After he was named the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for December, Theo Maledon of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne spoke to EuroLeague.net about his return to the Old Continent after four seasons in the NBA, some of the highlights from the past month, and his and his team's mindset

Theo Maledon December MVP: 'I'm getting more comfortable every game'

After he was named the [Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for December](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/theo-maledon-makes-history-as-december-mvp/), [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) of [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) spoke to [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net) about his return to the Old Continent after four seasons in the NBA, some of the highlights from the past month, and his and his team's mindset.

Maledon, who has made history as the first ASVEL player to be named MVP of the Month in the EuroLeague, has helped carry his team from the tail end of the standings into the thick of the fight to reach the postseason. Hear more from one of the competition’s hottest players in this exclusive interview.

ASVEL's star guard shared his thoughts on winning the award

Episode No. 14 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is here to help prepare you for 2025! Javier Gancedo of Euroleague.net and Vasiliki Karamouza of Sport 24 dish on strategies, lessons learned, and standout players from the latest fantasy round. 

Get your Fantasy Challenge Podcast fix in Episode No. 14

Episode No. 14 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is here to help prepare you for 2025! [Javier Gancedo](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fganchetto&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7Cf637e2d6bb3e4ec70a6008dd233d96d4%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638705469604612942%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fUS02rr3aDuSVx9gQ66XZiQcD%2Bv6TCX4GMBB6ALFkvE%3D&reserved=0) of [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) and [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fkaramouza_vas&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7Cf637e2d6bb3e4ec70a6008dd233d96d4%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638705469604647657%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ScfEOK5GTYf4YtFYuF6KZJfXNlUJjKq1IQ5NCpdoQBI%3D&reserved=0) of Sport 24 dish on strategies, lessons learned, and standout players from the latest fantasy round. They also reflected on a particularly low-scoring week, where even the top-performing team managed just 197 points.

Check out the teams Javi and Vasiliki plan to use in Round 18, which begins at 19:00 CET on Thursday when Zalgiris Kaunas and Olympiacos Piraeus meet. Good luck fantasy fans!

Episode No. 14 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is here to help prepare you for 2025! Javier Gancedo of Euroleague.net and Vasiliki Karamouza of Sport 24 dish on strategies, lessons learned, and standout players from the latest fantasy round. They also reflected on a particularly low-scoring week, where even the top-performing team managed just 197 points.

Javi and Vasiliki share some advice and their teams ahead of Round 19

Real Madrid forward Gabriel Deck will be sidelined after he was diagnosed with a rupture of the hamstring tendon on his left leg

Real Madrid loses Gabriel Deck to torn hamstring

Real Madrid forward [Gabriel Deck](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriel-deck/009005/) will be sidelined after he was diagnosed with a rupture of the hamstring tendon on his left leg. The veteran forward suffered the injury during his team's narrow victory over FC Barcelona in the Spanish League on Monday. No timetable has been set for his recovery.

<center> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Parte médico de Deck.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMBaloncesto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMBaloncesto</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1874073463931224305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Deck, 29, is in his seventh season with Real Madrid, which he helped to the EuroLeague crown in 2023. This season he has averaged 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds on 18 games. Deck has won four Spanish championships, four Spanish SuperCups and two Spanish King’s Cups with *Los Blancos*. He has also played for Asociacion Quimsa Santiago del Estero and San Lorenzo de Almagro in his native Argentina and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.

Latest Real Madrid news

The former champion was injured in a Spanish League game on Monday

Real Madrid v FC Bayern Munich (2025-01-03T20:00:00.000Z)

Reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to a contract extension with All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort that will keep them together through the 2027-28 season

Panathinaikos, Mathias Lessort pen extension

Reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to a contract extension with All-EuroLeague center [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) that will keep them together through the 2027-28 season. Lessort, 29, dominated for the Greens in the first half of this season before suffering a [broken fibula](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/all-euroleague-center-mathias-lessort-leaves-game-with-leg-injury/) that will keep him sidelined for several months. He averaged 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 17 games this season to rank second in the league in rebounds and sixth in average PIR (20.5).

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">Η ΚΑΕ Παναθηναϊκός AKTOR ανακοινώνει την επέκταση της συνεργασίας της με τον αθλητή Ματίας Λεσόρ έως το καλοκαίρι του 2028.<br><br>Χρόνια Πολλά σε όλους τους φίλους του Παναθηναϊκού!<br><br>——————————————————<br><br>Panathinaikos BC AKTOR is pleased to announce the extension of its partnership… <a href="https://t.co/D1YBeltbq5">pic.twitter.com/D1YBeltbq5</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1874063872165867837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This season is his second with Panathinaikos, which he helped win the championship last season. Overall Lessort has six EuroLeague seasons for five clubs: Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, FC Bayern Munich, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Panathinaikos. He also suited up for Unicaja Malaga, AS Monaco and Partizan in the EuroCup. He won the EuroCup with Monaco in 2021. Lessort has won national championships in Serbia, Greece and the Adriatic League and was twice selected to the All-EuroCup team. He has also won silver medals at the Olympic Games and the European Championship and a bronze at the Basketball World Cup as a member of the French national team.

More Panathinaikos news

The two-time All-EuroLeague center will remain with the Greens through 2028

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares his tips for Round 19 of the 2024-25 season.

Fantasy tips, Round 19: Bargains galore!

Get ready for the first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague round in 2025 and it should be a good one for EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge managers. All of a sudden, there are plenty of undervalued players in the game and good opportunities to improve your teams and be even more competitive. From players returning from injuries, others getting more playing time or simply doing really well, here are five of my top recommendations ahead of Round 19.

[**Duane Washington, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10.7 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/duane-washington/013370/)

Washington has stepped up in the last three rounds, averaging 19.7 points and 4.7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 18.0. He comes off his best game in the competition with 27 points and 6 fouls drawn for a PIR of 27 in a home victory over Fenerbahce. It seems like his adjustment period is over and Washington is ready to showcase his best basketball.

[**Jaylen Hoard, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (15.5 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/)

Simply put, Hoard is the player to have in the game right now. Sasha Vezenkov is owned by almost 30% of fantasy managers and Theo Maledon is in around 25% of the teams. Hoard is owned by 6.1% of all managers out there while averaging 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds for a PIR of 23.4 in the last five games. It's time to get ahead of the fantasy curve!

Jaylen Hoard, Neal Sako, Dinos Mitoglou, Joel Bolomboy and Duane Washington are featured in this week's article.

EuroLeague Fantasy tips: Round 18

[**Konstantinos Mitoglou, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (8.2 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/)

As you probably know, Mathias Lessort is injured and will most likely miss the remainder of the regular season. Panathinaikos had to adjust and Mitoglou is starting to see playing time at the '5' position. He delivered right away, getting 15 points and 9 rebounds for a PIR of 20 in almost 30 minutes against Bayern in Round 18. Buy him now!

[**Neil Sako, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (10.3 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/neal-sako/010545/)

Sako is in a similar situation to Mitoglou. Mbaye Ndiaye is set to miss some time and Sako may see extended playing time at the power forward position. Sako is the kind of player who always delivers when he gets the minutes: he had 12 points and 9 rebounds for a PIR of 20 against Virtus last week. There are not many good centers in his price range.

[**Joel Bolomboy, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (12.3 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/)

Bolomboy is back and he immediately made Zvezda better. His team won the last two games, including a rare home victory over Barca at Palau Blaugrana. Since he's back, Bolomboy has been nothing but rock-solid, averaging 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds for a PIR of 17.0. In fantasy, you can't go wrong with rebounds, blocks and a high shooting percentage.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares his tips for the week ahead

The first action of 2025 will see the race for the playoffs intensifying with Round 19 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Here’s your guide to the action, including a high-octane Istanbul derby.

At a glance: Round 19 opens 2025 in style! 

The first action of 2025 will see the race for the playoffs intensifying with Round 19 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Here’s your guide to the action, including a high-octane Istanbul derby.

## Thursday, January 2

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (19:00 CET)

The New Year tips off in style as faltering Zalgiris (10-8) looks to snap a two-game losing slide against in-form Olympiacos (12-6) searching for a fourth straight win. Olympiacos, which has won the last seven games between the teams, could bolster its frontcourt by giving a debut to recent signing [Nathan Mensah](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nathan-mensah/013514/). One key will be whether the home team can slow down the Reds' ball movement: Olympiacos leads the league in assists with 20.6 per game, while Zalgiris has held opponents to a league low 16 helpers per night. The Greens’ offense has faltered in recent weeks despite strong performances from [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/), who has averaged 3.3 triples over the last four games, and needs more inside presence after attempting only 22 two-pointers in last week’s loss at Maccabi.

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (19:00 CET)

A big battle between direct rivals on the fringes of the playoff places will see ASVEL (8-10) and Milan (9-9) desperate to get back into winning ways. Milan, which has lost three in a row, is attempting to complete a season sweep over the French team after winning 92-84 at home less than a month ago, when experienced guard [Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/) set the tone by snaring 6 steals. That game did not feature another veteran, [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/), who will look to make the difference and maintain his strong form by guiding ASVEL to the 9-point win it needs for head-to-head advantage. The game features the league’s top two players in PIR, as [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) (23.5) and [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) (23.2) attempt to dominate their respective areas of the court.

Round 19 Head-to-Head: Sirvydis vs. Fournier

### ALBA Berlin vs. AS Monaco (20:00 CET)

Confident co-leader Monaco (12-6) will look to strengthen its position in the all-important top four by downing rock bottom ALBA (3-15). Monaco has won the last six meetings between the teams, most recently handing out a 100-80 thrashing a month ago behind 17 points from [Vitto Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vitto-brown/013365/). ALBA’s porous defense – which has allowed a league-high 90.8 points per game – must somehow slow down a multi-faceted Monaco offense led by backcourt stars [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) (14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game) and [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/), who is looking for a fifth straight game of double-digit scoring. To limit their effectiveness, the German team will need Icelandic point guard [Martin Hermannsson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/martin-hermannsson/008780/) to continue his strong season (11.5 points, 5.2 assists) and control the tempo in the quest for an upset win.

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:30 CET)

Baskonia (8-10) will look to take the confidence of last week's remarkable comeback against Paris to stop the run of a Zvezda (10-8) team which has won four of its last five games. The Serbian team, which has claimed five road wins already, will be led in the frontcourt by [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/), who has recorded double digit PIRs in six consecutive games and could receive energetic support from newcomer [John Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/john-brown-iii/010588/) if the former Monaco forward makes his debut. Baskonia will counter that through the tireless [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/), who combined with backcourt star [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) for 57 points in the confidence-building Round 18 triumph. Baskonia needs an 8-point winning margin to claim the head-to-head advantage, after losing 78-71 in Belgrade in October. 

Round 19 Head-to-Head: Moneke vs. Davidovac

## Friday, December 27

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (18:45 CET)

In Friday’s opening tip-off, a crucial Istanbul derby will see Fenerbahce (10-7) attempt to emerge from a worrying slump by overcoming Efes (10-8). [Saras Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/jasikevicius-saras/?season=E2024)'s team has lost three in a row and needs to fix a defense which has allowed an average of 93.3 points in that run. Efes also needs to bounce back after losing by 19 at Monaco last week despite another strong performance from big man [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) (10 points, 4.6 boards per game). The visitor has added motivation after being beaten by Fenerbahce, 78-83, at home in Round 2 behind 16 points from [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/). Strangely, eight of the last ten meetings between these local rivals have been won by the away team, so Efes will aim to maintain that sequence by making Fenerbahce’s homecourt advantage count for nothing again.

Round 19 Head-to-Head: Guduric vs. Thompson

### Paris Basketball vs. FC Barcelona (20:15 CET)

Two former league leaders struggling for form will look to start 2025 in the right way as Paris (11-6) hosts Barcelona (9-9) in a must-win game for both teams. Barca big man [Chimizie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chimezie-metu/013379/) made a strong return from injury in last week's loss to Zvezda, netting 16 points on 6-of-7 field goal shooting, and he will enjoy a good matchup with [Collin Malcom](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/collin-malcolm/012609/), who averages 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds over the last two games. Paris, which is on a three-game losing streak, needs to show mental strength to recover from last week’s collapse at Baskonia, while Barca have a major score to settle with the host after [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) (24 points, 9 assists) inspired a stunning 87-103 victory at Palau Blaugrana earlier in the season.

Round 19 Head-to-Head: Lo vs. Punter

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:15 CET)

Much-improved Virtus (5-15) will look for a third straight win with the tough mission of triumphing at reigning champ Panathinaikos (11-7). Veteran visiting coach [Dusko Ivanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/ivanovic-dusko/?season=E2024) will look to damage one of his former clubs through the power of rejuvenated forward [Achille Polonara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/), whose 17 points and 9 rebounds played a major role in last week’s convincing win over ASVEL. But the reigning champ is on a three-game winning roll after closing out 2024 with a strong road win at Bayern, featuring a solid debut from new big man [Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/). The Greens will also again lean on league-leading scorer [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), who netted 27 points in Munich and will resist the Italian visitor’s attempts to claim a shock road victory.

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)

Two of last week's winners will look to build momentum as Partizan (8-10) hosts Maccabi (5-13). Round 18 MVP [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) will look to maintain the form which has seen him score at least 12 points in ten consecutive games, but the Maccabi forward faces stuff competition from [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isiaha-mike/011836/), who produced his best performance of the season with 9 points and 7 rebounds to power last week’s win over Fenerbahce. That game also saw another strong performance from guard [Duane Washington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/duane-washington/013370/), who is now looking truly comfortable in the EuroLeague after averaging 18 points in the last four games. Elsewhere in the backcourt, league-leading assister [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) (8.4 per game) faces an intriguing matchup with Partizan leader [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/), who bounced back to form with 14 points and 5 assists last week.

### Real Madrid vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:30 CET)

Fast-rising Real (9-9) aims for a fourth straight win with a visit from high-flying Bayern (11-7). The Spanish side will be looking for revenge – and a 9-point victory for head-to-head advantage – after losing a thriller, 97-89, in Round 1 in Munich. That game saw Bayern show its finishing power by netting 33 points in the final quarter, powered by [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) grabbing a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. The German big man’s ability to take [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) out of his comfort zone in the paint could again be crucial. [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) will take center stage as he breaks the all-time EuroLeague appearance record, and he will look to continue the long-range shooting form which saw him score a season-high 20 points in last week's win at ALBA.

Round 19 Head-to-Head: Llull vs. Edwards

Four games take place on January 2 and five on January 3

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2025-01-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v FC Barcelona (2025-01-03T19:15:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-01-03T19:15:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-01-03T17:45:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-01-02T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-01-02T19:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v AS Monaco (2025-01-02T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-01-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Euroleague Basketball is proud to announce that dynamic guard Theo Maledon of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has been named the MVP for December

Theo Maledon makes history as December MVP

Euroleague Basketball is proud to announce that dynamic guard Theo Maledon of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has been named the MVP for December. Maledon's outstanding performance over the past month has captured the attention of fans, coaches, and analysts alike, establishing him as one of the league’s brightest rising stars.

In December, Maledon delivered a series of dominant performances, leading his team to crucial victories with an impressive mix of scoring, playmaking, and leadership on both ends of the floor. His ability to impact the game consistently, particularly in high-pressure moments, has made him an indispensable asset for ASVEL.

Maledon authored an outstanding all-around month during which he averaged 21.2 points per game, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists for a PIR of 26.8. He led all players in PIR in December and ranked third in scoring. Maledon knocked down an impressive 46 of 50 free throws in that time frame, too.

Perhaps most important to his candidacy was the fact that he led ASVEL to a winning month that saw it climb from the foot of the standings to the heart of the push for a postseason berth. Maledon was the MVP for Round 13 when ASVEL upended Real Madrid and continued to star as his team ended Paris Basketball’s 10-game winning streak and then recorded road wins at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Zalgiris Kaunas, the last two of those coming in the same week.

The MVP of the Month is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performances. The award for December covered the six games played by all teams between Rounds 13 and 18.

This marks the first time that a player from ASVEL has been chosen as the EuroLeague MVP of the month. Maledon becomes the fourth French player to earn the honor following his ASVEL teammate Nando De Colo (January 2015, February 2016, January 2018, all with CSKA Moscow), Thomas Heurtel (February 2017 with Anadolu Efes Istanbul) and Guerschon Yabusele (January 2022 with Real Madrid).

A rising star in European basketball, the 23-year-old Maledon is in his second EuroLeague season. Just 16 years old when he first signed with ASVEL, Maledon first played for the youth systems at SPO Rouen then the French national academy. He played his first EuroLeague campaign with ASVEL in 2019-20 and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft. Maledon went on to play four seasons in the NBA for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns before returning home to ASVEL, France and the EuroLeague this season.

More on Theo Maledon

The LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard is the club’s first-ever MVP of the month in the EuroLeague

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz announced on Monday that it has signed Luka Samanic 

Luka Samanic arrives to bolster Baskonia frontline

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz announced on Monday that it has signed [Luka Samanic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/luka-samanic/007579/) (2.08 meters, 24 years old). The big man arrives from Cibona Zagreb, where he returned to action and averaged 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 block in three games in the ABA League.

Samanic spent parts of four seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe this summer. He originally penned a two-year deal with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, but the sides agreed to void the deal in September due to personal reasons.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">✍️ OFICIAL | Luka Samanic, nueva pieza de valor para el juego interior de Baskonia<br><br>🗞️ <a href="https://t.co/X2zXdoE42L">https://t.co/X2zXdoE42L</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OngiEtorriLuka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OngiEtorriLuka</a> <a href="https://t.co/AMgkxat42k">pic.twitter.com/AMgkxat42k</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1873679072477528085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Samanic spent last season with the Utah Jazz, where he averaged 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per night across 43 appearances in the NBA. That was his second campaign with the Jazz.

The Croatian power forward began his professional career with FC Barcelona B in the 2017-18 season and went on to play for Petrol Olimpija in 2018-19 before heading stateside. Samanic’s first two years in the NBA were with the San Antonio Spurs, having been selected by the five-time NBA champion with the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Across those two seasons in San Antonio, he also played for the team’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. The 24-year-old went on to feature in the G League for the Westchester Knicks in 2021-22 and the Maine Celtics in 2022-23.

Samanic had his best NBA statistics in the 2022-23 campaign, which was his first with the Jazz. He posted 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in seven games. Then, he had one more season with Utah before opting to return to Europe.

The latest Baskonia news

Luka Samanic in action with Cibona Zagreb earlier this season

The big man joins the club after a spell with Cibona Zagreb in his native Croatia

Luka Samanic arrives to bolster Baskonia frontline 

Increased aggression in transition, regardless of how subtle, has played a role in the rise in efficiency EuroLeague-wide this season

Stats review: Pace and efficiency are up this season 

Pace and efficiency are up in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season and one of the reasons why played a not-so-subtle role in one of Round 18’s most significant outcomes. Paris Basketball and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz combined to score 38 points in transition as the latter managed a crucial home win at Buesa Arena to stay attached to the 15-team cluster jockeying for position entering the second half of the regular season. 

While 38 may not seem like a big number, it is worth noting that the average game featured only 21 points in transition per game a year ago. Historically, it is extremely hard to get in the open floor in the EuroLeague as the level of organization simply doesn’t allow for it; teams take care of the ball, which makes it hard to turn defense into offense and they change ends quickly to take away runouts after missed shots. As a result, seven teams generated less than 10% of their total opportunities in the open floor last season.  That is true for only one unit this season as, across the league, teams have been more decisive when looking to push in the early going.

That increased aggression, regardless of how subtle, has played a role in the rise in efficiency league-wide this season. Transition efficiency has been largely flat in recent seasons even as pace has ebbed and flowed and turnovers are not up on the year. With the average transition possession being roughly 20% more efficient than the average half-court possession, teams looking to be more opportunistic has been one of the small changes propelling the EuroLeague back up to its gaudy pre-pandemic offensive efficiency.

The table above lists the seven teams pushing the pace more often than anyone else this season.  Even as ALBA Berlin has had a hard time securing victories early on, their production in the open floor has been a bright spot and given them a puncher's chance against several playoff teams. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have both found success pushing to score as they begin to get back on track in the half-court with Barcelona shooting the three opportunistically and Madrid finishing layups at a tremendous rate when they run.

Paris Basketball and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens are the enigmas on this list. No team has been more aggressive shooting transition three-pointers than Paris, who attempts nearly half of their shots from beyond the arc when they run. Panathinaikos, in contrast, has attempted a EuroLeague-low 15% of their shots in the open floor from beyond the arc as they are very aggressive putting pressure on the rim.  While Paris makes a concerted effort to look for shooters, they have shot 31% from beyond the arc in the open floor compared to 35% in the half-court.  The team missed their last 4 transition threes against Baskonia as their tempo and shooting did not provide much relief during a 23-point swing on the scoreboard in the second half.

One of the key contributors in that swing was Chima Moneke who scored 13 points in transition alone to help Baskonia secure victory.  The veteran forward currently ranks second among all players in transition points per game after leading the league last season.

The only player scoring more prolifically in transition is FC Bayern Munich guard Carsen Edwards.  Averaging 1.42 points per possession in transition, Edwards has been hugely effective this season and the main reason Bayern leads all teams in transition efficiency. 

EuroLeague offenses tend to be well-oiled machines, but there’s a chance that this season winds up being the most efficient season on record when the regular season comes to a close.  It will be interesting to see what subtle things, like transition play, push the league to new heights and what kind of staying power those things have in the coming seasons.

Increased aggression in transition, regardless of how subtle, has played a role in the rise in efficiency league-wide this season