Eurocup LIVE: Brose Baskets - Spirou Charleroi

David Hein will cover the Eurocup game between Brose Baskets Bamberg and Spirou Charleroi live from the JAKO Arena in Bamberg. Other games of the evening that you can follow as Live Stream via Eurosport are at 17h00 CET Khimki Moscow vs. Besiktas Istanbul (LIVE Stream here) and at 19h00 CET  Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Aris Salonica (LIVE Stream here).

Yarone’s late Friday’s joints

Globalization – The player with the highest VAL on Zalgiris of Lithuania was US center Loren Woods. The players with the best VAL for Italian Montepaschi were Rimantas Kaukenas and Ksistof Lavrinovic from … Lithuania. In fact, the latter two combined for a VAL of 45 while all Lithuanian players on the Lithuanian team combined for a VAL of … 40. Neither Kaukenas nor Lavrinovic, by the way, ever played for Zalgiris.

New tunes – How many African big men can you think of who topped the “Best FT%” category in any league? Joventut’s Pops Mensah-Bonsu hit 4 of 4 last week, while yesterday proving he can make it even better by making 11 of 12 from the charity stripe in the loss at Roma. Can you believe this guy averaged 66.7% in the ULEB Cup and 54.6% in LEGA the past season, and that these numbers were considered decent for him?

Career low – In his long, long Euroleague career Nikola Vujcic had finished just one single game with a negative index rating: That was in last year’s semifinals, when Maccabi upset Montepaschi and Nikola had a -2 VAL. This was before his last Euroleague game with Maccabi. After the first game with Olympiacos, Vujcic set a new personal record with a VAL of -3.

Historical moment – If that’s not enough, the game against Unicaja will go down in history books as the first game ever that Nikola Vujcic finished with zero points in a Euroleague game. Vujcic had posted several games with two points, but always somehow found the way to get that ball through the rim. Last night, he missed one shot from close range, another behind the arc, and two shot attempts from the charity stripe. Nikola will surely contribute to Olympiacos down the road when the money is on the line and as long as his team won, he’s happy, but this game won’t be colored with happy shades in the boxscore archives of the Vujcic family.

Zero – Believe it or not but Le Mans, a team with two of the best shooters in Europe - David Bluthenthal and Dewarick Spencer – finished their first home game of the season with zero three pointers made of 12 attempts taken. The duo was responsible for eight of these attempts.

Just across the street – Not too far from there stood Cibona Zagreb. The days Croatian teams were considered great shooting teams are sadly long gone now, but they were just a tiny bit better than Le Mans. A long-range shooting night of 2-for-14 on Cibona’s side shone only next to Le Mans’ performance.

Happy thoughts for Pao – Obviously the biggest result of this week was the big knock out Pao got in Barcelona. The final difference was 24 after Barca were all over the game from tipoff. If you’re a Panathinaikos fan that might even be good news. On 21 March 2007, the last day of the Top 16, Pao traveled to Barcelona only to return to Athens with a very disturbing 21 point defeat. At the end of that season, Pao won their first Euroleague title since 2002.

No guards – Pao scored only 14 field goals inside the arc in the big defeat. Coach Zeljko used 10 players in his rotation, but only four were able to connect from two-point range. Three of them were big guys Fotsis, Batiste and Pekovic. The only saint in the backcourt was … Sarunas Jasikevicius, who knows the nets in Palau Blaugrana pretty well, but still won’t remember this “homecoming game” fondly.

February 14, 2008 – On that day Davor Kus missed his last Euroleague free throw shot until last night in France… Then, at Barcelona, he was only 1-for-3. Then followed a streak of 10 consecutive shots to finish the season, another 6-for-6 last week against Maccabi, and last night one of the best free throw shooters in the Euroleague was stopped. Literally. He finished the game 0-for-7 from the field and a VAL of -8, but when he went to the line in the closing seconds to secure the triumph with Cibona up by three, Kus connected just one. Enough for the win. Goodbye to the streak.

Spencer ties – The weekly followup on the battle between Dewarick Spencer and David Bluthenthal continues, and this week we saw the first tie at 1-1 in their competition “who took more shots?” Spencer contributed 14 shots and Bluth lagged behind with only 11. In between them crept JP Batista with 13. Altogether, the trio provided a little less than 2/3 of Le Mans’ shots.

Few of a kind, part I – Now check out this unique stat line made by Terence Morris. He registered a VAL of 23 but that was the only category in which he totaled double-digits: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists and only four field goal attempts. Very, very few players in Europe can reach such a high index rating by doing a little bit of everything.

Stay away! - Some of those fantasy fanatics out there believe that it’s good to take the best players of the weak teams figuring that “well, at least one guy needs to have a decent game.” Panionios, in their home defeat to CSKA, proved this theory wrong. Panionios set a new season low with a team index of 28, while the top individual high on the team was no more than … 7. Several players scored a better individual VAL this week than the entire Greek team.

Few of a kind – part II – So there are very few players like Morris in Europe, and that’s why he’s in CSKA making the big bucks; but his successor in Maccabi, D’or Fischer, showed this week he can produce the same numbers. Fischer crossed the double-digit mark in scoring 11, but added 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and four drawn fouls to reach a VAL of 21.

Foul him! – Daniel Ewing finished this week as the top scorer with 32 points on a great shooting night when Prokom smashed SLUC Nancy 91-62. He hit 7 of 9 from close range, 6 of 8 in the distance and well, no shots from the foul line. Why? Because in the entire game, Ewing was fouled just once by the French defense. Ewing was hot, all right, but when you foul a player in a zone just once in a game it says a lot about the lack of aggressiveness in Nancy’s defense.

Nevertheless more than perfect – Real’s Sergio Llull, the 21-year-old guard, is one of the funnest players to follow in the Euroleague. He’s quick and athletic but most of all plays with no fear. With Real having Raul Lopez and Pepe Sanchez on the roster, Llull probably didn’t expect to see a lot of playing this year before the season tipped off, but now he’s leaving the duo veterans behind. At Partizan, Llull had a perfect game: 19 points, 7-for-7 on two-pointers, 1-for-2 from three, 2-for-2 from the line, one rebound, one assist, one steal, zero turnovers with three personal fouls and two drawn. OK, so it’s not 100% perfect, but if you followed the game you know Llull’s only missed shot and two of his fouls came in the last seconds in attempt to save his team from a loss. On paper, he’s close to perfection. For us watching, he was more than perfect.

Close to perfection on the dark side – So Llull was huge, but take a look at Pepe Sanchez’s stat line from the loss in Beograd: 22 minutes on court, 0 points, 0-of-0 on two-pointers, 0-of-0 on threes, 0-of-0 FT, zero defensive rebounds, zero offensive rebounds, one assist, one steal, two turnovers, 0 bl-f, 0 bl-a, 0 fouls-c, 0 fouls-d and the poetic justice of 0 VAL.

Italian mafia – Efes Pilsen collected a key road win in Milano, and the ones who made the difference were Charles Smith, Milos Vujanic, Michalis Kakiouzis and Bootsy Thornton. What they have in common? All played in LEGA at some point in their career.

Euroleague TV goes Comedy Central

I have spent the last five hours cutting and laughing. Cutting Euroleague TV announcer material, of course.

I was laughing hilariously last night when I watched the games. Some things are funny because the guys actually are funny - sometimes though, I wonder if the Euroleague listens to this stuff and really wants their brand represented like that.

I cut together a TOP3 of this week consisting great name pronunciations, emotions, and of course basketball  wisdom from announcers.

Here you go - enjoy the ride. (Make sure you have no coffee or water in your mouth while you listen - you will spill it!)

Number 3: funny names names.mp3

Number 2: emotions emotions.mp3

Number 1: just listen … wisdom.mp3

Basketball fight: Arizona WILDcat strikes in Russia

Ilya Kalyagin, our source from Russia, lives in Rostov. On Tuesday, Spartak St. Petersburg played Lokomotiv Rostov in the Russia Cup quarterfinal. Just to let you know who players are on these teams:

Spartak St. Petersburg:

• head coach Yevgeny Pashutin, former assistant coach of Ettore Messina at CSKA Moscow
• Zakhar Pashutin, Yevgeny’s brother and former CSKA player for Ettore Messina
• Joseph Blair - US player who played for Armani Jeans Milano and attended University of Arizona

Lokomotiv Rostov

• D.J. Collins, who will always be remembered as the “chicken and porn guy” with the funniest interviews
• Fred House, US guard, who won the ULEB Cup with Lietuvos Rytas in 2005

Seems to be a pretty good matchup, right?

Well, the game was anything but good. It seems as if the Arizona Wildcats players in Europe have one serious issue: punching other players on the court in the face. About two weeks ago, it was Loren Woods who swung his fist, now - Joseph Blair - and let me tell you I would not want to be the one receiving a straight fist from a guy like this. The guy who got hit now looks like this.

Sixteen — 16! — players were removed from the court and play resumed. First it was a 4-on-4, before ultimately becoming a 3-on-3 match.

Here is video footage of the fistfight. It looks like the two Russian players were arguing when the guy in white was pushed. It seems like he wanted to get back at the assailant, but, well, Blair delivered first.

Ilya also has footage from the 4on4 4on4 as well as the 3on3. 3on3 It turns out that Blair and the Russian guard Visnevski will be disqualified for at least 5 games.

Win a Euroleague TV package!

People have been complaining about the price of the EL.tv package that is available. We think it is worth every cent and everybody who loves the Euroleague should have it.

To prove that we really want the best for the fans, we got one full season package and will give it away for free.

Of course we can’t just give it away like that. Here’s the deal.

Many people have been complaining about the Euroleague commentators. Here is your chance to show us that you can do better. Fair deal, isn’t it? Just watch the following video of the top 10 plays of the first week and record YOUR version of commentating. Put it on YouTube and post the link within the comments of this post.

The contest will be open until next week, Wednesday November 5th. We will announce the winner on that day and send you your Euroleague TV package that day as well, so you can watch the first games right away.

Turn on your microphones!

If you have any questions just send us an email crew(a)ballineurope.com, but be careful: If you’re good, we might forward it to the Euroleague and you could have a new job offer!

Euroleague LIVE - TV test starts today

BallinEurope enjoyed the Euroleague TV guys last season - a lot. Otherwise we would not have been able to come up with a post like this.

This year, again, we will be following the EL.TV crew and this starts today. Somehow we will try to get in contact with the commentators this season and let you know more about them.

Don’t get me wrong: We really know how hard it is to entertain people for two hours and we are really impressed by these guys. We are also really glad that the Euroleague offers something like this, what with the bad TV coverage of basketball in many countries of Europe. This was probably one of the best ideas the Euroleague has come up with so far.

If you are lucky to be in one of the following countries (Greece, Russia, Spain, Italy), you can watch the games tonight on TV - if not - we highly recommend to get the EL.TV package to watch the games every Wednesday and Thursday.

Now we know that the Euroleague has the following prize tags for the games:

€5.90 for a single game
€69 for a team pass
89 €79 for a season pass

For me this is like buying an Apple product: You know, it’s not the cheapest, but you really, REALLY want it. I just hope for the Euroleague TV guys, that enough people think like I do …

I do want to add that it really seems pricey - it really does - so for us as hardcore Euroleague fans it only makes sense to spend €90 and then watch as much as we can.

You can also compare it to a pair of Nike sneakers if that helps you - Look on the right of this page - a pair of Jordans are €160, and I bet you get more from the EL.TV package within a year.

Euroleague: Real Madrid, Spain

Alberto Notario publishes some of his articles for Basket-net.com, a web site, that “cares about the real basketball fan allover the world”. And this is really true. The web site actually publishes news in English as well as in Spanish - not too many European web sites do this up to this point. Alberto already sent us his preview for last season and we are happy to have him on board again, since Alberto covers European basketball for quiete a long time now and is one of the true experts in Europe.

Overall record prediction: 7-3

Time will tell, but Real Madrid’s pride has to get back in the European basketball scene. No problems, no aims, no mistakes for an historical team which has the second chance to complete his way to the Final Four. Back to zero and start again for a powerhouse which has only lifted one Euroleague trophy since 1980.

But it wont be easy. Real’s coach Joan Plaza has been criticized by the local fans during the summer and the preseason games results didn’t help so much to earn more respect. Acclaimed around the Spanish league, Plaza has enough credit to take part of the new “white” challenge. The team also has maintained the bench depth of the last year, including the retainings of Louis Bullock, the main scorer of the squad, or Felipe Reyes, the zone owner for the capitals.

Real Madrid’s new mission is well founded: be at the Final Four of Berlin in the next Spring. The summer addings of the ex-AEK american power-forward european star, Jeremiah Massey, the argentinian point guard ‘Pepe’ Sánchez and the forward Quinton Hosley, the last Turkish league sensation, where brilliant. Also, the back of the croatian international Marko Tomas after a good year in Fuenlabrada, gives to the European winningest club the authority to make true his dream about continental crown award.

The team roster is completed by the belgian warrior, Axel Hervelle, who probably has the chance to prove all of his 100% this season, after being involved in rumors of americas. Alex Mumbru, at the time, will have the same task coming of the bench: hard work and witness. Raúl López will have to compete with Sánchez for the starting lineup and also, at the guard, the teenager Sergi Llull will fight for respect.

At the frontcourt, Hamilton and Papadopoulos are back. First of them, product of an cruel injury, but the Greek is supposed to be rised from the ashes. Papadopoulos has prepared strong the last weeks and he looks more athletic and versatile. By the moment, the white giant has proved that his performance during the preseason has shown good feelings.

Probably, the starting five will be guied by ‘Pepe’ Sánchez as the titular PG, Louis Bullock at SF, Quinton Hosley at F and Massey (PF) & Reyes (C). A good and strong lineup that will defend the white honor during the next months.

After the last year disappointment, Real Madrid is searching again the correct way to get in Berlin. Plaza has another chance to lead the team to a new successful era but the departings, the player adding and the money doesn’t confirm the exit in the Euroleague, a competition where the heart, the experience and the strong work are valuable but doesn’t make miracles.

Final Four:

Winner: FC Regal Barcelona

written by Alberto Notario

Euroleague: Efes Pilsen, Turkey

Evin Demirel, from theglobalhook.blogspot.com, who worked with the Turkish National Team as a website translator in 2007, is our expert for Efes Pilsen this year. Evin has been a faithful reader from day one and has brought in some very interesting insights to BallinEurope.

Overall record prediction: 6-4

It’s not so much a Turkish takeover as an Anatolian reclamation project. Last year, Efes Pilsen, the face of Turkish basketball for the last two decades, attempted to reclaim its spot as Turkey’s premier pro team with a red, white and blue injection. Six Americans hit the hardwood for the team last fall. But, for a variety of reasons, they didn’t mesh well with the man who strode the sidelines, American coach David Blatt. The season ended in flames, as Efes failed to make the Turkish league finals for the first time since 1995. It also lost its last five games in the Euroleague’s Top 16 playoffs. So the team toned down the American blue and amped up the Turkish red and white.

This fall, six Turks take the floor for the team, and the man at the helm - coach Engin Ataman - happens to be the last, and only, coach to lead Efes Pilsen to a Euroleague Final Four. Eight years later, he takes over a team brimming with size, experience, and talent - a winning cocktail if ever there was one. Turks Kaya Peker and Kerem Gonlum bolster a front line starring Croat Mario Kasun, two years removed from employing his athletic frame with the Orlando Magic, and Greek Michalis Kakiouzis, a solid, if unspectacular, skillful center. Kakiouzis played on the Ataman-led Montepaschi Siena squad that took 3rd in the Euroleague in 2004.
Sharp-shooting Serbian Milos Vujanic, although plagued with knee injuries, still brings an impressive resume to Istanbul. He led the Euroleague in scoring five years ago. Efes fanatics will see a familiar face - the team’s prodigal son of sorts - the unquestionably talented, but still erratic swingman Cenk Aykol. If Aykol - who left the team after more than three years last December due to a spat with Blatt - can develop dervish-esque defense to accompany his smooth stroke, he will greatly strengthen Efes’ guard play.
Steady point man Ender Arslan enters his eight season with the team while Engin Atsur returns to the team after seven years. The solidly-built, defensive-minded guard looks to jump-start his career after a disappointing season at Benetton Treviso. Americans will once more play a vital role in this team’s fortunes, despite last year’s woes.

Look for veteran shooting guard Charles Smith to fill up the basket again as he did two years ago for Efes, when he averaged 12.2 ppg in the Turkish League. Flanking him is Bootsy Thornton, who helped Montespachi Siena to the Euroleague Final Four last year en route winning second-team All-League honors. On the wings waits Preston Shumpert, who scorched the nets to the tune of 17.7 ppg last year for rival Beşiktaş Cola Turka.

With eight new players this season - some new, and some old - Efes Pilsen hopes to once more find a winning formula under a hand that has mixed it before.

Final Four participants: FC Barcelona, DKV Joventut, Olympiacos , CSKA Moscow

Euroleague winner:

written by Evin Demirel

Loren Woods in trouble

Remember the problems Loren had last season for not going to a game with his club Istanbul because of the problems in Serbia?

EFES Pilsen shocked just before the away game against Partizan which will be played Thursday, as four of the American players, Drew Nicholas, Loren Woods, Rashad Wright and Andre Hutson, refused to go Serbia due to security reasons.

After this, Loren Woods left Europe and went back to the NBA and the Houston Rockets, where he played 17 minutes total in seven games and scored 6 points.

Now Loren is back in Europe and probably choose a club that’s in big trouble: Zalgiris Kaunas. Jonas told us yesterday that they only care about the Euroleague and don’t have enough money to pay their players. Loren is still there and just did this during a game:

I really don’t want to defend Loren at all, but if you do not get paid and in some way you have to stick with your club (not playing at all is not a solution unless the WHOLE team does it), you can get frustrated easily. BallinEurope reader and betting expert Arvids from Lithuania tells us that Loren Woods has been fined for €2,500 so far. Still, it’s not a good decision to hit a guy twice and totally freak out as Loren did. I wonder what will happen concerning Euroleague play.

Euroleague: Virtus Roma, Italy

Dario Marra is one of the guys, we actually met in person in this internet related word wide web. Dario would be the perfect fit for BallinEurope since he is just as normal and funny as we are, but Dario is with basketcentral.it already - too bad.

Well, we are happy to know Dario and just as last year he sent us a great preview about Roma. The funny thing is - last year, Dario wrote a preview about Siena - us not knowing his team is Roma. This year it was clear he is the man for a Virtus Roma preview.

Overall record prediction: 6-4

Here we go. Rome is ready for its third Euroleague in a row and it looks like on of the most interesting teams.
Actually, Becirovic (10 pts, 6 reb, 7 ass, 28 rkg in the friendly match against Red Star of  former coach Svetislav Pesic) and company don’t look as one of the front runners for the final victory, but they truly have a talented group, with some fascinating bets long the way.

Let’s start from the youngest one: the American sensation Brandon Jennings (first ever to come straight from the high school to Europe) has shown, in this first part, why he’s considered as a potential first 5 picks in the next draft. Still very skinny, BJ is very quick and can handle the ball with both hands, has a great capacity to find a way to the basket, being very aggressive in dribbling to the basket and in shooting from long distance. In the first 5 matches with Lottomatica, the kid has averaged almost 20 points per game, showing even a great confidence in his own game. Obviously, Jennings could find some hard moments with teams more physical and, in general, with the slower European game, but there is no doubt that the roman audience – and all the Euroleague fans - may have some fun (he’s spectacular in open floor) in the next season.

Beside him, the team has had many changes: three of the best player of the last season left. Lorbek went to Cska, Hawkins joined Milan, while Ukic will try to have a Nba career in Toronto.
The point guard spot will be then held by Jennings, who’d have in Jaaber a very good back up (the ‘Bulgarian’ was great in the final series against Siena, in the qualification with Bulgaria and he’s capable to play even as a guard beside Jennings or Becirovic).

The backcourt is completed by Allan Ray (who had physical problems in the last season and was still up and down during the preseason), De La Fuente (probably the starter in the spot of small forward) and two Italians: Giachetti, who might guarantee good defense for few minutes, and Gigi Da Tome, who just arrived from Siena and could have some minutes filling the backup spot of small forward.

The frountcourt presents some changes as well: the departure of Lorbek will be very important and another Slovenian, Primoz Brezec, is now the starting center. Brezec has shown a good shape, even if he’s not played that much in the last two season, and looks very comfortable in playing both with the former Efes Andre Hutson and the incoming (last season in Treviso) Angelo Gigli.

Hutson, during the preseason, has been playing mostly as the back up center but during the season should have some minutes even as power forward playing next to Brezec. The threes should have most of the minutes, but Gabini will probably play 10 minutes per game, while Tonolli doesn’t look in the rotation.

As we said, the teams look very interesting and Repesa (at his third season in Rome) will have many opportunities to find different ‘assets’: Becirovic should be the leader in the clutch moments, Jaaber and Hutson can actually be useful on both ends of the floor, but probably the season of Rome will depend on Brezec and Jennings: both have the potential to make a great season, but, even if  for different reason (physical Brezec, age Jennings), they risk to struggle a little bit long the way…we’ll see: the time to play has come!!! Have fun.

Final Four participants: CSKA, Siena, Efes Pilsen, Panathinaikos

Euroleague winner: Cska Moscow

written by Dario Marra

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