You have commented and BallinEurope has heard. Thanks in large part to the proddings and machinations of a somewhat indignant Y. (BiE’s man in Lithuania), we’ve reworked the formula to determine the official Top 100 Teams in Europe list.
Not to go into any boring detail, but Y. was kind enough to install somewhat arbitrary weighting for every domestic league in Europe. (In all seriousness, who can say that Polish basketball is 16% better than, say, Estonian hoops?)
We also agreed that the most glaring problem with the previous rankings were the rewards given to certain teams from Lithuania and Ukraine who have played, in some cases, multiple times more games than those in countries with “Superleague Basketball”-formatted leagues, e.g. Croatia and Serbia. After much wrangling and number-crunching, a way was finally found to create a reasonable weighting system for those team playing lots of garbage games.
The formula surely still isn’t perfect, but this week’s edition may come a bit closer to the reality of these teams’ current standing in the wider picture of European basketball: Though BiE’s own subjective no. 1 (Maccabi Tel Aviv) may be a bit low on this table, the fact that the top 21 in the rankings are all Euroleague squads bodes well, as does the presence of 23 EL sides in the top 25 – go ahead, guess which of the two dozen didn’t crack the quarter-century.
In any case, enjoy the new and (already) improved BiE Top 100 Teams in Europe rankings! (All figures based on games played through Wednesday, January 5, except VTB United League games to be calculated later.)
1. Montepaschi Siena (ITA), 574.63
2. Olympiacos (GRE), 560.21
3. Panathinaikos (GRE), 558.61 – The difference between the Greek powers? A single Vassilis Spanoulis three-pointer against Kolossos Rhodes.
4. FC Barcelona (ESP), 551.11
5. Real Madrid (ESP), 542.58
6. Fenerbahçe Ülker (TUR), 534.95
7. Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR), 530.65
8. Union Olimpija (SLO), 520.24
9. Zalgiris Kaunas (LTU), 506.56
10. Caja Laboral Baskonia (ESP), 503.38
11. Partizan Belgrade (SER), 484.69
12 (tie). Power Electronics Valencia (ESP), 482.92
12 (tie). Unicaja Malaga (ESP), 482.92 – Y. and the other self-deprecating Zalgiris backers out there (you know who you are) will surely protest at their team’s position above three Euroleague Top 16 teams from Spain, but relax: Surely your guys will sink before season’s end. What? That’s not what you wanted to hear?
14. Efes Pilsen (TUR), 482.13
15. AJ Milano (ITA), 480.54
16. BC Khimki Moscow region (RUS), 470.01
17. Lietuvos Rytas (LTU), 467.46
18. CSKA Moscow (RUS), 461.80
19. Lottomatica Roma (ITA), 461.11
20. Cholet Basket (FRA), 444.74
21. Brose Baskets Bamberg (GER), 437.03 – A sad start to 2011 it was for Bamberg, as the team’s 17-game winning streak (surely the longest in Europe to this point) was snapped on January 2 at Walter Tigers Tübingen.
22. Asseco Prokom (POL), 429.71
23. Unics Kazan (RUS), 373.00
24. Galatasaray Café Crown (TUR), 371.06 – At this point in the 2010-11 season, Unics Kazan and Galatasaray are seemingly the best non-Euroleague teams and the BiE ratings reflect this. Indeed, with Galatasaray and Banvit tied with Fenerbahce in the top spot, TBL fans may be imagining a TBL champion other than one of the big two.
25. Spirou Charleroi (BEL), 362.58 – And here comes the dropoff in points…
26. Bennet Cantu (ITA), 245.62
27. Cibona Zagreb (CRO), 245.01 – Further statistical evidence of Cibona Zagreb’s historically awful season.
28. Benetton Bwin Basket (ITA), 243.68
29. Gran Canaria 2014 (ESP), 241.26
30. BC Azovmash (UKR), 240.67
31. Aris BSA (GRE), 238.79
32. Banvit BK (TUR), 237.69
33. Buducnost (MNT), 237.57
34. Cajasol Sevilla (ESP), 232.29
35. Budivelnik (UKR), 227.79
36. Cedevita Zagreb (CRO), 226.46
37. Asefa Estudiantes (ESP), 223.96
38. Tartu Rock (EST), 223.12 – BiE awaits the glorious day when Estonia gets its moment in the Euroleague sun … Tartu Rock is destined to be that team. Just, um, not very soon, probably.
39. VEF Riga (LAT), 222.52
40. KK Krka (SLO), 221.37
41. CEZ Nymburk (CZE), 219.79
42. Hemofarm Stada (SER), 217.69
43. BK Ventspils (LAT), 216.93
44. Pepsi Caserta (ITA), 214.51
45. PAOK BC (GRE), 214.48
46. Alba Berlin (GER), 210.98
47. Beşiktaş Cola Turka (TUR), 209.79 – Will the hiring of Ergin Ataman turn things around for Allen Iverson’s side? The plot thickens further in Turkey…
48. Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR), 209.27
49. Norrkoping Dolphins (SWE), 203.70
50. Siauliai (LTU), 200.53
51. Panellinios BC (GRE), 199.17
52. Asvel Basket (FRA), 197.29
53. Le Mans (FRA), 194.24
54. Chorale Roanne (FRA), 193.68
55. BG Goettingen (GER), 191.97
56. Rudupis (LTU), 191.61 – The team that inspired ol’ Y. to help rework the BiE ratings. And still ranked 56th? Well, they are 9-3 in LKL play…
57. SLUC Nancy (FRA), 191.46
58. KK Siroki TT Kabeli (BIH), 187.87
59. Hapoel Jerusalem (ISR), 187.85
60. Gravelines Dunkerque (FRA), 185.07
61. Dnipro (UKR), 184.96
62. Turk Telecom Ankara (TUR), 182.42
63. KK Zagreb Croatia Osiguranje (CRO), 181.37
64. KK Zadar (CRO), 179.79 – Should more Croatian teams be higher placed? Probably, but y’all’ll have to wait for the Croatian Superleague format to kick in before the Zadars of the world rise…
65. EWE Baskets (GER), 178.54
66. Deutsche Bank Skyliners (GER), 174.11
67. Spartak St. Petersburg (RUS), 168.64
68. Hapoel Gilboa/Galil (ISR), 168.40
69. BC Donetsk (UKR), 168.12
70. Khimik Yuzhny (UKR), 168.12
71. BC Lokomotiv Kuban (RUS), 167.48
72. KK Radnicki (SER), 167.10
73. Anwil Wloclawek (POL), 160.67
74. Orleanaise Loiret (FRA), 158.96
75. Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER), 156.84
76. KK Igokea (BIH), 156.71
77. Gasterra Flames (NED), 156.53
78. Lukoil Academic Sofia (BUL), 154.79
79. BK Prostejov (CZE), 154.27
80. Krasnye Krylia (RUS), 153.64
81. Honka Espoo Playboys (FIN), 152.65
82. KK Crvena zvezda (SER), 146.33
83. Barak Netanya (ISR), 146.18
84. Szolnoki Olaj (HUN), 141.11 – Ah, yes. These guys were definitely ranked too high last week.
85. Ferro-ZNTU (UKR), 138.05
86. Maccabi Haifa (ISR), 136.35
87. Trefl Sopot (POL), 131.04
88. BC Minsk 2006 (BLR), 130.42
89. Artland Dragons (GER), 129.79
90. Apoel Nicosia (CYP), 129.46
91. Dexia Mons-Hainaut (BEL), 128.23
92. Antwerp Giants (BEL), 125.90
93. Oostende (BEL), 125.62
94. KTP Basket KOTKA (FIN), 123.88
95. Enterprise Dynamo Moscow (RUS), 122.87
96. Helsinn Lugano Tigers (SUI), 122.29
97. BC Kyiv (UKR), 121.46
98. Paris Levallois (FRA), 118.12
99. Lisboa e Benfica (POR), 116.98
100. Mersey Tigers (GBR), n/a – Holding onto that prestigious #100 spot and no. 1 on the British Basketball League table; go Tigers!
Bubbling under: FMP (SER), 114.79 points; Belgacom Liege (BEL), 113.32; BC Enisey (RUS), 112.65; Kalev/Kramo (EST), 108.54; ETHA Encomi (CYP), 106.22; LF Basket (SWE), 104.00; BC NN Nizhny Novgorod (RUS), 101.87; Nevezis (LTU), 99.29; Leiden Basketball (NED), 99.20; Kalev (EST), 98.46; Perlas (LTU), 97.40; TTU/Kalev (EST), 97.29.
