It all comes down to this. Fenerbahce, led by Sarunas Jasikevicius, and AS Monaco, led by Vassilis Spanoulis, conclude the Euroleague Final Four and, indeed, the whole season, with the title game in Abu Dhabi. Emmet Ryan on what to expect on Sunday night.
After 34 regular season rounds, the playoffs, and the Euroleague Final Four semi-finals, we’re left with two teams. Fenerbahce, under Sarunas Jasikevicius, seek their first title since 2017. AS Monaco, with head coach Vassilis Spanoulis in his maiden season at this level, seek their first. It’s going to be a fascinating battle.
Fenerbahçe’s Regiment: Execution and Depth
I’ve started referring to Fenerbahce in recent days as the Big Yellow Machine. The name oddly didn’t come to me until watching them in this edition of the Euroleague Final Four. The way Sarunas Jasikevicius has this side drilled is like a mix of a classical symphony and a well-engineered tank.
There’s always someone there to provide the assist. If a shooter is having an off spell, there’s someone there to replace him. Defensively, they can read what an opponent is doing brilliantly and force them into predictable plays.
Everything about Fenerbahce is designed to attack, withstand, and attack again. The guys that came up big on Friday weren’t the usual suspects. Few had Devon Hall or Erick McCollum as early contenders for Final Four MVP. Who else will step up big against AS Monaco on Sunday? That’s something Vassilis Spanoulis would love to know ahead of time.
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Monaco’s Masterstroke: Star-Laden Offense & Iron Defense
Friday night was all about tempo for AS Monaco. Vassilis Spanoulis deliberately kept his guys from going too hard in the first half. He wanted something in reserve and he got it. Mike James controlled things from the backcourt while Jaron Blossomgame, Alpha Diallo, and Mam Jaiteh took turns with the offensive load.
The muscle that Monaco showed in that game won’t have gone unnoticed by Sarunas Jasikevicius and the Fenerbahce brain trust. This is not a side that will be physically bullied and is more than capable of being the aggressor in that respect.
This is a side with balance and is playing with house money. Just getting to the title game is an enormous achievement for a club that is still quite young when it comes to the top level of the sport. There are however plenty of guys seeking their first ever championship and that will fuel them to deliver on Sunday.
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Chess on the Sidelines: Saras vs Spanoulis
Both Sarunas Jasikevicius and Vassilis Spanoulis were legends on the court. Now, as head coaches, they are proving themselves as top tier talents in that respect. Saras has brought Fenerbahce to back to back Euroleague Final fours and it’s his fifth straight appearance, going back to his time with Barcelona.
Spanoulis is seeking to match his mentor, Georgios Bartzokas, by claiming the Euroleague title in his first season coaching at that level. Both men have shown their ability to find that extra bit out of each of their players. That’s what a good coach does, they raise the whole ship.
On Sunday, we’ll see who fares better at stymieing the other. Which coach can scheme best to restrict the best players on the opposing side. Both Fenerbahce and AS Monaco excelled in that regard on Friday night. Something has to give.
Fearless prediction:Fenerbache
This is going to be a battle of wills, wits, and grit. AS Monaco can’t go as deep as Fenerbahce but that didn’t stop them against Olympiacos. It’s the ability of Fener to both go deeper and find more options that has them edging this for me.
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