| RANK | TEAM | THE RUNDOWN | LAST |
| 1 |
Barcelona |
LAST WEEK: Won 81-60 at CSKA Moscow THIS WEEK: Thursday at Bamberg Last year’s EL-best defense has simply swapped out complementary parts and let Xavi Pascual wrench ’em in just how he likes. Erazem Lorbek, a leading MVP candidate last season and property of the Spurs, has a significantly reduced stat line this season, but his 15 points last week gave us (and Pascual) reason to believe the Slovenian is loosening up. Juan Carlos Navarro is now a nightly gametime decision, but it’s a relief to see La Bomba can still fill it up for the big ones (team high 21 vs. CSKA). |
3 |
| 2 |
Zalgiris |
LAST WEEK: Won 77-64 at Anadolu Efes THIS WEEK: Thursday at Cedevita Zagreb Zalgiris has won in Piraeus, Vitoria and Istanbul through the season’s first five games. That means their only remaining regular season road games are in Milano and Zagreb. I’d be shocked if the home teams combined for 7,000 fans between those two. Advantage: Zalgiris. |
9 |
| 3 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (5-0) |
LAST WEEK: Won 78-76 at Alba Berlin THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Unicaja Malaga Nik Caner-Medley, Malcolm Thomas, Giorgi Shermadini and Shawn James make up the Euroleague’s most defensively versatile frontcourt. While I expected great things out of Caner-Medley, the former Maryand Terrapin (and Maine’s Mr. Basketball) has been the least consistent. Nik can take his time, apparently. |
6 |
| 4 | Real Madrid (4-1) |
LAST WEEK: Won 89-76 at Union Olimpija THIS WEEK: Thursday at Panathinaikos Despite their one loss to Khimki, no team seems like more of a lock to make the Final Four than Madrid. Now that they’ve added Brazilian big man Rafael Hettsheimer and Zoran Erceg is out for CSKA Moscow, it’s the Spaniards who boast the EL’s most deeply talented roster. When that roster’s coach (Pablo Laso) wants to play fast (and boy, does he ever), it can be scary. |
4 |
| 5 | Anadolu Efes (3-2) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 77-64 vs. Zalgiris THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Olimpia Milano With Jordan Farmar and Jamon Lucas harassing guards up and down the court, nobody doubts the Turks’ defensive potency. And if Semih Erden can give Efes 20 points and 6 rebounds like he did against undefeated Zalgiris, they won’t lose often. Dusko Savanovic will have to score more than two points, though. |
11 |
| 6 | Khimki Moscow (3-2) |
LAST WEEK: Won 79-67 at Panathinaikos THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Even though Zoran Planinic and Petteri Kopponen are giving the Russian side strong minutes in the backcourt, Vitaly Fridzon is still this team’s leader and steadying force. Remember him from the Olympics? He’s the guy who was neither Shved nor Kirilenko but made big shot (Brazil) after big shot. |
7 |
| 7 | CSKA Moscow (4-1) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 80-61 vs. Barcelona THIS WEEK: Thursday at Lietuvos Rytas CSKA Moscow has wonderfully underperformed so far. Sure they lost Kirilenko and Shved (second straight shout out in these rankings) and have had to work in some new faces. But when those new faces are Sonny Weems, Aaron Jackson and Vladimir Micov, the trial period should be substantially compressed. Four winnable wins plus 40 minutes of offensive incompetence against Barcelona equals me, far from satisfied and farther from impressed. |
2 |
| 8 | Olympiacos (3-2) |
LAST WEEK: Won 84-71 at Milano THIS WEEK: Friday at Caja Laboral Watching Joey Dorsey leave must have sucked; watching Dimitrios Mavroeidis put up 21 and 7 in his place was probably OK, though. Watching Josh Powell? I don’t expect it to produce many smiles. |
5 |
| 9 | Unicaja (4-1) |
LAST WEEK: Won 88-78 at Elan Chalon THIS WEEK: Thursday at Maccabi Tel Aviv They’re infamous for taking optimistic onlookers along on their nauseating, season-long four wheeling voyage before skidding into a ditch. This year, however, they’ve strung together four wins after a five-point loss to Maccabi (number three on this list). That’s why I feel comfortable saying this: bring a doggie bag, and wear a helmet. |
14 |
| 10 | Cantu (2-3) |
LAST WEEK: Won 82-58 vs. Fenerbahce Ulker THIS WEEK: Thursday at Union Olimpija This time last year, Cantu was wrapped up in all sorts of close games with contenders and pretenders alike. Now that they’ve lost guard Jerry Smith (Louisville) to a broken foot then beaten Fenerbahce Ulker without him, it’s unclear which group Cantu themselves belong in. I see them faltering and missing the Top 16. |
18 |
| 11 | Fenerbahce Ulker (3-2) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 82-58 at Cantu THIS WEEK: Thursday at Khimki Moscow Fenerbahce seemed dejectedly at peace with the way Cantu converted 68 percent of their two-point shots last week as the Italians smacked them by 24. Bo McCalebb needs to be healthy if Fenerbahce wants to make it to London, but it’s useless to play him now if he’s hobbled by that ankle. Let the team grow without him; when it’s time for Bo to fit, he’ll fit. |
1 |
| 12 | Montepaschi Siena (2-3) |
LAST WEEK: Won 101-66 THIS WEEK: Thursday at Alba Berlin This ain’t your older brother’s Mens Sana. The Tuscan outfit is the only EL team to score 100 this season (101) and Bobby Brown has scored 61 points over the past two weeks and picked up the MVP trophy/wins in each. In his first three? Forty-three points. Zero wins. Siena goes where Brown’s follow through takes them. |
16 |
| 13 | Besiktas (3-2) |
LAST WEEK: Won 73-67 at Lietuvos Rytas THIS WEEK: Thursday at Partizan I cautioned that a stronger schedule could derail Besiktas’ Cinderella start to the season (if Cinderella were Turkish, wore Nike slippers and rode to the Euroleague in a carriage that looks sort of like Patrick Christopher). Big losses to Barcelona (-12) and CSKA (-27) won’t matter much, however, if they can take out Partizan this week and get their fourth win. I do not think they will. |
12 |
| 14 | Panathinaikos (2-3) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 79-67 vs. Khimki Moscow THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Real Madrid There’s trouble brewing in Athens, and talk of Marcus Banks possibly running the point does nothing to cool the burn. Watching Kenyon Martin play for PAO would have been insanely entertaining; too bad K-Mart declined the Greek team’s offer. Jason Kapono’s name has surfaced as well. |
8 |
| 15 | Olimpia Milano (2-3) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 84-71 vs. Olympiacos THIS WEEK: Friday at Anadolu Efes First Two: “They won. They’re putting it all together. They have so many weapons. They look so loose, fluid. Keith Langford is doing just what they needed him to. Ioannis Bourousis is playing his ass off.” Next Three: “They lost. They’re falling apart. Where’s the urgency? Does anyone care? Keith Langford is shooting again? Third worst in EL rebounding and we expect to win? Scariolo needs to go.” Life as a Milan fan isn’t easy. Luckily, there aren’t too many of them. |
10 |
| 16 | Alba Berlin (2-3) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 76-78 vs. Maccabi THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Montepaschi Siena A two-point loss to Maccabi, I can forgive you. But when it comes as the third of three straight L’s, I start to feel less generous. When I remember that the first of those came at Asseco Prokom, I drop you to 16th. Dashaun Wood in his first three: 17.3 ppg. In his last two: 5 ppg. |
13 |
| 17 | Caja Laboral (1-4) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 76-69 at Cedevita Zagreb THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Olympiacos When the season started, Maciej Lampe was questionable, Milko Bjelica was out, and mononucleosis threatened to whittle Tibor Pleiss down to dental floss. Baskonia looked not only to an aging star in his third stint in Spain’s Basque Country, Andres Nocioni, but a budding star in his third season with the club, Nemanja Bjelica. Turns out the 24-year-old was every bit as ready as the 32-year-old Nocioni; Nemanja leads the team in rebounding (6), Nocioni in scoring (11.8). It’s no coincidence that Caja Laboral’s only win came in Bjelica’s breakout game: 20 points, 9 rebounds, an assist and a steal against Milano. Now, Bjelica is likely out, much as his aforementioned injured comrades once were. Now, it’s their turn to pick up the slack. |
15 |
| 18 | Bamberg (2-3) |
LAST WEEK: Won 77-72 at Partizan THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Barcelona It would be easy to get excited about Bamberg’s two straight wins, but let me temper your exp–you know what? No. As taut and rickety as they looked while blowing their first three by an average of 12 per game, any win would have been a sight for sore Deutsche augen (German eyes?). The Deutshce augen would really bright up if they could sign a guard who could get to the rim. |
22 |
| 19 | Elan Chalon (1-4) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 88-78 vs. Unicaja THIS WEEK: Thursday at Asseco Prokom Blake Schilb had a big day against Unicaja with 27 points, but much of it came out of the flow of the offense. Elan Chalon’s most dynamic two-way player thus far, former All-American at Duke and Hawks lottery pick Shelden Williams, had fouled out only two minutes into the second half after a flop from Goran Dragic’s little brother, Zoran, and then a subsequent tech (his fifth foul) issued to Williams who reacted to the call’s awfulness. Unlike in the NBA, technical fouls are counted as technicals and five fouls equals disqualification in the shorter, 40-minute set up. Chalon still outscored Unicaja without Shelden in the third, but the Spaniards exploited Chalon’s lack of post depth in the fourth and Marcus Williams (UConn) hit some big shots to bury the Frenchmen. That loss made it four straight since an opening day win for Chalon, and it puts the Top 16 just past arm’s length. |
19 |
| 20 | Union Olimpija (1-4) |
WEEK: Lost 76-89 vs. Real Madrid THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Cantu He’s just 20 years old, but Klemen Prepelic has the sort of stroke scouts dream of. Match that up with one of the most improved players in the world, Aron Baynes, posting top five figures in scoring (16.8) and rebounding (10) and Sasu Salin blossoming into a lead scorer before our very eyes, and Union Olimpija makes for a fun watch. Their trigger happy tempo keeps them in most games, but they’ve got to time their peaks and valleys just right to get more wins. |
20 |
| 21 | Cedevita Zagreb (1-4) |
LAST WEEK: Won 76-69 vs. Caja Laboral THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Zalgiris Right as everyone was ready to settle on Cedevita as the league’s official doormat, Mickael Gelabale crashes and slashes his way to 11 and 9 as the Croats fly by unsuspecting, underachieving Caja Laboral. |
24 |
| 22 | Asseco Prokom (1-4) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 101-66 vs. Montepaschi Siena THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Elan Chalon Much like Union Olimpija, Prokom has some youth (Mateusz Ponitka) and flash (Jerel Blassingame, but trust me; it is all flash. All flash.), to keep your eyes loosely glued to a laugher. Now, San Antonio Spurs fans have a reason to watch: their 2010 second-rounder Ryan Richards (49th overall) just signed with Prokom and played his first 7 minutes of Euroleague basketball last week. It’s a huge step up in competition for everyone’s favorite flake of a prospect, Ryan Richards, who was recently seen playing for BBC Monthey in the rough and tumble Swiss League. |
23 |
| 23 | Lietuvos Rytas (1-4) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 77-75 vs. Unicaja Malaga THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. CSKA Moscow For Lietuvos Rytas fans, watching their intranational rival Zalgiris run off five wins without a loss to start the Euroleague season must be aggravating. Watching them do it with national team staples like Rimantas Kaukenas, Paulius Jankunas and the Lavrinovic Twins must be a frustration chiseled from Hell. |
21 |
| 24 | Partizan (0-5) |
LAST WEEK: Lost 77-72 vs. Bamberg THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Besiktas Dule Vujosevic is simply biding his time, grooming the squad. The revolution begins this Thursday against Besiktas. |
17 |
Nick Gibson, editor of EuroleagueAdventures.com, covers Euroleague and other international basketball developments for SheridanHoops.com. His Euroleague Power Rankings come out every Monday. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
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when you judge European teams with American standards, this is what you get…
chemistry is everything and you cannot underestimate this… Traditional teams are always going to be traditional teams no matter how good their players are.
Olympiacos is a Final 4 team, Panathinaikos is a much better team than you guys rate them as… CSKA is a Final 4 team and you only rate Maccabi high because they are winning
You have a case in Caja Laboral but that’s just an aberration. The exception that validates the truth. Eat your hats and your ratings two weeks after you made them you guys look like fools
next podcast on euroleague adventures, the noble thing to do is to say: we will never underestimate a greek team three times!
you guys should write more often. keep up the good work. opinions are like @ssholes anyway.. everyone has one! haha!
hope you get the humor
Since we are sharing, here’s lithuanian perspective: 🙂 http://euroleaga.blogspot.com/2012/11/eurolygos-reitingas-week-5.html
use translate.google.com
Translations are sometimes comical, but still good enough to understand 🙂
This a more european opinion about the rankings..
http://hoopfellas.blogspot.gr/2012/11/euroleague-power-rankings-2.html?showComment=1352916315767#c5796243433455156463