Euroleague Power Ranking (Week 4)

After a one-week break, the Euroleague restarts this week with some nice matchups. So it’s time to check the current situations with the various participants to see who’s hot and who’s not.

1. CSKA Moscow (4-0) (+1)

CSKA Moscow continues its dominance both in the Euroleague and the Russian Superleague, where the team totally destroys every opponent in its fashion. The trip to Belgrade will show this week if CSKA can also face a very hostile environment and continue their winning streak.

2. Panathinaikos Athens (3-1) (+3)

The Greens won their national league derby against Olympiacos this weekend and improved their record in the Euroleague as well by beating the then-unbeaten Power Ranking leaders Montepaschi. These two major wins had the effect that PAO is now second in our rankings.

3. Montepaschi Siena (3-1) (-1)

A first road defeat for Montepaschi was enough to drop one place in our rankings. However, the team’s current dominating performances in the Italian League assure a spot in the top three teams. And the upcoming game against Nancy should not change this position a lot.

4. TAU Ceramica (3-1) (-1)

TAU lost their first home game in the Euroleague for a very long time against a Lottomatica Roma team last week. It was kind of a surprise but the Italians did not steal it. In the ACB, however, the team around Igor Rakocevic is still destroying opponents on a regular basis.

5. Olympiacos (3-1) (+2)

Despite having lost the derby with Panathinaikos in the domestic league, Olympiacos moved upward thanks to their win against Maccabi in the Euroleague. They should come away with another road win this week as they will travel to Le Mans which is, however, one of the tougher winless teams.

6. FC Barcelona (3-1) (-2)

The trend for Barcelona is a little downwards these days after a close win over Asseco Prokom and a defeat in the ACB this weekend against Unicaja. The trip to Kaunas should be used as a way to re-launch the Blaugrana machine, though.

7. Efes Pilsen (2-2) (+1)

Efes Pilsen Istanbul is still the stronger of the two Turkish representatives, as they showed in the domestic league derby recently. The loss to CSKA is not really a big surprise and so Efes gained one place to return to the 7th spot.

8. Cibona Zagreb (3-1) (-2)

The Croats are still the surprise of the Euroleague so far, and the team’s first defeat in the current competition has them moving backwards a little bit. The Adriatic League win this weekend may have some effects on their further regional trend as the in-game fighting will result in some player suspensions.

9. Lottomatica Roma (3-1) (-)

The opening Euroleague defeat in Berlin is now totally behind the Italian capital’s team, now unbeaten since that first game. The big win in Vitoria last week should have had a major effect in these rankings, but the loss to Montepaschi Siena this weekend in the Lega was a slowdown for the team.

10. Unicaja Malaga (2-2) (+5)

After handing Cibona their first defeat in the Euroleague competition, Unicaja came up with additional wins in the Spanish ACB, and an especially nice defeat of FC Barcelona; this makes Unicaja the major mover in the Power Ranking this week. With a possible win in Tel Aviv, Cibona can confirm the positive trend.

11. Partizan Belgrade (2-2) (-)

The Serbian champions continue in their usual way, at least in the Euroleague: winning at home, losing on the road. In the Adriatic League, Partizan continued their winning streak by beating Union Olimpija. Now CSKA comes to Pionir, and we’ll see if the magic of the Serbian capital still works.

12. Fenerbahce (3-1) (-2)

Fenerbahce Ülker is experiencing their ups and downs with a surprising defeat in the Turkish League to Aliaga. The next game will be a trip to Rome, which looks to be a very difficult game for Bogdan Tanjevic and his team.

13. Real Madrid (2-2) (+1)

Real Madrid has not reached their expected playing level up to now, but the team showed some maturity by beating AJ Milano in a crazy final minute and the big ACB win over Gran Canaria marks a possible positive outlook. A very important game is just around the corner with the imminent trip to Efes Pilsen Istanbul.

14. Maccabi Tel Aviv (2-2) (-2)

What counts for Partizan is also true for Maccabi: winning at home and losing on the road. Now Unicaja is coming to Nokia Arena and Maccabi can show if they’re on the necessary level to compete for the playoffs this season. Until now, the team does not look as promising and rumors about some major changes confirm this.

15. ALBA Berlin (2-2) (+3)

The German champions are currently dominating their local league at will and remain undefeated at home both in Euroleague and Bundesliga. The trip to Ljubljana comes at the right moment, too, as the Slovenian team is not looking that well right now.

16. DKV Joventut (2-2) (-)

Still without Ricky and Pops, DKV Joventut came up with a big road win in the Spanish ACB this weekend. However, the short rotation caused them some trouble in the Euroleague, and reaching the Top 16 looks very difficult for them right now. Plus, the upcoming game against TAU Ceramica will not be easy and may hurt their current record.

17. Air Avellino (2-2) (-)

Two wins in the major European competition are already a nice result for the newcomers. A qualification for the Top 16 is still possible, as the Italian managed to beat their direct competition for fourth place in their group.

18. Asseco Prokom (2-2) (-5)

The trend is negative for the Polish team, as they have already registered three defeats in the domestic league. Asseco Prokom has put in some proper performances in the Euroleague, but their problems in Poland cause them this five-spot drop.

19. Panionios (2-2) (+2)

The Greeks came up with back-to-back Euroleague wins and are slowly moving up in the Power Ranking. With additional wins in the Greek league, Ivan Zoroski’s team currently has the same record as four other teams in the group.

20. AJ Milano (0-2) (-1)

It may look strange, but AJ Milano is still without a win in the Euroleague. And it was so close in Madrid two weeks ago, but the team could not manage to close out a five-point advantage in the final minute. And the recent loss to Air Avellino in the Lega does not improve the current situation.

21. SLUC Nancy (1-3) (+2)

Nancy opened their winning record in the Euroleague against Zalgiris in a game that was clearly the worst Euroleague game of the season so far. But their dominance in the local league gives SLUC the important position of best French team in the competition.

22. Union Olimpija (0-4) (-2)

Despite signing Mirza Begic to a new contract, Union Olimpija still loses spots in the rankings. The upcoming game against ALBA is the team’s opportunity to win its first game in this year’s competition.

23. Le Mans (0-4) (-1)

Le Mans is probably the team most unable to win a close game. They use the domestic league to overcome their frustration at what seems to be a negative spell in the major European competition.

24. Zalgiris Kaunas (0-4) (-)

Zalgiris Kaunas is currently the worst team in the Euroleague. The loss in Nancy showed that the team is not at the level right now. And the departure of Loren Woods and Ratko Varda won’t improve the situation. We don’t see how the Lithuanians can move up right now.

For sale: BallinEurope editor’s loyalty

Now that the Euroleague is in full swing, a couple of problems have arisen (What can i say? I’m living in Hungary where the dominant cultural paradigm says, “Complain first, enjoy later.”) and I’m appealing to the BallinEurope crowd for help.

Problem one: So much basketball, so little time.

Between writing/editing for this website and RealFootball365.com combined with any number of freelance jobs, a good fraction of my time is taken. Plus, there are the actual games to watch: Twelve a week, which already puts a crimp into a sports-viewing schedule already crammed with sixteen games of NFL football. Somehow, i’ve got to find time to sleep in there. And spend time with the, um, what do you call them…? Oh, yes: the children.

Problem two: Lack of focus.

I love basketball, i love Euro and Euroleague basketball, i love writing and i love BallinEurope.com. Putting all gushing aside, however, makes way for a bit of a confession: My knowledge of Euroleague specifics is short; i’ve only been following the league for three years now and that mainly through highlight clips, Babelfish-translated game reports and Euroleague.TV. (Hungarian TV coverage, much like the state of the country’s game, is pathetic.)

Somewhere in the blur of watching Roma take out Tau Ceramica earlier this week, it struck me how much fandom, through its single-minded obsession with a single team, can accelerate the learning process. You may not know everything about the league, but you know everything about one team; and odds are you’re motivated to study up on the league’s remainder as competition for your team.

Besides, the Euroleague motto is “Devotion,” is it not?

Therefore, i, Os Davis, am hereby declaring my Euroleague team loyalty up for grabs!

Tell me: What is my Euroleague team to be?

Write us here at BallinEurope.com explaining why i should be a fan of your team (or even an opposing team, heh heh). Make your argument interesting, compelling, irresistible, and most importantly funny. History is impressive, as are pictures and videos (because then we can run them here at BallinEurope and i can increase the size of my PC’s wallpaper collection).

Bribes are not only accepted, but encouraged.

Once we get a few good suggestions, i’ll throw them together for consideration with two other teams that i’m already considering. Several factors – among them history, uniform (hey, i’ll be buying the paraphernalia, right?) and likability – will be considered. I’d also prefer a team with a chance of making of it to the Euroleague Sweet 16, to as extend my first season of official fandom a bit longer.

Unless, of course, i get a good bribe, which will in all likelihood win the contest.

In return, i will contribute my Devotion to the team, blogging my fan-based learning experience as a Team X fan for BallinEurope. I’ll talk trash online as much and as verbosely as required, and i’ll spread the good word about Team X in exotic nearly Euroleague-free places like Hungary and America. Plus, as stated previously, i’ll be buying up team gear and knickknacks, so that should increase future payroll possibilities for Team X that much further.

I encourage all readers and all BallinEurope contributors to throw in their two Eurocents into the argument: This is a (basically) virgin fan for the taking out here, boys and girls! Be gentle with me and my Devotion.

(Incidentally, did i mention that i’m taking bribes?)

Euroleague Power Ranking (Week 2)

Here we go for the second edition of the BallinEurope.com Euroleague Power Ranking presented by… OK, we’re still here at a normal blog and not on ESPN. So not that much changes at the top of the rankings this week, as you can read just below.

1. Regal FC Barcelona (2-0) (-)

The team of Barcelona still tops our rankings. While it was a tough decision after Week 1, today I can say that after the huge victory over Panathinaikos and the road win in Fuenlabrada in the ACB (without Fran Vazquez) is a clear sign. We will see if this positive trend continues during the next weeks but for the moment, Barca looks impressive.

2. CSKA Moscow (2-0) (-)

Not a big mover here too as CSKA confirms its top ranking. However, the injury of JR Holden may change their rotation a bit. Still, an uncontested win on the road against Panionios and a tough defensive game on the weekend against Triumph Lyubertsy make Ettore Messina’s squad a podium team for our power rankings.

3. Montepaschi Siena (2-0) (+2)

Montepaschi comes off two impressive wins this week which helped to gain two places and move into a top three spot. Neither Zalgiris nor Ferrara could stop the green train, and Siena is already looking pretty good. Ksystof Lavrinovic is huge at the moment and the rotations are working well. Everybody is waiting for the big game this week against FC Barcelona.

4. Olympiacos Piraeus (2-0) (-1)

Even if Olympiacos drops one place in our ranking, the nice win over Unicaja confirms their current position as strongest Greek team in the Euroleague. Also in the Greek championship, the team could not be stopped by PAOK this weekend and the upcoming road trip to Cibona Zagreb should be managed without a defeat.

5. Efes Pilsen Istanbul (2-0) (+1)

The “Brewers” may be a surprise for fifth place, but currently the team is winning their games. The opening defeat against Banvit has been forgotten and a new signing to replace the injured Mario Kasun gives even more depth to the bench. The next Euroleague game against Panionios should increase their position in the current group standings.

6. TAU Ceramica (2-0) (+1)

TAU Ceramica continues its run to the top positions of our power rankings without being super impressive. A hard-fought win against Ljubljana on the road and a nice 10-point victory over a struggling Real Madrid in the ACB push them one place higher; plus, it won’t be ALBA Berlin putting them in trouble this week.

7. Panathinaikos Athens (1-1) (-3)

What a devastating loss in Barcelona during the week! This poor result smashed Panathinaikos down our ranking and we find them back in seventh place, far from their expectations. A 20-point win this weekend against Panionios and the upcoming game against Nancy will, however, give them some confidence. If they manage to win in France.

8. Unicaja Malaga (1-1) (-1)

Unicaja looks pretty hot right now in the ACB, but a loss against a strong Olympiacos team in the Euroleague made them lose one place in our ranking. The upcoming road trip to Avellino may help them improve their Euroleague record as the Italian team is struggling to adapt to the level so far.

9. Lottomatica Roma (1-1) (+6)

Jasmin Repesa’s team is currently improving and the opening loss against ALBA looks more and more like an accident right now. The nice win over Joventut and the comforting win over Terramo in the Italian league makes Lottomatica one of the big movers of the week. All of a sudden, the road trip to Ljubljana looks promising.

10. Fenerbahce Istanbul (1-1) (+3)

The return of Gordan Giricek this weekend combined with a nice win at home against ALBA Berlin, and Fenerbahce is heading upward in our rankings. But a difficult road trip to Badalona is just ahead; we’ll see if this positive trend remains short or goes long-term.

11. Partizan Belgrade (1-1) (+3)

Partizan opens their season at Pionir in the best of ways, with a victory over Real Madrid. The short loss against Efes in Week 1 had already showed their potential and Stephane Lasme is currently making the Grobari forget about Nikola Pekovic. And they’re ready for the next dance this week.

12. Cibona Zagreb (2-0) (+5)

Two victories in two games is a nice surprise for Cibona and may even open the road for a Top 16 qualification for the Croatian team. Nikola Prkacin can still surprise (OK, it was a French team) with his one and a half move and even disastrous shooting gave Velimir Perasovic a first road win of the Euroleague season. Now, Olympiacos is coming to town and Cibona has to show its real value.

13. DKV Joventut (1-1) (-2)

Losing in Rome is not that dramatic for Joventut. But the injury of Week 2 MVP Pops Mensah-Bonsu puts Sito Alonso (as well as fantasy players) in trouble. Now the arrival of Fenerbahce in Badalona is crucial as the Turks are getting stronger while Joventut needs to find a substitute for the flying Brit.

14. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv (1-1) (+4)

It’s still true that nobody f**ks with Maccabi in the Yad, even if it’s only Air Avellino. This victory is enough to put the Yellows at a 14th place, far from Maccabi’s goals but probably also too high for their current playing style. But still, as said above, I don’t see Le Mans making some love with the Israelis in the Nokia Arena this week.

15. ALBA Berlin (1-1) (-5)

On of the biggest losers in our ranking, even if they could have been a bit higher. ALBA comes off a tough win on the road in the Bundesliga, where they lost their coach to two technicals. But the third road game in one week is now ahead and the Fernando Buesa Arena of Vitoria will probably not give a second victory to Luka Pavicevic’s team.

16. Real Madrid (1-1) (-8)

What a devastating week for Real Madrid. Losing in overtime against Sevilla to open the seven-day, three-loss streak was tough already. Then Partizan overcame a unmotivated squad and finally a road loss to Vitoria this weekend crowned the club’s poorest week this season; a season which is of course still very young. And you know who’s next? CSKA is in town…

17. Asseco Prokom Sopot (1-1) (+4)

Sopot makes a nice step forward within the bottom half of our rankings by destroying SLUC Nancy, another candidate to be eliminated after the first round. And as Prokom also dominated easily in the Polish League, I gave them a little boost in the rankings, as they showed proper potential right from week 1.

18. Le Mans Sarthe Basket (0-2) (-6)

Le Mans looks like the same old story again, even with a totally rebuilt team around (for them) great Euroleague players. Losing at home against Cibona is simply not possible if you want to join the Top 16. And the fact that Nikola Prkacin scores 17 points on 8-of-8 shooting against you simply shows that you don’t know how to defend in Euroleague.

19. Union Olimpija Ljubljana (0-2) (-)

What a pity for the Slovenians to lose by one point after a nice comeback against TAU Ceramica. And as they are used to such short losses, the team continued by losing by two points against Split in the Adriatic League. But the talent level seems to be there to go for some victories this season. And the will is of course without any doubt one of the forces of the team.

20. Zalgiris Kaunas (0-2) (+3)

Finally, Zalgiris wins a game with a Zalgiris margin, even if it is only in the Baltic League against Siauliai. But this may help the team to find back on track after all the problems it has faced over the last few weeks. Now the trip to Prokom gives them a huge opportunity for a road win, as the Polish team looks at their playing level.

21. Air Avellino (0-2) (-5)

Avellino managed to lose by only seven points in Tel Aviv against a Maccabi team still searching for its team play. But an eight-point loss at home in the Italian League against Biella does not speak in favor of the team and makes them lose five places in our power ranking.

22. Armani Jeans Milano (0-2) (+2)

The fans of Armani Jeans Milano do not have to count to 24 again to find their team in this week’s rankings, even if the loss against Montegranaro in the Italian League didn’t help. But we have two teams in the Euroleague that look even poorer right now. And of course, Efes and CSKA Moscow are not the teams that AJ Milano needs to beat to be in their expectations.

23. SLUC Nancy (0-2) (-3)

A very bad loss in Poland puts SLUC Nancy close to the bottom of the ranking. Luckily for them, they are still winning in their domestic league so that they avoided last place (for now). Because their performance against Sopot was so poor that I was quite sure to put them in last, because I barely saw such a non-team performance for a long time. And knowing that Panathinaikos is coming to France this week…

24. Panionios Athens (0-2) (-2)

A second week in the Euroleague and a second destruction makes Panionios our current last-place team in the power rankings. Losing at home against CSKA is not that bad, but scoring only 52 points on your own courts raises some eyebrows. And as Abdi Ipecki is waiting right now, the future for the third team from Greece does not look that bright right now.

Euroleague: Alternative analysis of Group C (a.k.a. the Heavy Metal Division)

So today I’ll start a first analysis of the different Euroleague groups, though this won’t be the classical analysis as you’ll see. Let’s start with Group C, which I call the Heavy Metal Division. It was quite easy to make this choice, if you have a team from a city named after an avant-garde band, a Master of Puppets, or a team led by a player from Max Cavalera’s country.

TAU Ceramica will create some chaos this season again in opponents’ defenses with their up-tempo play and versatile inside players. Tiago Splitter is of course one of their main offensive threats and so his Brazilian moves cannot be refused and are hard to resist.

Fenerbahce Ülker coach Bogdan Tanjevic is known for his explosive coaching style and use of young players. He likes to let these young and hungry lions out of their cage and put them on the fiery stage of Abdi Ipeki Arena in Istanbul.

Virtus Palacanestro Roma is of course the media attraction for the United States, as they brought in high school phenomenon Brandon Jennings. And with his spectacular moves and plays, he will set the PalaLottomatica on fire. So be prepared for the burning of Rome in Virgin Steele Style.

Union Olimpija from Ljubljana is still there, like every year. And even if the players come and go, the symbol of the team remains the Dragon. The team’s mascot is a dragon, the cheerleaders are the Lady Dragons and the fans call themselves the Green Dragons. But as they are also a regular losing team, why not have some sympathy for them?

DKV Joventut Badalona is not so happy at the beginning of this season, as both Ricky Rubio and English high flyer Pops Mensah-Bonsu are out with injuries. So Sito Alonso has some fear of falling into a dark black hole. And who knows better about that than some representatives of Pops’ home country?

Wow, ALBA Berlin is back in the Euroleague! And according to most experts, it is the result of the signing of one particular person: Luka Pavicevic a.k.a. The Master of Puppets. He has built a team of players that obeys their master when he pulls the strings and smashes the opponents’ dream. And for those who are still blinded, let it roll, James…

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 Final Four tickets

A few days ago, the Euroleague announced that Euroleague Final Four tickets for Berlin would be sold tomorrow, Wednesday October 29th, on this web site. Thanks to Pucki of schoenen-dunk.de, we know that right now you can buy tickets here and on the official Euroleague web site.

The tickets, which cover the two days in Berlin on May 1st and May 3rd, will go on sale at 12:00 only on the official Euroleague web site.

A few minutes ago, we got an email that there will be a pre-sale at 11:00am on this exclusive web site.

The web site already tells us the following rules:

• Every customer will only be able to buy 6 tickets
• Tickets for price category 1 and 2 include catering
• Tickets can be paid by credit card only
• The tickets will be sent in spring 2009
• Tickets can not be re-sold

We know the tickets will probably go for 100-800 Euros again, as they did last year. If you don’t want to spend that much money, I really hope that you signed up for our private league at the Euroleague fantasy game, where we’re giving away two tickets as the first prize.

We’ll try to look on the web site tomorrow, see how things go, and if we’re able to buy tickets at 11am and noon

In case you want to buy some tickets, good luck!

LAST UPDATE 1:52pm: Tickets are now being sold through the official Euroleague web site.

UPDATE 1:37pm: Right now - online ticketing works here.

UPDATE 1:26pm: According to BallinEurope reader Teo, the best and only way to get tickets right now is “to use the hotline of the O2 world ticketing service.”

UPDATE 1:08pm: Eventim still isn’t selling any tickets, while the Euroleague added the domain berlinf4.com within their official statement about the ticket sales. The new statement now also does not mention any time when the tickets will go on sale.

UPDATE 12:25pm: Still both sites, eventim and berlinfinalfour.com, are not offering any tickets

UPDATE 11:54am: All pages are down at this momentm so no tickets can be bought right now.

UPDATE 10:56am: The web site where you where able to buy tickets is closed down again. I wonder what happens to the people that already ordered.

UPDATE 10:05am: The web site is live and tickets are being sold already. Here are the prices:

Category 1: no seats available

Category 2: no seats available

Category 3: 883.00 EUR

Category 4: 663.00 EUR

Category 5: 399.00 EUR

Category 6: 267.00 EUR

Category 7: 120.00 EUR

The best seat available for 883 EUR right now is in row 17! at half court. How did that many tickets were sold at 10:00am when the official start of the sale is at 12:00? By the way, one ticket in the very LAST row at about half court is 267 EUR.

Here is a map of the O2 world in Berlin and what is still available at 10:24am (red - sold, green still available).

Aftermath cigarettes

• The first Euroleague game day of the 2008/09 season is in the books - all the home teams won their games besides Avellino (Italy) who lost to Olympiacos, and SLUC Nancy (France) who got killed at home against FC Barcelona.

• Player that impressed me the most: Loren Woods. I know Will McDonald is the Euroleague MVP of week 1, but with all the big problems in Kaunas, money problems, Loren hitting people on the court and then facing Panthinaikos, Loren pulls off a game with 17 points and 16 rebounds in 33 minutes, which means 28 ranking points for Loren. Good job!

• Player that disappointed (me) the most: Ibrahim Jaaber - come on man: you’re on my Euroleague fantasy team! I chose you for your steals and defense last season…and this time not one steal, not one assist and not even one point in 18 minutes. Thanks for your -3 ranking.

• Euroleague TV comments: I watched at least 10 minutes of every game during the first gameday to find out if the pay-more-money-for-fewer-games thing works out. I have to say that the stream works really fine and I had no problems following the games even switching between them all the time. What I did not like is the resolution offered. The windows are clearly too small to really enjoy a game and by switching to full screen you can’t even read the score because of the bad resolution. Also new this year - as far as I remember - EL.tv stays online during halftime and offers a closeup of the bench during timeouts.

• Brandon Jennings watch: Evin Demirel talks about it: It’s obvious Jennings is learning to adjust to the European game. 9 points on 3-of-7 for threes and 0 assists - not sure if this is what European basketball is about. I am sure, though, that it won’t take too long for Brandon to show his real potential and we really are looking forward to this.

• The 31st overall draft pick for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Pekovic, in his first Euroleague game out of Serbia and for Panathinaikos: 14 points in 14 minutes in a 78-51 win against Zalgiris Kaunas in front of 12,000 visitors, according to Euroleague statistics.

• Speaking of Euroleague statistics: Marques Greens (Fenerbahce) played 30 minutes and had 5 points by making one two-pointer, one three-pointer and two free throws. Please tell me that this still would equal 7 points.

• Same game, same problem - Gasper Vidmar: 1-of-2 on free throws equals 3 points right?

• Josh Childress watch: 14 points, 8 rebounds in 25 minutes with a ranking of 22. Josh, learn to look at these ranking points - This is what Europe, especially Euroleague fantasy players, will judge you for. Here are the highlights.

• Finally our thoughts on the Euroleague TV commentators. Overall judge - funny and entertaining - with insightful comments in a true European/Italian way (in terms of pronunciation and passion). Really disappointing is the only guy who seems to be an American. His English might be perfect but the way he commentates a game made me fall asleep while Unicaja and Le Mans were actually playing a very interesting game. We know that he had problems with European names: problems with European names in the past, but I am sure, if you prepare a little bit for a game you can see that David Bluthenthal is not spelled David BLUMENthal, which in German means David Flowerthal, by the way.

Marcus Brown to Maccabi Tel Aviv?

It looks bad - really bad - for the only Lithuanian club still playing in the Euroleague. Rytas has been out of the Euroleague since last season, and it now looks like Zalgiris has big problems, which we have already discussed. After we thought Zalgiris was fine, we’ve gotten the news that Marcus Brown, one of the top Euroleague players, has left the club.

After head coach Rimantas Grigas left the club yesterday, it looks like Marcus Brown is also leaving and will fly to Tel Aviv to talk about a possible contract with Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, according to Lithuanian and Israeli sources.

If Maccabi gets Marcus Brown, they will have a player with the title of “All-time Leading Scorer of the Euroleague.” Sounds great, doesn’t it?

The hard Italian life of Brandon Jennings

Will Brandon Jennings regret his choice to join Roma? “Hey, he’s only played one game with his team, what are you saying?” could be the answer from any of Oak Hill Academy product’s fans. But the situation isn’t smiling so much on B.J. now. Roma is an open building site, and the risky debut match against Caserta (home victory, 83-81 in overtime) has explained why Lottomatica isn’t yet ready to be in the fight nor to be led by Jennings.

After the arrival of Datome, coach Jasmin Repesa has 12 “real”players, seven of them in the backcourt rotation. Considering Becirovic the main acquisition from the market, de la Fuente as the only pure small forward in the roster, and Allan Ray a guy whose contract costs nearly $700,000, one need not be a genius to understand that there aren’t a lot of minutes for B.J; this is amplied because Ibby Jaaber is a skilled defender, a concept that the American boy seems far from assimilating.

So how could Jennings see his minutes on the floor increase? First thing: He must get better in the halfcourt game. Second, he must become more reliable and less spectacular in handling the ball. Third, must become more unselfish. At the moment, Becirovic is “the” man on Roma, the top point guard, and it would not be strange to see stat lines like his against Caserta (14-of-14 on free throws, 10 fouls received, 7 assists) often repeated during the season: He is the mind of Lottomatica, and has the ball in his hands for at least 12 seconds on every play. In learning from Becirovic, Jennings could improve as a player, and that’s what Repesa wants, because Becirovic and Jennings on the floor together are more dangerous than Becirovic and Jaaber. And we are curious to see a backcourt trio of Jennings, Becirovic and Ray.

Many hypothetical solutions and deep rotations are in play; surely this sort of platoon system doesn’t help B.J., who has to play almost 25 minutes a game to develop his talent and be more confident in a league that is not so easy to face, especially for a 18-year-old. Jennings has one year (plus the Euroleague competition) to keep his promises and take over the team. But until something changes, Roma is property of Becirovic.

This may be a sudden fall back to Earth for a guy predicted as a top-seven pick in the 2009 NBA draft, but no doubt this experience will strengthen him. Under one condition: Jennings must be patient, and his time will come.

And for those saying “Hey, he played only one game with his team, don’t be so critical,” you’re right, but look at his line in the boxscore: 10 shots in 21 minutes? Calm down, Brandon!

written by Francesco Cappelletti

Does Europe really want the NBA?

I just got back from Berlin where the o2 World hosted the Washington Wizards and the New Orleans Hornets. Germany has always been a country where the NBA is much more known than the Euroleague - maybe one reason why the NBA chose Germany - besides their deal with AEG, which built the arena in Berlin.

Now, this blog is called BallinEUROPE, which might make you think we LOVE the Euroleague and aren’t big fans of the NBA. You just cannot compare the two at all. The one league represents pure passion and love for the team, the other represents show and entertainment. Of course, both are great things to have and follow.

What did the fans think about the game?
Everybody in Germany was excited to get to see Chris Paul, and he got a standing ovation when announced. Fans ran around in Wizards and Hornets jerseys although this was “only” a preseason showoff game. Things where going well until the Hornets were up 47-9.
I really wasn’t expecting much from this game, but I did not expect to see a blowout which you can follow for free in any 6th division league in Germany - for free. The Wizards shot a horrible percentage from the floor and even the quieter German fans started to whistle and boooo!

What does David Stern think of Europe?
David Stern gave his interview before the game and basically named the same facts that he named in London and Paris before. Thanks to some great journalists he even had to answer the same questions again. Come on, guys, a little bit more preparation please!
It was interesting to hear, though, what David Stern had to say about regular NBA season games in Europe and especially about Brandon Jennings.

Nine years ago, David Stern promised regular NBA season games in Europe with a deadline of 10 years. With only one year to go, it looks pretty certain that there won’t be any games going on next season. David Stern’s reason: “Europe is not ready. We have done everything but we do not have the arenas that we need.” This is what Mr. Stern finds out after nine years? If you really want to expand, don’t you think you should try to see if the venues that you want to play in are ready? To me, it just sounds just like a bad excuse to fully pursue David’s new goal, i.e. TAKE OVER CHINA!, I am sure we will see NBA franchises in China earlier than in Europe.

What Stern did promise: NBA regular-season games before the 2012 Olympics in London. Let’s hope we have enough arenas by then!

David Stern’s take on Brandon Jennings
Basically, the commissioner thinks that it only helps NBA teams to see Jennings play at a higher level - So does this mean the NCAA and the D-league suck? He also mentioned that it’s good for Brandon’s bank account as well as for Virtus Roma. The NBA commissioner is also not concerned that this will be a new trend, since so many European players come to the US to go to college while only one guy did it the other way. The only difference: The European guys actually go to college to improve and not just to avoid the out-of-high-school-for-one-year rule.

BallinEurope’s take on NBA Europe in Berlin
Just as Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague’s CEO who enjoyed at least one half from the brand new VIP box, we weren’t “absolutely thrilled” as the German web site sportal.de reported today. How can you be thrilled when an NBA team gets killed and the main stars are on the floor for 10 minutes? One thing we’re really looking forward to: the Euroleague Final Four in Berlin in May. Get ready, Germany!

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