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Tips from the Euroleague boss: Week 5

December 1, 2008

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://bietemp.wpengine.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!

Dec 1, 2008ballineurope
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Comments: 19
  1. Javi
    16 years ago

    Actually… I may redo it all over again. Apparently, Becirovic is questionable for this week’s game and that would change it all.

    I have to find out. And I will find out…

    ReplyCancel
  2. Dankans
    16 years ago

    What’s about Becirovic and his todays game ? Say everything You know at the moment, please.

    ReplyCancel
  3. radallo
    16 years ago

    Nothing appeared on Becirovic questionable for the next game, neither in the italian press nor in Roma official website…. where does the news come from???

    ReplyCancel
  4. radallo
    16 years ago

    Just now appearde a red cross beside his name…….. 🙁

    ReplyCancel
  5. Dankans
    16 years ago

    Yeah, but I just don’t know what to buy for his money, maybe Sato ? ;/

    ReplyCancel
  6. DT
    16 years ago

    Any news regarding Sani?

    ReplyCancel
  7. Dankans
    16 years ago

    Sani won’t play this game.

    ReplyCancel
  8. Javi
    16 years ago

    Becirovic did not practice today and yesterday and is a game-time decision for this week’s game. I refuse to take risks, so here’s my team:

    Miles – Greer
    Maciulis – Kaukenas – Navarro – Warren
    Begic – Hutson – Turkcan – Batiste

    ReplyCancel
  9. DT
    16 years ago

    Is it true Charles Smith is also questionable?

    ReplyCancel
  10. Dankans
    16 years ago

    DT, where You found a information like this ?

    ReplyCancel
  11. Javi
    16 years ago

    About Becirovic, the club said – in Italian – the following: Becirovic invece è reduce da postumi dolorosi alla caviglia destra: necessari per lui almeno un paio di giorni di riposo, dopo i quali verrà valutata la situazione. Ray, invece, ha un inizio di fascite plantare al piede operato e pertanto deve essere sottoposto alle terapie del caso. Difficile il recupero di questi ultimi due per la gara con Berlino.

    Tranlating. Becirovic has to sit out at least two days and it is difficuly that him and Allan Ray will play vs. Alba.

    About Smith, I am finding out. Have our correspondant, the one and only Gokhan Ture, calling Efes GM Engin Ozerhun right now.

    ReplyCancel
  12. Dankans
    16 years ago

    If You will find any clues about him – please let us know here.

    By the way, “NIKEiD Fantasy Challenge, Week 6 update” doesn’t says anything about C.Smith.

    ReplyCancel
  13. baller
    16 years ago

    So is it sure that Sani won’t play?I have him on all my teams..and I don’t really want to trade him out..

    ReplyCancel
  14. Dankans
    16 years ago

    I don’t want too, fella… But I must and I did it, but I didn’t find any player that could replace him, so I taking a risk on R.Sato.

    ReplyCancel
  15. baller
    16 years ago

    To my mind Kaukenas is a better option,they play almost the same time + next game is against Zalgiris Kaunas and lithuanians always play well agains lithuanian teams, so for that price after 2 rounds you will probably get some extra credits + same points!

    ReplyCancel
  16. Javi
    16 years ago

    Alright, so Efes that Charles Smith will play, 100% sure.

    Or so the club says. Don’t blame me if Smith has a -7 performance in Belgrade…

    Everybody out there, good luck!

    ReplyCancel
  17. DT
    16 years ago

    OK, good to hear about C. Smith, sorry if i caused panic… 🙂

    ReplyCancel
  18. Javi
    16 years ago

    Smith played, and didn’t do very bad in the end. Good for him.

    Lottomatica spoke about the status of its players:

    http://www.virtusroma.it/internal.asp?cat_id=11&art_id=2709

    Becirovic, Brezec and Jennings are questionable. Jennings has the flu. Surprisingly enough, Allan Ray had a full practice and is ready to play. Datome and Gigli should play, too, which stops us from seeing Bodiroga back on court or something.

    So, let’s see what happens. The red cross means that a player may not play. And Becirovic may not play indeed, confirmed by the club. We’ll see about it tomorrow.

    It was a terrible fantasy Wednesday for me, in general. The BallinEurope team is an exception so far – no Zisis, no Llull, no Mike Hall – told you about the CSKA golden rule.

    Good night,

    ReplyCancel
  19. baller
    16 years ago

    Good first day with many guys over +20, but I had only Kaukenas+Hawkins+Warren on my team that played very well, but Lull 0, Hall +3,3 (couldn’t change him, but at least I’ve got some credits for that), hopefully Ilievski, Navarro, Woods, Turkcan and Begic will do Ok today!!!

    P.S.I told you about Sato: lost credits and +1 only. The same with Lavrinovic – I can’t imagine who buys player that plays only 20-25 min (although has a good average) that cost 95 credits if you can get the same one fot 60 (Smodis, Hutson, even Hall)

    ReplyCancel

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ballineurope
16 years ago 19 Comments EuroLeague, MoreAaron Miles, Air Avellino, Andre Hutson, Chris Warren, Christophe, Cibona Zagreb, D'or Fischer, Emir Preldzic, Ersan Ilyasova, Jonas Maciulis, Juan Carlos Navarro, Lottomatica Roma, Lynn Greer, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Michel Morandais, Mike Batiste, Mike Hall, Mirsad Turkcan, Mirza Begic, Montepaschi Siena, NikeID Fantasy Challenge, Olympiacos Piraeus, Panionios Athens, Prokom Trefl Sopot, Rawle Marshall, Regal FC Barcelona, Rimantas Kaukenas, Sani Becirovic, Semih Erden, SLUC Nancy, Tau Ceramica, Tiago Splitter, Travis Best, Union Olimpija, Will McDonald
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