. FC Barcelona 34 17-18. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 33 17-18. Zalgiris Kaunas 33 Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.