With the 7DAYS EuroCup back in action, it’s time for another look at the dynamics at work and the power balance at present among the 20 teams.

With two different groups and 13 rounds to go, it’s time to rank again the 7DAYS EuroCup clubs, not only using their spots in the standings so far but also by taking a look at what they have done after the first five games of the season.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1426309/7days-eurocup-power-rankings-vol-2-3/)

7DAYS EuroCup Power Rankings Vol.2

Kyle Guy can drive to the lane and finish around the basket when his team needs a score. But the American is most widely known as a sniper. Still, the Joventut Badalona guard is not your average great shooter. While many top shooters have pregame warmups that border on obsessive, the 25-year-old works more on just shot-making.

Joventut’s Guy is not your average great shooter

[Kyle Guy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kyle-guy/011826/) can drive to the lane and finish around the basket when his team needs a score. But the American is most widely known as a sniper. Still, the Joventut Badalona guard is not your average great shooter. While many top shooters have pregame warmups that border on obsessive, the 25-year-old works more on just shot-making.

"I'm a big visualization guy, so I really don’t go to the corner and make five shots and do form shooting and all that stuff. I kind of just go with the flow and just visualize making shots more than kind of going right in front of the rim and shooting up,” said Guy, who has made 9-of-19 three-pointers (47.4%) through five EuroCup games.

"Around high school, I would get double-teamed or face-guarded and I didn't want that to stop me from being able to score and contribute. So one summer I just practiced if my feet are not set, I still need to get my shot off. If there are 6 seconds on the clock, I need to fade away to get it off. I just need to be comfortable making this shot. You never know what situation you’re going to be in."

But Guy is not someone who has been shooting lights out his entire life. His father was an American football coach and Guy concentrated more on American football until eighth grade when he stopped growing. He did play some basketball - which is something almost everyone in the state of Indiana does growing up.

Kyle Guy highlights

"I actually was a terrible shooter until high school. I shot with two hands. I wasn't that good. I was like a pass-first, slasher type of player,” said Guy, who grew up with ace shooters Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller and former Indiana University standout Steve Alford as role models. "But I always had a love for basketball. Indiana was kind of my ‘basketball dad,' if you will and my dad and family helped me with whatever I wanted to do. So we started taking basketball more seriously."

Guy worked with a shooting coach and he said his sweet stroke came pretty quickly.

"I was just kind of a natural because as soon as I got my form right I was able to shoot the ball pretty well,” he said.

Guy admitted that he's not somebody who worries about any kind of slump or shooting out of it: "I dont really subscribe to the slump ideology. I just kind of I go with the flow. It's gonna go in when it's supposed to go in. I've been shooting 40% \[on three-pointers\] my entire career since high school. And I just really believe in my abilities and the work that I put in to be able to shoot.

"You're not gonna make every shot. So there's no point in obsessing over it. And I like to think that I bring a lot more to the game than just shooting."

Indeed, Guy also brings a winning mentality - even after suffering a disappointing loss.

He was one of the leaders on the University of Virginia team in 2018 when the Cavaliers made negative history by becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament - falling to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC). The following season, Guy was named the Most Outstanding Player in leading Virginia to the school’s first NCAA title.

"When we lost to UMBC, that whole next year, that's what drove me. But once we won the NCAA title, everything was taken off my shoulders. So now I get to play free and just play for my family, play for myself and for my teammates."

And play freely he does by not worrying about missing shots because he knows that, eventually, they will fall.

### Two sets of in-form teams come head-to-head

On Tuesday night in the 7DAYS EuroCup, four teams with a 4-1 record in the competition face off. First, Promitheas Patras hosts Turk Telekom Ankara at 18:30 CET in Group B, and then at 20:15 CET in Group A, Joventut Badalona welcomes Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse to Palau Olimpic de Badalona. Victory for either team in each of the two games would make them the outright leader at the top of the standings; only Gran Canaria could usurp either Promitheas or Turk Telekom with a sizeable victory over Dolomiti Energia Trento on Wednesday night.

Promitheas managed to steal 76-78 a victory on the road at Slask Wroclaw in Round 5 after Anthony Cowan saw his contested three-pointer drop with 1.2 seconds remaining. It had not been the best of games for Promitheas, having only led for a total of one minute and 22 seconds prior to Cowan's successful triple, but that win meant that it advanced to 4-1 and moved to the top of Group B. A very different game is in store for Promitheas in Round 6, though, as Turk Telekom has gone on a four-game winning run after stumbling in its season opener against Paris Basketball. Turk Telekom head coach Erdem Can has got his players playing with a lot of confidence right now, which could spell bad news for Promitheas. In Round 5, Turk Telekom enjoyed a fairly comfortable 81-66 triumph at home to Trento. During that victory, three of the team's key players – Axel Bouteille, Jerian Grant and Tony Taylor – all came to the fore, and they will need to do so again up against Promitheas in this top-of-the-standings meeting at Dimitris Tofalos Arena.

Switching across to Group A, Joventut put the clamps on ratiopharm Ulm in its 54-68 win in Germany last week. After halftime, with Ulm leading 35-30 at the break, the visitors allowed the hosts to score just 6 points over the next 14 minutes of play. That level of execution on the defensive end is what allowed Joventut to take control of the game. Simon Birgander was the player who stepped up most for Joventut in Round 5, recording an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double while also finishing with 5 blocks. For Bourg, it is coming off its first defeat of the season after falling 80-89 at home to Frutti Extra Bursaspor. Bourg had been one of the biggest surprises in the 2022-23 EuroCup, being the only team to race out to a 4-0 record, but now it will need to respond after being met with adversity for the first time this season. James Palmer, Pierre Pelos and Jordan Floyd all scored a double-digit number of points for Bourg in its defeat to Bursaspor, but Isiaha Mike – one of the team's stars to this point – had a quiet night by his standards. Going to Palau Olimpic de Badalona is always a tricky proposition for any team, but Bourg will hope to respond in positive way against Joventut.

### An Italian derby 

In the late tipoff on Tuesday night, two of the three Italian teams in the EuroCup will go out to battle when Germani Brescia comes up against Umana Reyer Venice at PalaLeonessa A2A at 20:30 CET. The form book indicates that Reyer is the favorite after winning its last three games, having begun the season with back-to-back defeats, while Brescia started off 2-1 in its first three fixtures but has since gone on a two-game losing run. It should be a fascinating encounter between two of Italy's best teams, as Brescia has the EuroCup's seventh-best offense with an average of 84.0 points per game, whereas Reyer has the third-best defense, giving up an average of 75.8 points per night. 

### Can Cedevita get back on track?

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana came into the season as one of the early favorites to go far in this year's EuroCup, but after five games, it currently has a record of 0-5. It has been a tricky start to the campaign for Cedevita, having already played some of the competition's powerhouses in Bursaspor, Joventut and Reyer, but losses to U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Prometey Slobozhanske were not part of the script. The big problem for Cedevita is that it is struggling on both ends of the floor, as it has the second-worst offensive numbers in the EuroCup, averaging 76.8 points per game, and also the worst defensive rating, giving up 89.0 points per night; without a significant improvement in these two areas, it is hard to see the team coming close to reaching its potential. In Round 6, Cedevita travels to Lithuania to take on the 2-5 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, and anything but a win could see the team's playoff chances take a serious hit. 

Round 6 at a glance

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Gran Canaria (2022-11-30T19:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-11-29T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2022-11-30T19:30:00.000Z)

London Lions v Slask Wroclaw (2022-11-30T19:30:00.000Z)

Promitheas Patras v Turk Telekom Ankara (2022-11-29T17:30:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2022-11-29T19:15:00.000Z)

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Germani Brescia v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-11-29T19:30:00.000Z)

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball will go for its first home win ever in the EuroCup when it hosts Veolia Towers Hamburg on Wednesday. Paris (3-2) is perfect on the road this season, but has lost both of its home games. Hamburg (2-3) has split its two road games this season. 

Paris comes off a 74-77 victory at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in which players scored in double figures. Kyle Allman has been the team’s top scorer with 20.6 points per game, which is second-most in the competition. Ismael Kamagate (10.2 ppg., 7.6 rpg., 2.2 bpg.) has been an anchor inside; he leads the EuroCup in blocks and is 10th in rebounds. 

Game News

Hamburg comes off its worst game of the season, a 75-103 home loss against London Lions, and will look to bounce back right away. Big man Yoeli Childs (13.4 ppg., 66.7 FG%, 8.6 rpg.), who is tied for fourth in the competition in rebounds, has been Hamburg’s chief inside and Kendale McCullum (11.8 ppg., 5.8 apg., 2.2 spg.), who is tied for fourth in assists and fifth in steals, runs the show.

The pressure that the Paris guards put on their counterparts could play a big role as Paris is third in the EuroCup in steals (8.6 spg.) and Hamburg has committed the most turnovers in the competition (18.2 per game). However, Hamburg also forces a lot of turnovers (16.2), so it could go either way. 

Paris hosts Hamburg as it seeks its first home win

London Lions will look to build on the momentum that came with its impressive win last week when it hosts winless Slask Wroclaw on Wednesday. London (2-3) routed hosts Veolia Towers Hamburg 75-103 on the road last week in an impressive display. Tomislav Zubcic led five London scorers in double figures with 22 points. Slask (0-5) has lost its last two games by a combined 6 points and is eager to finally taste victory.

Zubcic (16.8 ppg.) has been London’s top scorer this season and since returning from injury, Sam Dekker has been worth 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Point guard Jeremiah Martin (16.6 ppg., 4.8 apg., 2.8 spg.) runs the Slask attack and leads the EuroCup in steals and do-it-all forward Jakub Niziol (10.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 4.6 apg.) has also played great this season.

Turnovers have been an issue for London this season; it has committed 16.0 per game, which is the third-most in the competition. Slask’s problems have been shooting as its three-point accuracy (28.2%) is second-lowest in the EuroCup and its two-point shooting (47.2%) is third-worst. How each team handles those challenges could be the story of this game. 

London looks to stay hot against winless Slask

Round 5 of the 7DAYS EuroCup certainly had its fair share of excitement, with four of the 10 games decided by single possessions. As the dust has settled, one trend has held up well in the early part of the season: teams that have made their open jump shots at high rates are currently dominating the EuroCup standings.

The graphic above shows the top five teams in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage. All five of these teams currently sit third place or higher in their groups. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse is the lone 4-1 team to miss the cut above, but they are not far off the pace. Bourg is currently tied for seventh in three-point accuracy and lead all teams in the volume of their total shot attempts that are unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers. All of which means that getting and making the most of open shots on the perimeter is playing a key role in EuroCup outcomes so far.

Around 14% of all shot attempts and 35% of three-point attempts are unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers. EuroCup teams have converted 40% of their unguarded catch-and-shoot three-point attempts this season. That’s much better than the 33% accuracy that teams have on guarded catch-and-shoot attempts or the 30% on pull-up threes. Teams strategize for these open shots for obvious reasons, but they are not easy to come by. Open jumpers are just a small slice of a much bigger pie, but consistently finding and hitting them has impacted the standings.

Nathan Sestina Top 3 Pts of the 2022-23 Regular Season

Nathan Sestina's catch-and-shoot prowess

Among players, Nathan Sestina of Turk Telekom Ankara leads the EuroCup with 9 unguarded catch-and-shoot makes on 13 attempts. Leonardo Meindl, Allerik Freeman, and Lukas Meisner are tied for second with 8 such shots made. Given teams have averaged just 18.5 total makes of this kind during this season, players running especially hot can drive their teams’ success if they’re in the right place at the right time. Sestina, in particular, has often found himself at the end of the chain of passes on Turk Telekom’s best offensive possessions. His consistency in those moments has been a huge plus for his team.

Historically, the EuroCup’s diversity of play makes it difficult to pull one statistic that works for all the league’s top teams, which is why this catch-and-shoot trend is so notable now. Few trends hold over large samples, so it remains to be seen how getting and making open shots holds up as the season goes on. But for now, even as a proxy for a team’s shooting and passing skills, it has been a key factor in terms of early-season momentum in the standings.

Stats Review: What standings leaders have in common

The top and the bottom meet in Group B when Dolomiti Energia Trento hosts Gran Canaria on Wednesday. While winless Trento (0-5) shares the last place in the table, Gran Canaria (4-1) is tied for first. This will be their fifth clash in the EuroCup and Gran Canaria has won three of the previous four.

Diego Flaccadori (14.0 ppg., 4.3 apg.) and Drew Crawford (13.2 ppg.) have been Trento’s go-to guys thus far this season. Trento is last in the EuroCup in scoring (73.2 ppg.) and a big reason is that it’s also last in two-point shooting (44.2%). Trento has allowed opponents to make 59.8% of their shots.

Gran Canaria, the EuroCup’s top-scoring team with 87.0 points per game, has won three in a row and is 1-1 on the road this season. AJ Slaughter (16.6 ppg) and John Shurna (13.0 ppg.) have been its top scorers, though there are eight more players averaging at least 6 points per game. It is one of only three teams making more than 40% of its three-pointers (40.4%). However, Granca’s opponents are shooting 43.0% from deep and if Trento can get hot from the perimeter, it could shake things up and give the hosts a good shot at their first win of the campaign.

Trento seeks maiden win against top-ranked Granca 

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys faces Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana on Wednesday in a critical showdown in the bottom part of the Group A standings. Lietkabelis (2-3) is undefeated at home so far this season and will look to keep that part of its record unblemished against a Cedevita side that at 0-5 is still looking for its first win of any kind.

Lietkabelis came up short at Umana Reyer Venice 74-71 last week despite 25 points from Jamel Morris. The shooting guard enters Round 6 tied for fourth in the competition with 18.4 points per game.

Cedevita comes off its highest-scoring game of the season in an 89-94 loss to Prometey Slobozhanske Josh Adams scored 19 and Yogi Ferrell had 18 points and 7 assists in the loss. Ferrell (19.2 ppg.) is third in the EuroCup in scoring this season and Adams (15.8 ppg.) is tied for 14th.

These two teams have each scored 76.8 points per game this season, but Cedevita has allowed the most points to its opponents (89.0 ppg.). Lietkabelis has allowed more offensive rebounds this season (14.4) than all but one team and it will have to shore up the glass to keep Cedevita in check.

Lietkabelis and Cedevita to lock horns

One of the key matchups in Group A in Round 6 pits last season’s runner-up Frutti Extra Bursaspor against EuroCup debutant U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Bursaspor (3-2) comes in on a high after knocking off the last remaining undefeated team in the competition, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, 80-89 on the road last week. David Dudzinski and Zach Auguste both posted double-doubles in the win.

Bursaspor is 1-1 at home this season. Onuralp Bitim (16.8 ppg., 4.5 apg.) and Derek Needham (13.8 ppg., 4.8 apg.) have been Bursaspor’s most-productive players this season, but Coach Dusan Alimpijevic has many players who can rise to the occasion on any given night.

Cluj (2-3) is winless on the road this season, though both of its losses have come by small margins. Last week it defeated Germani Brescia at home 91-86 as Karel Guzman and Leonardo Meindl led six Cluj scorers in double figures with 15 points apiece. Meindl is fourth in the EuroCup in scoring (18.4 ppg.) this season and new signing Nemanja Gordic contributed 13 points and 4 assists in his debut.

It should be a high-paced game as Cluj is second in the EuroCup in scoring (86.8 ppg.) and Bursaspor is sixth (84.2 ppg.). While the visitors have excelled more in the paint – Cluj leads the EuroCup in two-point shooting (63.7%) and is second in offensive rebound (13.0 per game), Bursaspor is fourth in three-point accuracy (38.9%).