Paris has made a strong case that its offense is the best in more than two decades of the EuroCup's existence, and has the numbers to prove it.
Paris Basketball can claim the best-ever EuroCup offense
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Next week, Paris Basketball will be trying to finish chasing BKT EuroCup history as it attempts winning first international club trophy in its brief history. The club, founded in 2018, will be making a run at the title in the best-of-three EuroCup Finals series against a fellow French side Minicidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.
During the finals, Paris will also try to put an exclamation mark on a season that has made it one of the most successful and most dominant teams in EuroCup history, while also confirming that it is arguably the best offensive team that has ever played in the competition.
New all-time scoring records
Guided by head coach Tuomas Iisalo, Paris enters the finals on a 13-game winning streak and with a 20-1 record. Its average winning margin of 19.1 points is a new EuroCup record.
A total of 34 EuroCup games this season have been decided by 20 points or more, and Paris has accounted for nine of those victories, all during the regular season. By winning in 42.8% of its games by at least 20 points, Paris has another EuroCup record. In addition, Paris has won 13 of its 21 games (61.9%) this season by 15 points or more, another first..
It might not be a surprise that Paris is winning big behind the EuroCup's best-ever scoring offense.
Paris enters the best-of-three finals series having scored 2,066 points, the second-highest total by any team ever, but just 25 points shy of the single-season mark for total points scored. The team from the French capital is trailing only ALBA Berlin's 2,091 points from the 2018-19 campaign, but the side from the German capital accomplished that over 24 games.
Led by second-ranked scorer T.J. Shorts (18.0 ppg.) and fourth-ranked Nadir Hifi (16.9 ppg.), Paris averages 98.4 points entering the EuroCup Finals. Before this season, no team has averaged better than 92.3 points in a single season, record that Paris has shattered. So did a team from its regular season group, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, which posted 95.7 points per game.
Paris and Hapoel are just two of four teams this EuroCup season, along with London Lions (90.4 ppg.) and Dreamland Gran Canaria (88.4 ppg.), that place among top 12 EuroCup teams in average scoring all-time. It all helped made the 2023-24 EuroCup season the highest scoring ever, as the teams have posted 84.6 points per game during this campaign.
More records and season-leading marks
As far as Paris goes, however, the scoring marks are just a couple of many boxes that Paris and its offense have check-marked, or will do during the finals.
There are four more categories where Paris ranks first this season, and two more are on pace to become the best ever. Paris is averaging a PIR of 116.0, shattering the previous mark of 108.5 set by Joventut Badalona in the 2007-08 season. Hapoel (112.4 avg. PIR) also surpassed Joventut this season.
Also, its 62.8% two-point accuracy is another category in which Paris is on track to set the new EuroCup single-season record, surpassing Dynamo Moscow's 61.8% from the 2007-08 campaign. Paris has done so making 26.7 two-pointers per game, the second-most in a single season ever. Also, Paris has committed a league-low 10.8 turnovers, the best this season and tied for eighth-fewest ever.
Paris also ranks near the top in other categories this season, including ranking third in average rebounds (37.0), third in three-pointers made (10.1), and fifth in assists (20.3 ), defensive rebounds (25.2) and offensive rebounds (11.9), the latter despite missing very few shots.
No need for timeouts and free throws
What makes this offense even better is that Paris barely needs free throws to score points. Paris ranks 10th this season with 14.5 free throws made per game, and even lower, 15th, in free throw attempts at 19.0 per game.
Another unique feature is the number of timeout Coach Iisalo has called – or better – has not called. During the 18 regular-season games, the Paris boss has asked for just 32 timeouts, including three games without a single timeout called and four others in which he called only one.
Only nine of his 32 timeouts have come in fourth quarters or overtimes. Meanwhile, the next-stingiest team (Gran Canaria) in terms of timeouts called 49 of them during the regular season, and as many as 13 teams called more than double Paris's 32.
There is no doubt that Paris's 2023-24 season will find its place in competition history, and Paris hopes not only for the record-setting offensive numbers, but also a trophy to lift after the finals.