A Christmas gift every EuroLeague team could wish for / News - Basketnews.com

With the festive period finally reaching its peak, BasketNews presents a list of Christmas gifts that every EuroLeague team could wish for.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis, ZUMAPRESS.COM, Dragana Stjepanovic | BasketNews Illustration Credit Vangelis Stolis, ZUMAPRESS.COM, Dragana Stjepanovic | BasketNews Illustration

Christmas is finally here. For many people, it's the time of the year for new goals, opportunities, and dreams.

Therefore, BasketNews presents a list of potential Christmas gifts that every EuroLeague team could wish for.

Starting from new players and health, it involves a variety of dreams that certain EuroLeague clubs would like to turn into a reality. Some of them are more serious and realistic, while others have a spice of light-hearted jokes.

ALBA Berlin

Even more victories

ALBA recently achieved two victories and jumped from the EuroLeague bottom to 17th place. But why stop?

After beating FC Barcelona, ALBA showed it could beat almost any team on a good night. So, at least a 2-game winning streak could be a decent goal for ALBA.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Experience

After years of success, Anadolu Efes made important changes in the roster that went down in EuroLeague history. The new Efes, who are younger, a lot more inexperienced, and ruled by a much different basketball philosophy, have had an uneven season so far.

Under Erdem Can, Efes has built a roster that emphasizes defensive toughness, transition plays, and teamwork. Although glimpses of this style of play exhibit themselves from time to time, it appears that the young roster lacks experience.

While a dominant force at home, winning 5 games and losing 2, Efes is almost always blown out in away games.

Anadolu EfesCredit Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Even though the roster has veterans such as Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois, Will Clyburn, and Tibor Pleiss, the team gives up easily on its philosophy and usually ends up being mentally derailed with rookies such as Tyrique Jones, Mike Daum, Justus Hollatz, and local players like Erten Gazi.

This Christmas, it would be prudent for Coach Can to call upon the Christmas spirit to endow his players with a little more experience for the EuroLeague scene.

AS Monaco

Personal FT coach

Chima, look what you did there...

Monaco needs to bring Chima Moneke back for a few days in February's break to show these guys how to hit the front of the rim.

On a more serious note, Monaco really has to get themselves together and figure out how to play until the very end of every possession.

Even if you're on the verge of breaking the backboard with a free-throw violation, there's just no way you can give away an open three for the win against one of the best shooters on an opposing team.

In their toughest moments of the season, especially in the playoff series against Maccabi last year, Monaco witnessed firsthand how their sacrifice, focus, and 100% effort can take them to the next level.

They need to develop the habit of treating every game like a playoff match if they want to take that extra step to win the EuroLeague.

It all begins with decisions at the free-throw line, defensive assignments, and individual responsibilities to both themselves and their teammates.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

A solid-shooting point guard

Even though Dusko Ivanovic can pride himself in helping Baskonia get over their initial slump and improve their 1-4 record under coach Joan Penarroya, there are still some issues to be taken into consideration.

First and foremost, the absence of a high basketball IQ point guard like Darius Thompson, who would be responsible for making the right decisions at all times and could feed the frontcourt players with good passes.

The truth is that starting from his game-winning jumper in Piraeus, Codi Miller-McIntyre is trying to do a little bit of everything. The EuroLeague rookie is among the team's Top 5 players in several statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, PIR). Still, his back-ups (Chris Chiozza, Nico Mannion) are equally ineffective from the 3-point line and combine for an average of almost 8.0 points per game.

The extension of Markus Howard's contract didn't leave much room for big-time signings last summer and also during the season when Chiozza was hired.

Despite his ups and downs, Howard remains the squad's most talented player and reliable scorer. That's not likely to change anytime soon, but it doesn't mean that Ivanovic should rule out the possibility of signing a better scorer and shooter than Baskonia's already-existing trio of point guards.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

Consistency, consistency, consistency

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade revamped their roster before the start of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, signing multiple well-known names to the squad. However, it hasn't been going so well, with the team sitting only in 15th place in the standings.

The team has lacked consistency, first and foremost. Out of their six wins, Crvena Zvezda captured five of them at home, and the only away win was in the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, a venue they have played in for decades and where they currently hold some of the practices.

Confusion with Shabazz Napier and the disappointing start of the season for Mike Tobey seems to have created a disbalance inside, while the outpouring of losses in the EuroLeague doesn't help either.

Milos Teodosic has been giving his all on the court recently. With Napier out of the picture, Crvena Zvezda's guard rotation became clearer, opening up ways for backcourt players to contribute.

Following some experiments with Tobey, Joel Bolomboy established himself as the main man in the frontcourt.

Ognjen Kuzmic has been replaced by Freddie Gillespie, who will bring energy to the paint. All the team needs right now is consistently putting effort on the court and producing a result the club's fans can be proud of both at home and away because the talent is surely there.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

A break from the injuries

The easy wish for these holidays for Olimpia Milan would have been a new point guard, but the Italian team already received that gift as they brought back Shabazz Napier after his disappointing stint with Serbian KK Crvena Zvezda.

So what other gift could Ettore Messina want for Christmas? Looking at the current state of Olimpia, Milan's roster, it is pretty easy to say that some health would be more than welcome. Since the beginning of the season, the Italian side has been battered by injuries.

Nikola MiroticCredit Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire - Scanpix

Billy Baron just returned after missing months of action due to an elbow surgery he underwent during the offseason. Maodo Lo and Giampaolo Ricci are currently out for weeks due to muscle injuries.

Meanwhile, Nikola Mirotic, the biggest investment made by the club this summer, is dealing again with an Achilles injury he also had in Barcelona last season, and he's expected to stay out at least until the end of January.

If Milan wants to turn the season around, they need all their best players available. That's why they will probably ask Santa for some break from the injuries.

FC Barcelona

New arena

With Valencia, Virtus, and Bayern set to unveil their state-of-the-art arenas and ASVEL inaugurating a new chapter in their home venue, it's hard to ignore the contrasting situation at FC Barcelona.

While they continue to host EuroLeague games at the old Palau, there seems to be a lingering reluctance to propel the Nou Palau Blaugrana project forward.

Dating back to 1971, the Palau Blaugrana has seen its main court area undergo renovation in 2016. Yet, it falls short when compared to the modernity and capacity of other EuroLeague venues, especially Madrid's WiZink Center in the vicinity.

The vision for a new arena, the Nou Palau Blaugrana, has been on the table for several years, but no concrete work has been done. Finances, with an estimated cost of 420 million euros, have become a hurdle for Barcelona, prompting them to explore avenues for funding. By the current project, the new gym should have a maximum capacity of around 15,000 spectators, a significant upgrade from the Palau Blaugrana.

EuroLeague regulations mandate that each licensed club must have a home arena capable of accommodating at least 10,000 fans. However, the Palau Blaugrana falls short with a maximum capacity of just over 7,500 spectators.

In 2003, FC Barcelona and the EuroLeague agreed that the Spanish team would be allowed to play at Palau until they relocated to a new arena that complies with the EuroLeague regulations.

20 years have passed, but nothing has changed. It's a bit shameful for an organization of this caliber, especially when incidents like the roof leakage during last season's Round 26 game against Zalgiris highlight the pressing need for an upgrade.

Perhaps this holiday season will bring an extra dose of generosity, propelling FC Barcelona toward the realization of their new arena dreams.

FC Bayern Munich

Happy growing pains!

When Pablo Laso stepped into the Bayern scene, we knew we were in for a marathon, not a sprint, to build up a whole new basketball culture in Munich.

It's obviously no walk in the park, especially when you're managing what might just be the youngest backcourt in the EuroLeague.

Take a look at the point-scoring maestros for Bayern – Leandro Bolmaro (23), Carsen Edwards (25), and Sylvain Francisco (26) – clocking in at an average age of 24.6 years.

This marks a nearly four-year age difference from the average EuroLeague player, and let's not forget the significance of backcourt players in today's basketball landscape.

Unsurprisingly, Bayern is navigating through highs and lows in the first part of the season.

Yet, rest assured, the potential upside is remarkably promising. Keep a keen eye on Bolmaro.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Better management and patience

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is at a crossroads of inconsistencies after 7 whole years with Zeljko Obradovic, who is arguably the best coach in the European continent.

After Obradovic's departure, the yellow-and-blue team has been riddled with instability, going through 3 coaches in 3 years, with the fourth one, Sarunas Jasikevicius, just recently arriving.

What can Fenerbahce wish for to improve its performance after missing the Final Four in the last few years? One answer could be to have better management and more patience. So far, it can be stated that the club's management has had troubles with foresight, particularly regarding coaching and player hires.

For instance, they had to hire Aleksandar Djordevic after Igor Kokoskov built a roster and departed immediately before the start of the 2021-22 season, giving Djordevic a roster that he did not build and sacking him after he failed to make it to the EuroLeague playoffs with a team that he didn't put together.

Although hirings and firings can always be necessary, Fenerbahce's management has to receive, from the Christmas spirit, a strong sense of patience. Only by such a virtue can the Turkish team achieve stability and more consistent results in the EuroLeague.

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

Some much-needed defense

Since the arrival of coach Gianmarco Pozzecco, French side ASVEL has looked definitely more in sync as a team. The players are fighting more, there's a new spirit inspired by the infectious personality of the Italian coach.

The problems, however, remain. Since Pozzecco's arrival, ASVEL has won only two EuroLeague games, both on the road against Zalgiris Kaunas and Alba Berlin.

The team's main limitation continues to be its defense, the worst in the EuroLeague, with a defensive rating of 122.2 points allowed per 100 possessions.

This team remains one of the worst in the competition, and the only wish Pozzecco can have for these holidays is that a hand can come from the market that will allow him to improve, at least a minimum, the team's defensive deficiencies.

Whether on the perimeter or under the basket, this team desperately needs help on the defensive end.

There are no magic formulas to solve structural problems, but perhaps help for these difficulties could be found in the market. Can Santa Claus bring some defense to ASVEL?

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Peace

It's a no-brainer. One can only imagine what it's like to experience a war, and there's no doubt the whole Maccabi organization wishes it would end as soon as possible.

First and foremost, it would finally bring some calmness and would also allow Maccabi to go back to Tel Aviv to play home games inside the Menora Mivtachim Arena.

Despite all the circumstances, Maccabi are holding like true champs, sitting inside the EuroLeague Top 6 with a 9-7 record.

Olympiacos Piraeus

A 'closer' in crunch time

Olympiacos' offensive production has been problematic since the beginning of the season. The Reds have had several bad nights on the front end of the court, and that became particularly palpable in the games against Panathinaikos in the Greek League (54 points) and Olimpia Milano (53) and Valencia (56).

The team's pace has slowed down, while the two main point guards (Thomas Walkup and Nigel Williams-Goss) keep performing way below expectations. Surpassing the 80-point threshold has turned into a rare occurrence for the squad coached by Giorgos Bartzokas.

Georgios BartzokasCredit Stefanos Kyriazis/NurPhoto via Getty Images

At the same time, and despite the co-existence of two dominant big men in Moustapha Fall and Nikola Milutinov, only Isaiah Canaan and Alec Peters have been able to shoot the ball consistently. The two have banked in almost 50% of their attempts while their teammates keep struggling from distance (shooting below 30%).

Olympiacos have dropped three out of five games decided in the last possession (FC Barcelona, Baskonia, Fenerbahce). The additions of Ignas Brazdeikis, Filip Petrusev, and Naz Mitrou-Long might pay off in the long run, but the lack of a player who can take the initiative in crunch time by making shots off iso plays or from long distance is obvious.

Kostas Sloukas and Sasha Vezenkov used to be the go-to guys, but now there's barely anyone to pull off the small miracles Olympiacos need to survive in the EuroLeague marathon.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

A versatile shooting big man

The person who would best fit the job description is a guy like Chris Singleton. Not (necessarily) the actual one, but a player resembling the former Panathinaikos and Anadolu Efes forward.

To Ergin Ataman's dismay, the mold was broken. A big man who can guard multiple positions and shoot efficiently from a distance is tough to come around these days.

Panathinaikos signed Olek Balcerowski, a player who's more like Tibor Pleiss than Singleton. However, the Polish big man hasn't been able to provide much help from distance, as his shooting percentage remains under 20%.

Olek BalcerowskiCredit Vangelis Stolis

Moreover, his rebounding skills aren't one of his strengths, and his lack of experience can hardly compensate for his shortcomings.

Kostas Antetokounmpo isn't a stretch big, even though he has displayed some signs of decent rim protection. And Mathias Lessort can do many things on the court, but he's not capable of draining threes.

Considering the budget allocated to the current roster, it is a surprise that PAO's three-man lineup in the center position still lacks a shooting big man. His addition won't solve all the team's problems at once, but it will surely alleviate the burden that some of the existing players have been forced to carry.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Healthy Aleksa Avramovic

Despite the loss to Real Madrid, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade have been on a roll recently, both domestically and internationally. The team seems to have found the groove, and the results of hard work in practice are starting to show.

However, one piece of the puzzle has been missing for the bigger part of the season - Aleksa Avramovic. He missed the start of the season with an ankle injury he picked up during the ABA SuperCup tournament. After playing for two months, he's out at least until January with a broken ankle.

Avramovic is crucial defensively, as he's a player who's willing to do the hard work that usually doesn't show up on the box score. He made himself known during the 2023 FIBA World Cup when he shut down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the semifinal and balled out during the final.

Avramovic's ability to guard the opponent's best guard one-on-one and facilitate the offense on the other side of the court is sometimes invaluable.

Him being sidelined with a hand injury was one of the factors that hindered Partizan's playoff run last year. Alongside PJ Dozier, having Avramovic back would give the team much-needed defensive versatility.

Head coach Zeljko Obradovic is arguably the best ever to do it in Europe, and having yet another weapon in his arsenal would propel the team even higher.

Real Madrid

To break the No. 1 seed curse

It might be a little too early to give Real Madrid the No. 1 seed, but looking at how things went during the first 16 games, it's difficult to see a team that could catch up with Los Blancos.

That brings us to the No. 1 seed curse. Since the new EuroLeague format was introduced in the 2016-17 season, all teams that finished 1st in the regular season didn't become champions.

Olympiacos became the latest victim of it. After playing spectacular basketball throughout the whole season, the Greek powerhouse lost the final against Real Madrid.

Considering how Real currently dominate, it would be another upset if the Spanish powerhouse didn't claim back-to-back titles.

Valencia Basket

Health

Valencia currently plays without three key members: Victor Claver and Jared Harper are out with long-term injuries, while Semi Ojeleye is sidelined indefinitely.

Harper has been plagued with multiple injuries this season and played in only 8 EuroLeague games.

Meanwhile, Martin Hermannsson recently returned after recovering from an ACL injury in his left knee, so there's still some road ahead for the 29-year-old until he's back to 100%.

Despite all the problems, Valencia has a 9-7 record and sits in 5th place in the EuroLeague. Not bad, but there's no doubt Alex Mumbru would like to have a full roster to use its full potential.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna

A scoring boost in the backcourt

Virtus Bologna's season so far has been nothing short of impressive. The team coached by Luca Banchi has been playing at an elite level, and now the playoffs look like a real possibility for the Italian side, something that wouldn't have been so easy to imagine just a few months ago.

Toko Shengelia is playing the best basketball of his career, Marco Belinelli is looking rejuvenated, and Isaia Cordinier is cementing his status as one of the best two-way wings in the EuroLeague.

So, what could Luca Banchi and Virtus wish for during these holidays? Well, the backcourt might still need some help in terms of scoring.

Jaleen Smith hasn't been a very positive factor for the team, and he might leave the team now that the internal Euroleague market is open.

Since Virtus relies so much on Belinelli in terms of scoring, trying to add another scoring guard to their backcourt wouldn't be a bad idea.

Hackett and Pajola are more defensive-oriented players, and while Lundberg has been looking sharp in the past few weeks, adding a combo guard with good scoring skills would probably make this team even better.

Zalgiris Kaunas

Harmony within the whole organization/trust in the process

Recently, Zalgiris have faced a series of challenges, with several key players like Brady Manek, Lukas Lekavicius, and Arnas Butkevicius sidelined due to injuries.

Additionally, there have been speculations about team leader Keenan Evans potentially leaving in the upcoming transfer window. Amidst these turmoils, a storm involving head coach Kazys Maksvytis has brewed, with players resisting calls for his dismissal.

In the 2022-23 season, Zalgiris was initially seen as a well-oiled machine. Despite the setbacks, they showed stability by swiftly replacing injured players, facilitating a lighting-quick surgery for Evans after his Achilles tore, and overcoming each adversity along the way.

Now, they wanted to fire a coach who basically created a miracle last season by navigating Evans-less Zalgiris to the 2023 EuroLeague Playoffs. Maksvytis also regained the Lithuanian Basketball League title and won the Lithuanian Cup.

Perhaps, rather than opting for a drastic change, a more mindful approach would be to allow time for recovery, integrate new players -- Austin Hollins and Edmond Sumner -- into the system, and trust the existing coaching staff.

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