Best offense in Europe: would unique Paris style fit in EuroLeague? / News - Basketnews.com

BasketNews expert Augustas Suliauskas takes a look at the Paris Basketball profile, discussing whether such a unique style could be applied in the EuroLeague.

Credit: Scanpix Baltics, BNS | BasketNews Illustration Credit Scanpix Baltics, BNS | BasketNews Illustration

If you are looking for the most unique team in the European basketball scene - look no further thanParis Basketball.

Last summer, an aspiring basketball project in the French capital survived a storm of changes. When Finnish head coachTuomas Iisaloarrived, he brought in a bunch of his former players from Bonn, where the same core won the Basketball Champions League.

The idea was clear: if that roster with the same system could win and compete with the EuroLeague clubs in the German league, why can't they do the same in the EuroCup?

So far, they have succeeded. In the EuroCup, Iisalo's squad leads the semifinal series 1-0 while winning 19 out of 20 games this year. Paris is the fastest team across all major European leagues.

If you like speed and a lot of 3-pointers, you must tune in to their games. They do look a bit like an NBA team.

Here in Europe, we often think of fast-paced basketball as not the most efficient way to play; it is quite the opposite. After doing a full statistical research for this article, I was shocked by what I found.

Led by Iisalo's ideas, Paris Basketball has the most lethal offense in the entire continent. According to bballytics.com, their offensive rating per 100 possessions (128.7) is even better than this year's Boston Celtics, which currently have the best offensive rating of all time (122.5).

Just let that sink in for a moment.

Now, in the EuroCup semifinals, with a goal of reaching the EuroLeague, Paris Basketball are already thinking about the next step: could this system work on the highest European stage as well?

Here's what I think.

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