BallinEurope, the European Basketball news site

When I came home tonight, I immediately checked on the situation in the different Euroleague games was. And it looked like the two first games of the day would become blowouts: Olympiacos finally beat Air Avellino without any trouble, but the score between Panionios and Real Madrid somehow surprised me as the Greeks were up by like 20 points. A quick check on Skype gave me the explication, Panionios had a 31-6 run.

But the second half of the game gave us a fantastic opportunity to see a nice scoring run, as Real Madrid made an incredible 31-5 run in order to get as close as two points in the last two minutes. Despite the big trouble the Euroleague TV commentator had in pronouncing the Greek names, we had a real nail-biter in the final seconds. And it was Aaron Miles with two very bad decisions against the Real Madrid zone that gave Real Madrid the possibility to lead for the first time in the second half. The momentum switch was really tangible through the DSL lines. But a super stupid foul by Alex Mumbru gave a two-point lead back to Panionios with two free throws, but Marko Tomas had to step to the line after a Partizan-CSKA final-second possession and he made both. But the aforementioned Miles was the game winner with an “easy layup” according to the commentator after a full-court run.

Speaking of close games, I switched to Le Mans for their game against Le Mans with Alain “Coffee” Koffi on the jump ball. So I preferred to turn down the sound of EL.TV and put Pionir on full power on RTS Sat despite not understanding a word of the probably very interesting Serbian announcers. Le Mans came off a really bad start and trailed 23-11 after the first quarter while Serbian TV had problems with the sound and the graphics, as the Grobari were probably jumping on the cables.

A very interesting call happened in the meantime in Belgrade, where Kaya Peker got an offensive foul for pushing Stephane Lasme’s arm away on a layup attempt. This is a very common call in the United States but is hardly every seen in Europe, especially if it happens in the no-offensive-foul call zone of the half-circle. At the same time, Pape Badiane scores for Unicaja on a Enzo Tsonga assist according to the commentator. (NB.: both are players of Le Mans) I have to add that I really like EL.TV but these are incredible errors, especially if you mess up player names four times in two minutes.

In Le Mans, we have halftime and the game between AJ Milano and CSKA Moscow seems already decided after eight minutes, when the Russians lead 21-5 in the once again half-empty Datchforum in Milan. IN addition to all the trouble, there seems to be a general sound problem with Euroleague games tonight as now even the EL.TV commentators have shut up and no sound from the arenas is coming out of my speakers. Watching basketball without sound is really strange — kinda like Sarunas Jasikevicius without the talking. Oh, it’s halftime in Belgrade on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Charles Smith (1m95) over Slavko Vranes (2m29).

And during halftime, it is time for a little off-topic. On the Serbian RTS Sat channel, the break is used for advertising by travel agencies in Switzerland and German cell phone companies. Globalization! On the other hand, I just read that the Bundesliga team LTi Giessen 46ers signed a new manager in Vladi Bogojevic. Nothing special, you may think, but knowing the difficult financial situation of the German team, GM Christoph Syring told the press: I really believe that much in Vladi’s abilities, that I have accepted a reduction to my own salary. You must be kidding me…

While I was writing this off-topic, Unicaja has already increased their lead to 18 and we will have another blowout win very probably tonight as now, even Boniface N’Dong hits a three pointer after a multitude of dunks to close a 19-2 run in the last quarter. This is really a pity to watch the French team right now where only Alain Koffi seems to be concerned.

So it’s time to move to Milan, where Armani Jeans is coming back in the race as they start the second half on an 11-2 run to be at only eight points down. But that’s the moment for EL.TV blocks the stream for whatever reason. In Belgrade, Partizan is still holding their advantage so it looks like Milano is the place to be to see some exciting action tonight. And it seems also to be the night of the interesting referee decisions as one of the three refs gets caught with the new backcourt rules and calls a violation to AJ Milano but immediately takes it back as he was wrong. By the way, has anybody mentioned that Piero Bucchi is as always the best dressed head coach of the Euroleague? Well, it may be no surprise when you are sponsored by Armani Jeans.

In the meantime, Novica Velcikovic decides the game in Belgrade for another win of Partizan against Efes Pilsen despite some late second turnovers by Uros Tripkovic.  David Hawkins however scores a very big bucket to give Milano a four-point lead with three minutes to go. As I said beforehand in David Hein’s Live Blog, I see AJ Milano having a chance beating CSKA but I really didn’t believe in my words after the first minutes of the game. (OT: I just got outbid on an Ebay auction, damn…)

As incredible as my loss in the Ebay auction is, the fact that Victor Khryapa may become the game winner in Milan with a big time steal to open the final minute. But it is David Hawkins who brings AJ Milano back in front with two very tough shots over the former Chicago Bull. And the impossible happens, as Ramunas Siskauskas loses the ball and the win five seconds before the buzzer, with AJ Milano (as predicted) winning over the heretofore unbeaten Russian team.

What a great ending to my Euroleague Wednesday!

Hello everybody, once again this is Javier Gancedo, as always from Euroleague.net. What a Euroleague week it was, friends! First-time winners Union Olimpija and AJ Milano, the best Real Madrid show of the season, an impossible end to that Partizan-CSKA showdown, TWO overtime thrillers in Zagreb and Le Mans and above all, an instant classic between Tau Ceramica and DKV Joventut: If you have Euroleague TV, check it if you can, if not, well… there are ways and ways to get DVDs all over the continent. The Eurocup has also begun and we’re happy that our new game, the Eurocup FabFive Challenge, has got some positive response from people out there. It’s too early to say but all the favourites – in the Eurocup, that is, not in the game – are already showing their credentials.

To be perfectly honest – and back to the NIKEiD Euroleague Fantasy Challenge; that’s what I’m here for, after all – I think I’m playing beyond expectations, with few mistakes and too much luck. I got almost 160 points this week, climbed to the fifth spot in the BallinEurope private league and suddenly I feel I’m running out of stamina. This week was the hardest one for me to trade in the entire season. My guess is that since this is the first week of the record round of regular-season games, you can always look back and see what happened back then.

In Week 1, Will McDonald of Tau Ceramica was the MVP, but he didn’t have Tiago Splitter in top shape back then. Rawle Marshall of Cibona was second with a 29 index, but his stock had dropped a little, especially since that Adriatic League fight we don’t want to remember. D’or Fischer of Maccabi has a 28 index but he has not been playing that much since that game. Same with Mirza Begic of Union Olimpija and Ersan Ilyasova of Regal FCB, who completed the Top 5 that week.

There isn’t much reference there, is there? That’s why I think it is so tough to trade this week. I’m not alone in this, as BallinEurope editor Christophe (http://www.ballineurope.com/fantasy-leagues/euroleague-fantasy-challenge/fantasy-challenge-follow-your-own-tips/) is also going absolutely nuts. From now on, a whole different game begins. It’s not about accumulating money, but analyzing opponents, injuries, considering if your player is going against high-scoring teams … Stuff like that.

So this is what I did, and remember, I could be perfectly wrong. First of all, Emir Preldzic has to go. He was a great buy for a while, but his underachieving performance added to the fact that Pete Mickeal is back and ready to give any defender a LOT of trouble make me consider that Preldzic should be traded – no matter that I think he’s one of the most exciting players to watch in the entire continent. I am also selling Chris Warren, because Avellino plays Olympiacos on the road and that is always tough. Plus Warren is quite expensive and gives me some room to improve my team a bit.

I have decided to keep Begic to cash in the credits, so I am trading Mike Hall. Yes, he is way underrated and yes, he did very well against Panionios On Telecoms last week, but there is the golden rule. Oh, I hear you asking, what is the golden rule? One I follow each and every time:

THE GOLDEN RULE: NEVER USE PLAYERS FACING CSKA MOSCOW THAT WEEK!

So Hall has to go, too. I am buying Juan Carlos Navarro, a good player at just 55 credits, going against SLUC Nancy this week. He may face a hypermotivated Michel Morandais going against him, his former teammate, but I will take the risk. Trying to buy a center that I actually like is virtually impossible. Everyone is going against tough opponents, is very expensive, I don’t like them that week… so I’ll go for the obvious choice: Andre Hutson, Lottomatica Roma, just because he’s underrated and is in great shape. I ain’t going to think too much about the other SG/SF and take the most expensive player available: Rimantas Kaukenas. Montepaschi faces Prokom Trefl Sopot, with no Lithuanians to battle against this time around. Well anyway, I will take the chance.

So my team goes like this:

Aaron Miles – in great shape. Facing Real Madrid without Pepe Sanchez in the house. He should be solid.

Lynn Greer – coming off a great game and Olympiacos faces Avellino. Big lefties showdown against Travis Best!

Jonas Maciulis – The Bull keeps playing solid minutes. A huge game from him is just a question of time.

Juan Carlos Navarro – It is always good to have “La Bomba” in your team. Especially playing at home.

Sani Becirovic – Sometimes I wonder how can I be 621st without Igor Rakocevic. Well, he’s the reason why.

Rimantas Kaukenas – Apparently, it’s a good game for him. And Siena hosts Zalgiris in Week 7, too…

Mirza Begic – One week, no more. I love Begic though, the biggest moneymaker in the game this season.

Andre Hutson – Lottomatica faces Alba Berlin and he should post up solid numbers against Sesay and Nadjfeji.

Mirsad Turkcan – Semih Erden is back, who the hell decided that there are ONLY three trades per week?

Mike Batiste – Again, who is the big brain that limits my team to only three trades each and every week?

…shit, it was me. Oh well, wouldn’t the game be way more boring with unlimited trades, anyway?

Greetings from Nottingham, where I am this weekend: Land of Robin Hood, Nottingham Forest and anything but basketball!

Currently, it looks like a lot of decisions have been made in the Euroleague fantasy league. The time to gain sure credits is nearly over, and only a few players are still available at reasonable prices to give you good credit boosts. I’m thinking here mainly about players like Mirza Begic (49 credits) or Sergio Llull (26 credits). But if you don’t have them in your team already, it’s really time to think about what your goal is.

My personal moves

As for myself, I have enough credits right now so I have to check which players can bring me the most credits for the least value right now: This is the reason why I’m selling Ersan Ilyasova, who has not been in his best shape recently. He’s still worth decent value, so it’s a good move in order to buy a more productive player. I’ll use this money to replace one of my two young point guards and give Zygimantas Janavicius away to bring in Zoran Planinic: He should be able to bring up some good numbers in Serbia against Partizan Belgrade. In the paint, I’m bringing in Nikola Pekovic, as I think that he’s now at a good value of 57 credits and should easily dominate against Asseco Prokom.

OUT: Ersan Ilyasova (FC Barcelona) and Zygimantas Janavicius (Zalgiris Kaunas).

IN: Zoran Planinic (CSKA Moscow) and Nikola Pekovic (Panathinaikos).

Take care of injury minutes

A good move to get interesting players right now is to check out the Injury List for possible “playing-time gainers.” For example, Marcus Haislip is out for three weeks so Boniface N’Dong should see some major playing time this week. Additionally, Carlos Jimenez will probably have a nice game in the absence of the high-flying US player.

With Marko Milic injured and Union Olimpija playing against ALBA Berlin, it may be interesting to gamble on Damjan Rudez who should profit from Milic’ absence. He is currently a bargain at 22 credits and if you want to take some risks, he may bring you 10 or more ranking points this week.

See who’s hot right now

Players often go on streaks, by which I mean they play a few good games in a row. One of these players currently is Mike Hall of AJ Milano. He was the MVP of the last game day, despite his team’s loss in Madrid. Hall managed to score 28 ranking points, however, and he is currently priced at only 30.4 credits: a sure winner in terms of credits first of all, but he looks particularly hot as he came up with a valiant 18 in the weekend’s domestic league game against Air Avellino. AJ Milano will play at home against Panionios, and the chances to earn the 10% bonus with Hall are also quite good.

Another guy who is hot right now is Charles Smith; the US-born guard will play against his former team Real Madrid, and the chances of him coming up with a great scoring effort for his Efes Pilsen squad are good. At 36.7 ranking points, Smith is a good value with which to fill up your roster, and his 18-point performance this weekend in the Turkish league shows that Smith is ready to score.

This story about Dan Dickau joining Avellino (Italy)/leaving Avellino and joining the Golden State Warriors was kind of a weird story. Nobody really talked about the “why” and still nobody really knows. Everything we have is rumors from pretty reliable sources so we thought it might be a good idea to post them, since there is no official word – besides back pain.

Dan Dickau was released from Air Avellino, a Euroleague newcomer, beacuse of back problems that prevented him from doing what he gets paid for: play basketball. At first this sounds like a very sad story, but two days later, Dan Dickau signed with an NBA team again: the Golden State Warriors.

Right there is where you should start thinking, “So, did he meet with a magician, who made his back feel better? Probably not. Something else must have happened that allows Dan now to play in the NBA again.”

Americans might think, “Well he got the offer later, when he had already signed with Avellino and of course chose the NBA then.” This might even be true, but a club does not just release you whenever you want.

Sources say that Dan needed special drugs, that weren’t allowed in Europe but are allowed in the NBA. With the word DRUGS, a lot of confusion ensued. Some web sites reported that Dan refused to get tested for illegal substances, which was the reason for his release. Combine Dan’s back problems with pharmaceuticals he probably had to take and you might think he took substances that are allowed in the US but not in Europe.

It is important to say that you can’t just buy anything in the United States and that we’re talking about pharmaceuticals allowed in within US basketball and just not allowed within FIBA or Euroleague play.

What drug could that be? Maybe cortisone. Use of cortisone requires special permission in Italy and must  be permitted by the Italian league, which for sure would not have been a problem in Dan Dickau’s case.

Another reason why this was probably not the cause: Italian Danilo Gallinari can’t play right now because of back problems while he is in the United States. Dickau is now able to play with two hernias?

So the stories get even crazier all the way to one with Dickau having a gambling problem … well, of course, it has to be something, right?

We will try to uncover the story.

Sources: basketcentral.it, crossover-online.de.

First we thought it would be hard to find somebody to write about a total newcomer in the Euroleague, but after getting Pietro Scibetta‘s article about Avellino, we were really surprised. Pietro founded the Italian web site basketground.it and is kind of THE man in Italy. I am sure Dan Peterson will be mad now…

Pietro is also the Editor of DREAM TEAM, the Italian NBA magazine. We are glad to have you on BallinEurope, Pietro!

Overall record prediction: 4-6

This will be the first ever European experience for the Air Avellino, which had an impressive season in 2007/08 scoring a 22-12 record in Serie A and winning the Italian Cup with coach Matteo Boniciolli, who left his job for family reasons.

Owner and president Vincenzo Ercolino called back to the Pala del Mauro the Macedonian coach Zare Markovski, who has already worked for the team for 3 seasons from 2003 to 2005, saving the team in the most important Italian league each time.

Markovski, 48, will back in the Euroleague after the brief experience with the Lugano Snakes in 2000/01 and especially after being fired from Virtus Bologna (after reaching playoffs final and the qualification for Euroleague) and Armani Jeans Milano, just a few days before an home debut against Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius.

The team is ambitious but had to release US point guard Dan Dickau due to his back problems, which was the most important signing of the summer.

Avellino is coming off the best season of its history, and will have to manage with the pressure to be effective in one other competition – and what a tough one!

The team has talent, even waiting the new point guard to replace Dickau, who was perfect to create many open shot situations for his teammates.

The most important guy is for sure US forward Tamar Slay, a player with NBa Finals experience (with New Jersey Nets) which will play, finally, for a team which get him to the greatest stage of European basketball.

Markovski, who is famous in Italy for his tactical experimentations during the same game, will use him in both forward spots, relying on the athleticism and refined offensive technique of his player.
Slay, who played a great last season still in Italy with Capo d’Orlando (16.4 ppg, 59.1% on 2pts and 4.4 rbs in 29.1 mins), now has the chance to prove himself to the best players of our Continent.

To help Slay, Avellino inked US scorer Chris Warren, who was very solid in the last season with Cibona Zagreb. Warren is maybe not so flashy, but always give what you expect from him, and he has always improved his numbers in his 3 seasons in Zagreb, growing from 8.2 to 15.6 ppg in Euroleague.

Antonio Porta completes the backcourt: he is a member of the National team of Argentina and former player of Biella and St. Petersburg, and will lead the team waiting for the new point guard. Will he be a classic playmaker like Dickau or maybe a scoring point?

Porta is the ultimate energetic guard, and lacks maybe pure playmaking skills but he always plays with great aggressiveness attacking his opponent on 1-vs-1 going for the basket or looking for a pass.

For a coach who played with guys like Guilherme Giovannoni and Christian Drejer at center position while he was working with Virtus Bologna, there will be any tought options. Muscular forward Marko Tusek will share some minutes with Nikola Radulovic at PF position, and maybe sliding at center to speed up the tempo with smaller 5s.

He has a great chance to play again as a protagonist and give his international experience to a team which has ambitions but lacks more than something in that aspect.
Plus, Zare will rely on two true centers like rising prospect Eric Williams (third season in a row in Italy, second in Avellino) and Italian NT pivot Andrea Crosariol, who played very well for coach Markovski while in Bologna.

German native Williams has a very strong body and great feet quickness, but had weight problems during the summer (20 kg overweight at the beginning of the training camp) and will have to grew up quickly in his weak points (foul troubles overall) to manage 3 games per week.

Crosariol never had his chance when in Rome last season, and never showed his tenacity during his career excepted with Markovski in Bologna.

This 7-footer has great athleticism and timing for defensive rebounds and blocks, and he really should be the man for Italian National team in the paint for the next years.

Nikola Radulovic is one of the only three guys which stayed in the team from last season (with Williams ans Swiss shooter Peter Lisicky, who will stay as a bench played and probably never have many minutes). This guy definitely knows how to play the ball: he can drive, he can shoot, he can handle the ball even in open court, but lacks power and toughness. He has NT experience with Italy and he should decide some games in Euroleague if he will be effective in spite of the physical gap.

Being forced to play with Porta as the starting point, Avellino will only have Daniele Cinciarini as an important player from the bench for the perimeter play.

“Cincia” starred in Legadue with Fabriano some years ago, but had a good last season with Biella (9.1 ppg in 20.1 mins, 39.4% on 3pts) and Markovski will ask him to be effective as a scorer replacing Slay or Warren.

Youngsters Sakellariou and homemade Paolisso will complete the roster: the Italian forward was the leading scorer of U18 team in last European Championship, finishing in double figure all of 8 games played and averaging 12.0 plus 4.3 rbs and 65.4% on 2pts in 20.1 minutes.

ROSTER

4 WARREN CHRIS  USA Forward 1.96 1981
5 RADULOVIC, NIKOLA  Croatia Forward 2.07 1973
6 PORTA, ANTONIO  Argentina Guard 1.88 1983
9 SAKELLARIOU, EVANGELOS Greece Guard 1.91 1989
10 CINCIARINI, DANIELE  Italy Guard 1.94 1983
11 CROSARIOL, ANDREA  Italy Center 2.12 1984
12 LISICKY, PETER  USA Guard 1.92 1976
14 PAOLISSO, PASQUALE  Italy Forward 2.03 1990
15 SLAY, TAMAR  USA Forward 2.04 1980
17 TUSEK, MARKO  Slovenia Forward 2.03 1975
20 WILLIAMS, ERIC  Germany Center 2.06 1984
Avellino signed Travis Bes and Drake Dienert after Pietro sent in his article – so Travis and Drake are on the team.

Euroleague winner: CSKA Moscow

written by Pietro Scibetta

Though this ranking will probably be jumbled in eight months, let’s take a look at the teams in the Italian league. A preliminary remark: this season will see one of the most balanced championships of the past five years, with almost every team improving its situation and not merely to beat the invincible Montepaschi. Serie A is still alive and is breathing new air.

Montepaschi Siena. To be a two-time Serie A champion is not enough to remain among the Euroleague elite. Therefore, attempting to improve on a 60-12 team in 2007/08, Domercant and Finley are in, while Thornton and Ilievski are out. Domercant is the scorer Montepaschi needs to develop its perimeter game; Finley looks like the new McIntyre, a quick offensive playmaker who knows how arm his teammates to the tune of 3.3 assists per game for Rieti last season). Bringing back the Euroleague title after seven years is the target, well focused upon by a group close to the last significant opportunity of their careers. If there is any shortcoming at all in the Siena game, it’s that the team is no so heavy in the paint.

Lottomatica Roma. Any desire is an order. So, Jasmin Repesa asks, Bodiroga and owner Toti deliver, equipping the coach with something like a Dream Team. Going into his third year as head coach, however, it’s time for the Croatian to win a title. The best way would be to beat Siena, in a rivalry born and intensified during the last four editions of the playoffs. To do so, Roma introduced to Italian fans one of the preseason’s most exciting stories, namely Brandon Jennings. Roma’s destiny is carried on the shoulders of the Oak Hill Academy point guard and his maturity in leading a team very rich of talent (Becirovic, Ray, Jaaber), but endowed with little desire to defend. Consequently, Brezec – and his impact in the paint – is the key.

Upim Bologna. Striking for its offensive power, Fortitudo Bologna starts the season as a possible surprise in the Serie A race. Huertas, Forte, Woods, Mancinelli, and Barron sounds good, don’t you think? Considering this starting five to be the best in the league is no joke. An excellent bench (combo guard Gordon, Malaventura, Slokar) completes the roster driven by Dragan Sakota, whose most serious task might be getting on with his players. After disappointing and boring seasons, though, Bologna can dream again; this is what “Basket City” needs.

Virtus Bologna. Hatred of Fortitudo is so nasty that the ephemeral title “King of the Summer Market” is something to be proud of. The showy agreement reached with former NBA star Earl Boykins is the best move owner Sabatini could have made in confirming command in Bologna and attacking Serie A at the highest levels, whereas Virtus wants to come back. The roster goes beyond just Boykins, because in acquiring Vukcevic, Arnold, Langford and Koponen, the average quality has increased. Sharrod Ford, if he can repeat last season’s numbers, could truly become the best center in Italy. Curiosity and concern here is about coach Pasquali, in his first experience heading a team this skilled.

Air Avellino. Things are getting better in Avellino, and a terrific 2007/08 might represent the entrance into a richer and more successful era. This year, the amazing Euroleague to play and key moves made during summer, mean that last season was no anomaly, despite coach Boniciolli’s resignation. The signing of Dickau – probably one of the most adaptable point guards coming to Europe from the NBA indicates the presence of a solid plan, strengthened by the construction of a new and larger arena. Apart from Dickau, Avellino has landed Warren, swingman Slay, the imaginative Porta, and role players like Tusek, Cinciarini and Crosariol. Zare Markovski must again find the right chemistry after the awful losses of Green and Smith, but you can’t teach talent and Avellino has gobs of it.

Armani Jeans Milano. A new property referred to Mr. Giorgio Armani is a great guarantee. From the transfer of ownership, Milano began its season, renovating the roster, ambitions and technical staff. New GM Lucio Zanca (Montegranaro miracle’s author) has been called to design a team which could excite fans: The first step to achieve that aim was shipping out Caja and his reasoned game. Bucchi was the right addition, along with names such as Sow, Hawkins and two-meter tall guard Vitali. Some say Armani Jeans hasn’t the stars that can bring it a title – excepting Hawkins, this is true – but this team’s toughness and depth are virtues everyone must keep in mind. Further, Milano has a huge number of Italian players: They may not be champions (Rocca), may be in terrible decline (Bulleri), or may be desirous of redemption (Mordente), but they all speak the same language.

Benetton Treviso. Too much time has passed since Ettore Messina led Treviso to the Italian title. Today, Messina is the best European coach and is in Moscow, while the Benetton family no longer feels much like investing a lot of money, especially after years that have also stained the club’s reputation. (Remember the Lorbek affair?) Mahmuti, still aboard despite the disaster of last season, would like to have better players, choosing them spot-by-spot, but that’s the situation: the coach must be satisfied with Wood, Neal, and Wallace. It’s conceivable that Mahmuti would use a platoon system in trying to squeeze all he can out of players which don’t look like champions but have the pieces to get Treviso back in the playoff hunt.

Tercas Teramo. Now the fun begins. This is going to be a great season for Teramo, which will fight to get to playoffs, its 2008/2009 goal. Technical improvement is evident, and surely this team is a top 10 Italian club. Poeta, waiting for a better and more consistent leadership, is the key player in a skilled group, for whom awfully streaky-shooter Jaycee Carroll and all-around player David Moss should make the leap. Former Montegranaro star Amoroso has to ignore the negative voices around him, saying he’s mentally lacking to play at the highest level (and that this is the reason Siena didn’t employ him), while coach Capobianco must forget his previous experience in Serie A (Avellino’s relegation to Legadue in 2005/06). But with Teramo looking good and a solid bench featuring Hoover and Jaacks, the fans will enjoy themselves at least.

Scavolini-Spar Pesaro. What lesson can be learned from last season? Above all, talent without mentality is not enough to create a team. In order to avoid making the same mistakes, this Pesaro edition presents fewer “crazy horses” like Ron Slay and Keydren Clark, and more professional players like Hurd, Akindele and Stanic. This sudden U-turn occurred because results, barring a semifinal in the National Cup, didn’t arrive. Reactions of the fans to this new situation and its lowered expectations aren’t so positive, and it’s up to coach Sacripanti give them the lie. Sacripanti needs Ramel Curry healthy and Van Rossom, on loan from Milano, able to fulfil his promise. For Van Rossom, Pesaro is the test to determine if he can be a top player outside of Oostende.

Cantù. Cantù is always one of the most interesting Italian teams, because of its ability in discovering young players from minor leagues, working within a budget which can’t compete with the league’s bigger teams; McCullough, Thornton, Stonerook, and Morandais should teach us something. The tune in Cantù hasn’t changed, and limited resources have brought GM Arrigoni to the American summer leagues. Imported from the US were Sundiata Gaines and Jason Rich, a fast and promising backcourt duo that will prime scorers like B.J. Elder and Mazzarino. Many hopes depend on Tourè’s efficiency, and his capacity to raise the decision-making. It’s difficult to imagine Cantù in the playoffs again, but dreams cost nothing.

Angelico Biella. Missing playoffs is not a disaster; nevertheless, Biella had got into the habit of postseason play. This year the hunt begins anew, thanks to management sensationally signing great young prospects coming from the NCAA: Aboard are Gist and Plaisted, two big men intended for top European teams. After them, additions include the homecomings of Joe Troy Smith and Reece Gaines (problematic in Milano and Treviso), and other youngsters ready to fire (Jerebko). Biella’s recipe to obtain results never changes.

Eldo Caserta. Exciting: Running over Caserta’s roster, this is the word that immediately comes to mind. Coming back from Legadue after 14 years of purgatory – this was coach Marcelletti and GM Betti’s intention. They wished to raise a team that needs great offensive players to survive, drawn along the lines of Oscar Schmidt and Vincenzo Esposito; the natural consequences of this act were the acquisitions of Butler, Foster, Slay and Di Bella, although everyone knows about Eldo Caserta’s defensive weaknesses. Nevertheless, their upside is huge. Eldo’s budget is important for a Legadue newcomer, but it seems that the choices made could pay large dividends, too. See them in the playoffs?

Premiata Montegranaro. The miracles are over. Vitali, Amoroso and Ford are gone. Reality is depressing, because a Eurocup justly reached has been lost on behalf of Treviso, and in Montegranaro what remains to replace last season’s heroes are only workers (Rice, Chiaramello) and immature talents (Bryce Taylor, Cinciarini). Surprisingly, hope is represented by six-time NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp, signed at the end of a one-month-long negotiation. Kemp is the attraction, the man who could change Montegranaro’s anonymity. People think about his last tragic appearance in NBA five years ago with Orlando, and while the 39-year-old center attests to his physical fitness (and his mental fitness…?), time and a long period of inactivity won’t help him.

Snaidero Udine. It’s all about the money, we say. Sad but true. The same thought has crossed president Snaidero’s mind, when he knocked on the doors of local sponsors and institutions. In all of Friuli, nobody wants to invest in basketball, and Snaidero has taken a step back. The team’s plan: Stay in Serie A, full stop. Jermaine Jackson will get the leadership, while Rashad Anderson is the first offensive option after a 20 ppg season in Livorno. Udine has a strictly defensive identity, as is coach Caja’s want. More probable this season are wins of 65-60 scores, as opposed to 90-87. Pay attention to what Antonutti provides in his second year as starter.

Solsonica Rieti. The financial situation is not so wonderful in Rieti. Within a limited budget (rumoured at about €1.5 million), created was a team which could avoid relegation, this season made even more difficult due to a two-point penalty Rieti must pay for administrative offences of last year. Meanwhile, leader Finley has departed for Siena, and the team begins its run with four new American faces: Jerry Green, Folarin Cambell, Pervis Pasco and Roderick Wilmont. Coach Lardo is the best re-signing that Rieti could have made.

Carife Ferrara. If Collins becomes the next McIntyre; if Jamison has still the fuel to be a factor in the paint; if Mykal Riley and Ndudi Ebi don’t complain of pressure … So many ifs for Ferrara, but the future here may be brighter than we expect. The team structure has remained the same, and coach Valli isn’t frightened to face his first Serie A championship; the place is boiling over in anticipation of a new adventure. The ingredients to obtain a stay in the highest Italian league are all there, but the road is not so easy.

Written by Francesco Cappelletti

Air Avellino, an Italian club that just made it to the Euroleague for the first time, named Dan Dickau their new point guard. According to club President Vincenzo Ercolino, Air Avelino was looking for Dan, because of their aim “to find a player that could make a difference and dictate the tempo of our team. He is a serious professional with NBA experience. We have nothing to envy of any other playmaker that arrived in Italy this year.”

I am sure, some US media will think about Dan again as a role NBA player, that is not worth p(l)aying in the NBA anyway – so let him go to Europe, but his 12.2 points and 5.2 assists he averaged with the New Orleans Hornets in 2004-05 promise a great signing for Avellino.

After the first transfer mania on the European market, I want to take a look at the current roster situation of the Euroleague teams. Of course, right now, you cannot tell how the teams will perform this season as the squads have not been fixed, but let’s take a first look at who did what in the market.

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Yesterday, the Euroleague proceeded for its annual draw in Berlin. After several speeches and awards, the big moment was coming close with the draw of the current Euroleague groups. Here is my analysis of the results.

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