Yarone’s weekend Joints

Lots of three-ball action took place this week. Some went in with great accuracy. Others will have to pay for the rim damage. Lazos, Erceg and Childress are the most overpaid players of this week, the double OT in Istanbul had two sides, Spencer caught up, Nancy made history, Jennings made us proud, and one Emir Preldzic…

These are the stories of week 4 of Euroleague 2009.

In case you missed it… - CSKA tied the Euroleague record for most three pointers made with 18, and more amazingly they hit them at a 72% rate. Those who follow CSKA closely saw them only last week connect on 20 three pointers at 71.4% in a Russian cup game. Keep in mind that Holden and Smodis are injured and could probably add a couple more to the party. Do you still remember just a week ago the Euroleague champs scored only 58 points at Real and hit five three-balls at a poor 18.5% rate?

CSKA tied a record set by Lottomatica Roma, who went 18/34 back in December 2003, but it reminded me more of the most amazing three-ball display in Euroleague history: Efes’ unbelievable fourth quarter back in November 2006. In a home game against Olympiacos, the Jenkins-Nicholas-Erden-Haislip-Kuqo combination connected on 11 of 12 long-range shots in the final 10:04 of the game.

The Jennings report – Brandon Jennings, in one of the toughest arenas in Europe, explained why. Last week in a text written on this server, Jennings was asked, for the first time in his Euroleague career, to combine baskets inside and outside the arc, and right away he provided. The boxscore displayed 17 minutes on court, 13 points, 4-of-7 from the field, three assists and not a single turnover on the way to an index rating of 17. He played a key role in the third quarter when Tau pushed hard to take over, and made sure Roma stayed on top. Can’t ask for more from this kid.

Just imagine – Terrell McIntyre was 1-of-8 from long range in OAKA. Shaun Stonerook was 2-of-11 from the same distance, but Montepaschi still left Athens with only a five-point loss. If any of the above had shot at just a tiny bit better percentage…

Over? Under! – Four games into the Euroleague season and not only is Zalgiris Kaunas continuing to seek their first win, they’ve also failed to reach 70 points in a game: Their season high is 67 points at home, in the 26 point loss to Montepaschi. True, Kaunas lost Brown, misses Dean, and the go-to guy right now is the great Maciulis, who hasn’t fully adapted to the idea that he’s the main man this season. Nevertheless, it’s not that much we’re asking: In the next three games, Kaunas hosts Barcelona and Pao, followed by travel to Siena. None will be shocked to see them go 0-6, but if the Lithuanians can’t shoot to reach 70…

Standings – After four weeks, CSKA Moscow is the only undefeated team. Surprised? Group D, where CSKA play, is the only group in which just one team has reached three wins. Behind CSKA are four teams with a 2-2 record and in last is a team with no wins: Exactly the scenario predicted for this group from the first second after the draw. The only difference: Panionios was expected to be the winless team, while in fact it’s struggling AJ Milano.

It’s a close league after all – Four teams, one in each group, are still in search for a debut win, but that’s not a case of teams that are just too weak to win. All of them have already sensed a win in their hands at least once during the four weeks. Le Mans was close four weeks in a row, including an OT loss in Tel Aviv; AJ Milano has been in the neighborhood twice already and this week lost by a point; Olimpija lost once by a point as well and this week fell in double OT; finally, Zalgiris hasn’t been as close to success as the other three, but has lost their last two games by five points or fewer.

Index Morris – Last week, CSKA’s Terence Morris went 0-of-8 from long range in Madrid. This week he had three perfect hits from distance already after three minutes on the way to a 5-of-7 night.

Home sweetest home – 11 of the 12 games this week went in favor of the home team, including a double OT win for FenerUlker, a one-point win for Real, a two-point win for Alba and five-point wins for Nancy, Panathinaikos, Panionios and Avellino. The only team to drop the home game was Tau, considered one of the most difficult teams to beat on their home court, who lost by a small three-point margin.

Emir – If you’re a big prospect and want to make a break, then shower, shave, grab a bottle of water, some orange Tic Tacs, pack a small bag and go stand outside the house of coach Bogdan Tanjevic. Wait patiently, have some Tic Tacs and hope he’ll take you in. From there, you’re set. 18 points, more than 50% from the field, seven rebounds, five assists and just a single turnover: That’s the line Emir Preldzic produced this week. He’s playing inside Tanjevic’s system as much as a Bosnian can play inside a system, but also gets a lot of freedom from his coach to bring his skills and creativity to the floor. Follow this kid. He’s much more than just great numbers: He’s fineness and finesse.

Double OT, triple lead – The interesting thing about the game in Istanbul, only the third in Euroleague history to go 50 minutes, was that in all three crucial possessions FenerUlker were up. In regulation, it was a huge running three-pointer by Saso Ozbolt (Welcome back!) to tie the score. Then Damjan Rudez scored on a layup to force another overtime, and finally Vlado Illievski took the chance when down by two with a long distance attempt that went out.

Vlado + Saso > Europe – Olimpija’s Ilievski and Ozbolt played a double OT but still combined 79:50 minutes of play so they didn’t hold a much bigger margin on other backcourts. Nevertheless they took no less than 21 shots from long range (11 by Vlado). Those 21 attempts by only two players represented more three-point attempts than those taken by the entire teams of Panathinaikos, Panionios, Alba, Cibona, Maccabi, Barcelona, Prokom, Real, Avellino, Le Mans, Roma and Nancy this week.

Joventut > Europe – Vlado and Saso weren’t the only ones. Demond Mallet and Luka Bogdanovic of Joventut also combined for 21 attempts from long range, and they played much less obviously. Luka was on a big night hitting 7-of-12 from long distance without taking a single shot inside the arc or the charity stripe. Mallet was a tiny bit less glamour at 1-of-9 from the same distance.

Both were merely executing Joventut’s game plan, or so it seemed on the court. Rudy’s former team took 23 shots inside the arc, but no fewer than 37 outside: a huge difference that hints at a lack of guiding hand and another reason to hang a “We miss you Ricky!” sign in the lockerroom. Joventut had the last ball of the game down by two at Alba, and take a wild guess what their play was…Wrong! Pau Ribas tried to find an open man for the three, but Alba did a great job in the passing lanes, forcing the young guard to go to the rim. He added one more miss to his pocket and Alba celebrated their second win.

All Blacks – OK, the national team of New Zealand isn’t playing in the Euroleague yet, but while I was watching Nancy-Zalgiris on Wednesday night, I suddenly noticed something refreshing: With Cyril Julian out due to injury, Nancy this week was a team composed of only black players, probably the first time ever in European basketball history. Quickly, Mr. Ney was sent to check the NBA rosters and figure how many NBA teams have only black players on the roster, and his answer was one: The Philadelphia 76ers, thus making the occasion in Nancy this week very unique indeed. From the Greer duo to the promising young Zaki, it was a refreshing occurrence. The fact they have won isn’t as exciting as the happenings in Illinois not too long ago, but certainly is a happy episode.

Double OT, triple miss – While Olimpija had to come back from behind time after time in the finals seconds, the Turkish side can be happy to win a close game, but proved he can miss time after time in these situations. Devin Smith had a decent shot from the three-point corner to win the game in regulation but missed. At the end of the first OT, Fenerbache had 6.5 seconds to win the game but managed to lose the ball, while at the end of the last overtime Marque Green missed his first free throw in the final seconds, leaving Olimpija a chance to win.

Whole story in one Zoran – Olympiacos paid around <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> €700,000 just to buy out Zoran Erceg from FMP Zeleznik. His contract probably isn’t cheap, either, and the buyout plus contract is worth around $1.5 million easily. This is more than Maccabi’s second-highest paid player. Erceg played less than seven minutes this week, and other than pick up one foul did nothing on the court. No rebounds, no shots taken, no assists, no turnovers. His team still won by 19, the second-greatest margin of the week. His story tells the difference between Olympiacos and a second-tier Euroleague team.

Frustrated Milanese - If you’ve ever had the chance to stop whatever it is you’re doing in your daily life and wonder what’s more frustrating, to lose a five-point lead in the last minute or a 23-point lead in the second half, well, your search for an answer is over! AJ Milano solved this riddle for you! Once again, one player shone above all: This time it was Michael Hall, who won the MVP of the week award, and once again Milano seemed on the sure path for a win. Answers shall be provided after the debut win.

Looking for Lazos – Not too long ago, in the summer of 2007, Lazaros Papadopoulos was a hot item in the market. At 210cm with post moves, decent rebounding and one of the smartest brains in the Euroleague chasing up a 14.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg and a season index rating of 20.3 with Dynamo Moscow. Then came a multi-season deal with powerhouse Real Madrid, who wanted to return to greatness. On that paper, it says Lazos will make more than <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> €2 million per season, but he never really proved worthy of it.

His decline already began last season, when his season numbers dropped to 6.9 ppg with 3.2 rpg and season index of no more than 7.8. If someone was waiting for Lazos to come back to life this season, well…maybe later. Right now, he’s finished two games in a row with no points, something that hasn’t happened to him in a European competition since January 9th, 2003. His index ratings in the past three games were 2, -2, and 2. His minutes dropped from 20 to 12 to five. Lazos is no longer a factor. Can’t wait to have him back in shape.

Weekly battle – After Bluthenthal wrote a landslide last week, it was time for Dewarick Spencer to retort. This week, the US guard won the “let’s see who shots more” battle 15-4. Le Mans, no news, lost a close game in Italy. Overall score: Bluthenthal 2, Spencer 2.

Shooting Josh – If you think Lazos is the most overpaid player this week, well, Josh Childress is giving him good competition. The $7 million man finished the game against Maccabi with four points on 1-of-6 from the field and five turnovers. Maccabi gave him a lot of space to shoot from long range, and Josh didn’t punish. The tale from Piraeus is that after the game, while media walked around the lockerroom, looking for Childress, the US swingman went back to the court to work on his jumpshot, to make sure no team will bet on his shots again. Time will tell…

Three-ball Rawel – Cibona’s Rawel Marshall arrived to Malaga with a 7/17 ratio from long range. He finished the game 7 of 10 from that distance. Cibona scored only one additional three pointer. Unicaja combined for a team total of six three-pointers.

Marshall hit just a single bucket inside the arc. Each and every one of his long balls is worth a look. He showed great diversity making off dribble and catch and shoot attempts, eith with a hand in his face or wide open, right on the arc or a step behind…

Euroleague: Montepaschi Siena, Italy

Francesco Cappelletti does not need an introduction anymore. Francesco works for Montepaschi Siena and has written many great articles for us, such as things about Brandon Jennings and league previews for Italy, Spain, Greece and Russia. This time, Francesco gives us his insight on “his” team - Montepaschi Siena.

Overall record prediction: 8-2

For a team had never faced the Euroleague until 2002, three Final Four appearances (Barcelona 2003, Tel-Aviv 2004, Madrid 2008) is a laudable result. But this is not the final stop because, in the words of last year’s Euroleague Executive of the Year, Ferdinando Minucci, “Siena is raising the bidding,” and is about to take its final step in the race to the Euroleague throne.

Critics say that Montepaschi is not improved its weakest point – small-sized power forwards and centers – but they don’t know how coach Pianigiani, despite a sad bottom ranking in rebounds, loves this type of roster, one not anchored to the paint and with a long backcourt rotation. This is why Siena did not land a player such as Marc Jackson, reaching agreement instead with a top-level in Domercant and the true MVP of 2007/2008 Serie A, Morris Finley. This duo provides Pianigiani of someone more dangerous than Ilievski and Thornton to attack man defenses, and takes some pressure off McIntyre and Kaukenas, two key players who have entered their 30s are coming off back-breaking seasons and serious injury.

However, Montepaschi remains the same at 8 of 10 spots: consistency that could be more relevant than a huge summer renewal, as shown by Olympiacos, Maccabi and CSKA. Even more, several are getting closer to their last chance to win a Euroleague title (McIntyre is 31, Stonerook is 31, Lavrinovic is 29, and Kaukenas is 32): another reason to consider Siena a favorite to win the championship.

If they have learned the lesson provided by Maccabi last year, and if the desire, ambition and – most of all – physical integrity are still the same, Siena can succeed despite the most difficult Italian domestic league field in five years, a certain energy drain for Montepaschi. But ask Minucci what championship he would rather win: No doubt he would answer Euroleague.

Final four participants: Montepaschi, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, CSKA.

Final Four winner: Panathinaikos.

The Italian league explained

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

Domestic league preview: Italy

Virtus Bologna’s agreement with Earl Boykins is only the latest sign: It is now clear that the Italian League is ready to return to its past and glorious times of the 1990s when Bologna was called “Basket City” and the whole movement was at the top in Europe. Serie A is on the rise again, just in time before a season that scares many general managers because of controversies and possible changes to regulations on the use of Italian players currently left at the ends of benches. The reality, however, says Italian players can’t bring you to a Euroleague title. Many countries have looked overseas and to the best European leagues to renovate their teams, and return ambitiously to Europe. Analysis of the best Italian teams shows a huge number of credible contenders; Siena and Roma aren’t alone anymore.

Montepaschi wants to give itself the opportunity to win the Euroleague and, to be sure of competitiveness against teams like Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Barcelona and CSKA Moscow, signed last Serie A’s top scorer Morris Finley and expert guard Henry Domercant from Dynamo Moscow: two important moves which follow the confirmations of McIntyre, Lavrinovic and Sato, three key members of the 2007-2008 title run. 

To break Siena’s power, Roma has worked very well on the market, adding great names (Jennings, Becirovic, Brezec, Hutson) to a group that made it to the finals. If the rumors on David Hawkins’ return are true (the former Temple guard is going to decide between Milano and Roma), Dejan Bodiroga has to be satisfied with his creation. 

No less important is what Milano is doing, thanks to new property controlled by Giorgio Armani. Armani is a man with the faculty and desire to invest money in his team, and is able to answer with great local signings: Vitali, Mordente, Rocca will be cornerstones for the future, while Thomas, Sow and Sangarè are solid role players. 

The most encouraging news for Italian basketball, however, comes from Bologna, where both Fortitudo and Virtus’ fans could enjoy again positive and winning seasons, after some disastrous years. Fortitudo has one of the most amazing potential offenses in Europe, with Forte, Huertas, Woods (also Slokar). Virtus has bet on Boykins – the deal is worth $3.5 million! – to come back in the Euroleague, but there’s not only the 5’5” point guard from Eastern Michigan, because players like Langford, Ford, Arnold are capable as well. 

Such are the contenders’ situations. Behind them, some clubs have the choice to put themselves among the teams longing for a championship. Avellino dreams of another third-place finish and although the element of surprise is gone, its roster is not so bad (Warren is an Euroleague player, Slay has the skills to play in NBA). Treviso has built a strong starting five (Wood, Neal, Soragna, Wallace, Nicevic), and Pesaro has lined up some interesting young players (Stanic, Akindele). 

And what happening in the littler centres of Serie A? Capo d’Orlando has found its new idol after Pozzecco’s retirement in Tyus Edney; Biella keeps up its excellent scouting skills and has signed Plaisted and Gist; Caserta, the 1991 Italian champion and back in Serie A after 14 years, expects a lot from Diaz, Butler and Foster.

That’s the Italian situation. As we can see, there are many signs pointing to a more balanced Serie A than in the past two years, when Montepaschi’s control was embarrassing. At the same time, the Italian league is returning to prominence in Europe, where Siena, Roma, Milano and Avellino will face the Euroleague; Fortitudo Bologna, Capo d’Orlando and Treviso will play in the Eurocup. Though some teams which have serious economic troubles (the entire budget for Rieti and Napoli is about $1.5 million each) and some are obliged to reduce ambitions (Montegranaro has lost the unforgettable last season’s heroes; Udine has picked up its players from Legadue), this is generally one of the most interesting championships in the last five years. Maybe Italians owners aren’t able to invest a great deal of money like in Athens, Moscow or Barcellona, but the level is very high, like only in ACB. CSKA can’t lose at Samara or Surgut; Olympiakos can’t lose at Larissa or Rodi; but Siena (or one of the other top teams) can lose at Pesaro or Biella. That’s the great difference coming from Italy.

This article has been written by Francesco Cappelletti.

Euroleague transfer analysis: Group B

After explaining the first transfers of Group A, I will take a closer look at group B today to see who did what and give you my opinion on these moves.

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The Euroleague group draw 2008

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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Euroleague Transfers Table 2008/2009

France Transfers - Spain Transfers (acb.com) - Germany Transfers - Turkey Transfers

EUROLEAGUE TRANSFERS

Updated: 19/11/2008 22h46CET

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NB: Please note that names in bold are confirmed transfers. Others listed are rumors published by various media or online discussion forums. The Budget numbers are either official announced figures or estimations. The names in italic are those that have been updated within the last 24h.

SPAIN	Arrivals	Departures
Real Madrid	Marko Tomas (Fuenlabrada) Jeremiah Massey (Aris TT Bank) Pepe Sanchez (FC Barcelona) Quinton Hosley (Karsiyaka) Ratko Varda (Zalgiris)	Kerem Tunceri (Triumph Lyubertsy) Michalis Pelekanos (Olympiacos) Blagota Sekulic (Aris) Charles Smith (Efes Pilsen) Pablo Aguilar (Granada)
TAU Ceramica	Stanko Barac (Pamesa Valencia) Fernando San Emeterio (Girona) Ariel Eslava (Rivadavia) Guilherme Gitterer (Gandia) Mustafa Shakur (Sopot) Dusko Ivanovic (head coach)	Zoran Planinic (CSKA Moscow) Simas Jasaitis (Joventut) Neven Spahija (?) James Singleton (Dallas Mavericks)
Regal FC Barcelona	Juan Carlos Navarro (Memphis Grizzlies) David Andersen (CSKA Moscow) Lubos Barton (DKV Joventut) Victor Sada (Girona) Andre Barret (NBDL) Daniel Santiago (Unicaja)	Denis Marconato (Bruesa) Pepe Sanchez (Real Madrid) Gary Neal (Benetton Treviso) Alex Acker (Detroit Pistons) Albert Moncasi (Gran Canaria) Mario Kasun (Efes Pilsen)
Unicaja Malaga	Robert Archibald (Azovmash) Omar Cook (Crvena Zvezda) Thomas Kelati (Zgorzelec) Joseph Gomis (Valladolid) Aito Garcia Reneses (head coach Badalona)	Sergio Scarolo (head coach) Bojan Popovic (Bruesa) Melvin Sanders (Gran Canaria) Davor Kus (loaned to Cibona) Daniel Santiago (Barcelona?)
ITALY	Arrivals	Departures
Montepaschi Siena Budget: 13M€	Morris Finley (Rieti) Henry Domercant (Dynamo Moscow)	Bootsy Thornton (Efes Pilsen) Drake Diener (Avellino) Vlado Ilievski (Olimpija) Hector Romero (Udine) Luigi da Tome (Roma)
Lottomatica Roma	Sani Becirovic (Panathinaikos) Brandon Jennings (High School) Primoz Brezec (Toronto Raptors) Andre Hutson (Efes Pilsen) Angelo Gigli (Benetton) Luigi da Tome (Montepaschi)	David Hawkins (AJ Milano) Erazem Lorbek (CSKA Moscow) Roko Leni-Ukic (Toronto Raptors)
AJ Milano	Pier Luigi Bucchi (head coach) Mason Rocca (Eldo Napoli) Luca Vitali (Montegranaro) Jobey Thomas (Montegranaro) Yohann Sangaré (ASVEL) Ariel Filloy (Rimini) Marco Mordente (Benetton) Sam van Rossum (Ostende) Massimo Bulleri (Virtus Bologna) Pape Sow (Prokom Trefl) Mike Hall (Pesaro) David Hawkins (Roma) Joey Beard (Veroli)	Sam van Rossum (loan to Pesaro) Pietro Aradori (Biella) Danilo Gallinari (New York Knicks) Travis Watson (Hapoel Jerusalem)
Air Avellino	Zare Markovski (head coach) Daniele Cinciarini (Biella) Chris Warren (Cibona Zagreb) Tamar Slay (Capo d’Orlando) Marko Tusek (Unics Kazan) Dan Dickau (LA Clippers) Antonio Porta (Spartak St. Petersbourg) Travis Best (Virtus Bologna) Drake Diener (Montepaschi) Mike Nardi (Napoli)	Devin Smith (Fenerbahce) Marques Green (Fenerbahce) Daniel Cavaliero (Montegranaro)
GREECE	Arrivals	Departures
Panathinaikos Budget: 25M€	Nikola Pekovic (Partizan) Antonis Fotsis (Dynamo Moscow) Dimitris Verginis (PAOK) Drew Nicholas (Efes Pilsen) Dusan Kecman (Partizan)	Sani Becirovic (Roma) Andrija Zizic (Galatasaray) Kennedy Winston (Pamesa?) Nikola Prkacin (Cibona) Dejan Tomasevic (PAOK) Dimos Dikoudis (Pamesa Valencia)
Olympiacos	Michalis Pelekanos (Real Madrid) Nikola Vujcic (Maccabi Tel Aviv) Zoran Erceg (FMP) Theodoros Papaloukas (CSKA Moscow) Yotam Halperin (Maccabi Tel Aviv) Igor Milosevic (Crvena Zvzda) Josh Childress (Atlanta Hawks) Kosta Sloukas (Mantoulidis)	Qyntel Woods (Fortitudo Bologna) Roderick Blackney (Turk Telekom) Loukas Mavrokefalidis (Maroussi) Renaldas Seibutis (Bilbao) Kosta Vasiliadis (PAOK) Jake Tsakalidis (Phoenix?) Panagiotis Kafkis (?) Arvydas Macijauskas (?)
Panionios	Alexander Trifunovic (head coach Lietuvos Rytas) Goran Nikolic (ALBA Berlin) Branko Cvetkovic (Girona) Miroslav Raicevic (Crvena Zvezda) Aaron Miles (Cajasol) Makis Dreliozis (Gkiziakos)	Vladimir Jankovic (loanded to Mega Aqua) Adanas Kavaliauskas (Kavala) Nenad Markovic (?)
FRANCE	Arrivals	Departures
Le Mans-Sarthe Budget: 5.63M€	J.D. Jackson (head coach) Maleye N’Doye (Dijon) Pape Badiane (Roanne) Dee Spencer (Efes Pilsen) David Bluthenthal (Maccabi) Brian Chase (Besiktas) JP Batista (Lietuvos Rytas)	Nicolas Batum (Portland) Sam Clancy (?) Phil Ricci (Naharia?) Vincent Collet (head coach ASVEL) Luka Bogdanovic (Joventut) Raviv Limonad (Irony Naharia) Nebosja Bogavac (?)
SLUC Nancy Budget: 4.98M€	Steed Tchicamboud (Cholet Basket) John Cox (Le Havre) Lamayn Wilson (ASVEL) Michel Morandais (Estudiantes) Rod Benson (Dakota Wizards)	Zabian Dowdell (Monferrato) DJ Harrison (?) Mike Bauer (Ostende) Pape Philippe Amagou (Kavala)
TURKEY	Arrivals	Departures
Efes Pilsen	Milos Vujanic (Dynamo Moscow) Sinan Guler (Besiktas) Charles Smith (Real Madrid) Ergin Ataman (head coach) Bootsy Thornton (Montepaschi) Kaya Peker (Besiktas) Engin Atsür (Benetton) Michalis Kakiouzis (Sevilla) Preston Shumpert (Besiktas) Mario Kasun (Barcelona) Dwayne Jones (Orlando Magic)	Serkan Erdogan (Turk Telekom) Ermal Kuqo (Pamesa Valencia) Drew Nicholas (Panathinaikos) Dee Spencer (Le Mans) David Blatt (Dynamo Moscow) Rashad Wright (ALBA Berlin) Scoonie Penn (BC Kiyv) Andre Hutson (Roma) Kenny Gregory (PAOK)
Fenerbahce Ülker	Devin Smith (Air Avellino) Marques Green (Air Avellino) Gordan Giricek (Phoenix Suns)	Will Solomon (Toronto Raptors) James White (?) Tarence Kinsey (Cleveland Cavaliers)
LITHUANIA	Arrivals	Departures
Zalgiris Kaunas Budget: 6M€	Willie Deane (Lukoil Academik) Loren Woods (Houston Rockets) Tadas Klimavicius (AEL Larisa) Ratko Varda (Menorca) Tomas Masiulis (Prokom Sopot) Ronalds Alijevas (CSK VVS) Tryout	DeJuan Collins (Lokomotiv Rostov) Goran Jurak (Biella) Mamadou N’Diaye (?) Marko Popovic (Unics Kazan) Vladimir Stimac (Crvena Zvezda) Donatas Motiejunas (Aisciai-Atletas) Damir Markota (Vive Menorca) Marcus Brown (Maccabi Tel Aviv) Ratko Varda (Real Madrid) Loren Woods (?)
RUSSIA	Arrivals	Departures
CSKA Moscow	Victor Keyru (Unics Kazan) Sasha Kaun (Kansas-NCAA) Terence Morris (Maccabi) Zoran Planinic (TAU) Erazem Lorbek (Roma)	Theodoros Papaloukas (Olympiakos) David Anderson (FC Barcelona) Thomas van den Spiegel (Azovmash) Marcus Goree (Triumph Lyubertsy) Anatoly Kashirov (loan to Spartak)
SLOVENIA	Arrivals	Departures
Olimpija Ljubljana Budget: 4M€	Damjan Rudez (KK Split) Jaka Klobucar (Geoplin Slovan) Vladimir Golubovic (Vojvodina) Vlado Ilievski (Montepaschi) Jonathan Wallace (Georgetown) JaJuan Smith (Cleveland) Frank Robinson (Cal. State Fullerton) Ivica Jurkovic	Goran Dragic (Phoenix Suns) Hasan Rizvic (BC Kiyv) Ronnie Taylor (AEL) Chris Booker (?) Sasa Doncic (?) Jan Mocnik (?) Maurice Bailey (Spartak Primorie)
POLAND	Arrivals	Departures
Asseco Prokom Sopot	Piotr Szczotka (Slupsk) David Logan (Zgorzelec) Ronald Burrell (Telekom Baskets Bonn) Koko Archibong (Frankfurt) Aleksej Nesovic (Olimpias) Daniel Ewing (Khimky) Pat Burke (Khimky)	Simonas Serapinas (Azovmash) Milan Gurovic (Galatasaray) Pape Sow (AJ Milano) Christos Harissis (PAOK) Jovo Stanojevic (Besiktas) Mustafa Shakur (TAU Ceramica) Donatas Slanina (?) Tomas Masiulis (Zalgiris)
CROATIA	Arrivals	Departures
Cibona Zagreb	Robert Troha (Helios Domzale) Velimir Perasovic (head coach) Branimir Longin (Oldenburg) Nikola Prkacin (Panathinaikos) Earl Calloway (Fort Wayne) Damir Markota (Zalgiris) Davor Kus (loaned from Unicaja) Rawle Marshall (Hemofarm) Jared Homan (Slask)	Ivan Sunara (head coach Krka ?) Chris Warren (Air Avellino) Sam Hoskin (China)
ISRAEL	Arrivals	Departures
Maccabi Tel Aviv Budget: 17-18M$	Jason Williams (Bnei Hasharon) Dror Hagag (Hapoel Jerusalem) Yaniv Green (Samara) Effi Birenboim (head coach) Tre Simmons (Hapoel Holon) Rodney White (Arecibo) D’Or Fischer (Bree) Carlos Arroyo (Orlando Magic) Marcus Brown (Zalgiris)	Nikola Vujcic (Olympiakos) Terrence Morris (CSKA) Yotam Halperin (Olympiakos) Will Bynum (Virtus, Detroit Pistons) Vonteego Cummings (Estudiantes) Zvi Sherf (?) David Bluthenthal (Le Mans) Alex Garcia (Bruesa) Marcus Fizer (?)
SERBIA	Arrivals	Departures
Partizan Belgrade	Jan Vesely (Geoplin Slovan) Luka Basta (Beovuk) Aleksandar Rasic (ALBA) Vukasin Aleksic (Takovo) Žarko Rakočević (Buducnost) Joao Soares (Portugal) Stephane Lasme (Miami Heat)	Nikola Pekovic (Panathinaikos) Milt Palacio (Khimky) Dusan Kecman (Panathinaikos) Dejan Borovnjak (Vojvodina)
GERMANY	Arrivals	Departures
ALBA Berlin Budget: 7.5M€	Adam Chubb (Artland Dragons) Steffen Hamann (Brose Baskets) Rashad Wright (Efes Pilsen) Ansu Sesay (AJ Milano) Casey Jacobsen (Memphis Grizzlies) Dragisa Drobnjak (Krka)	Goran Nikolic (Panionios) Phillipp Heyden (Ludwigsburg) Dijon Thompson (Azovmash) Aleksandar Rasic (Partizan) Mladen Pantic (?) Goran Jeretin (BC Kiev) Bobby Brown (Sacramento Kings) Nico Simon (Ehingen)
ULEB CUP WINNER	Arrivals	Departures
DKV Joventut	Sito Alonso (head coach) Luka Bogdanovic (Le Mans) Simas Jasaitis (TAU) Henk Norel (return from loan: Alicante) Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Benetton) Bracey Wright (Aris)	Rudy Fernandez (Portland Trailblazers) Jerome Moiso (Khimky) Lubos Barton (Barcelona) Dmitry Flis (Lleida)Aito Garcia Reneses (Spain NT)

ACB remains leader in attendance

UPDATE (16/6/2008): BallinEurope checked the attendance figures of the different European leagues and has compiled some stats based on the averages. We didn’t see any big surprises, as Spanish ACB still tops the list.

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The BallinEurope playoff roundup

Here we go with more finals coverage from various European leagues still going on. The time for champs to be crowned comes ever closer in most countries…

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