Our experts offer up a suggestion for every team on Black Friday
Power rankings: Black Friday edition
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7 Mins read
Welcome to the Black Friday edition of the EuroLeague Power Rankings.
The list is the brainchild of EuroLeague.net's team of experts, which is made up of Geoff Gillingham, Javier Gancedo, Frankie Sachs and Igor Petrinovic. The rankings are not a prediction of what the final standings will look like, but rather where all 20 teams stand – in their humble opinions – today, after Round 13.
In the spirit of Black Friday, we have recommended a purchase that each team should make at the theoretical “basketball store” to help them this season.
1. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (9-4)
Black Friday purchase: A comprehensive insurance policy
The Greens jumped the gun and made their purchase a few weeks ago by signing Kenneth Faried, whose effort has played a large part in Panathinaikos now sitting atop these rankings. Panathinaikos has looked fantastic over the last few weeks as it has reeled off four straight wins. However, it has relied on a 35-year-old point guard (Kostas Sloukas) and 36-year-old center (Faried). Getting continued strong play from those vets and healthy returns from injury from Omer Yurtseven, Richaun Holmes and Mathias Lessort would be the greatest holiday gift Panathinaikos fans could hope for.
2. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (9-4)
Black Friday purchase: Home games in Tel Aviv
Hapoel has taken the league by storm in its first season in Europe's premier competition, and its spot tied atop the standings comes in large part thanks to its league-best 5-2 record on the road. Hapoel is 4-2 in “home games” in Bulgaria, including last week's 74-75 loss to Real Madrid. One can only wonder the impact of playing that game in front of a sold-out crowd in Tel Aviv would have had on the outcome – and future games against the best teams in Europe.
3. Olympiacos Piraeus (8-5)
Black Friday purchase: A “groove” for some shooters
What do you get for a team that has everything it needs? The Reds' one-two punch at center is as good as any in the league. Sasha Vezenkov is playing at his usual MVP level. Tyler Dorsey is enjoying the best season of his career. Thomas Walkup is a stalwart in the backcourt. That said, All-EuroLeague swingman Evan Fournier's production has fallen from last season's and Saben Lee has not taken a step forward. Only Alec Peters is shooting above 40% from downtown. If Olympiacos's shooters can catch a groove, this is a much more dangerous team.
4. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (9-4)
Black Friday purchase: A power-up to use on the road
What this team has done is remarkable, considering the lengthy injury absences to several key players. With Jordan Nwora back and Devonte' Graham having made his debut, things are looking even better. Zvezda showed in Wednesday’s come-from-behind win over Olympiacos how much power it can draw from its passionate home base; the team’s 7-1 home-record is second-best in the league. But to remain a contender, it must be better than its 1-3 record outside of Belgrade.
5. AS Monaco (8-5)
Black Friday purchase: A portable hot streak machine
Monaco just smashed its own club record in back-to-back weeks, but the team’s biggest rival remains inconsistency. At home they look like they’re surfing a perpetual wave; on the road they don’t always reach championship heights. On the nights when Mike James, Elie Okobo and Daniel Theis sync up with the ever-steady Alpha Diallo and Jaron Blossomgame, Monaco’s swagger becomes scary. A little “hot streak on demand” button would make them downright unfair.
6. Zalgiris Kaunas (8-5)
Black Friday purchase: An experienced floor-stretcher
Zalgiris is exceeding expectations due to a very balanced roster, so not much would need to be added. A reliable shooting guard who can pull the trigger consistently from beyond the arc, however, would give Sylvain Francisco and Nigel Williams-Goss even more space to play one-on-one and attack the rim. Zalgiris already has six players shooting over 40.0% from beyond the arc, but a little extra firepower would make it even better.
7. Valencia Basket
Black Friday purchase: More inside muscle
Valencia has a very deep team with a little bit of everything, but lacks physicality in the paint. So far, Nate Reuvers has done an excellent job and Matt Costello is a mobile big man who plays strong. Those two and Jaime Pradilla would appreciate some extra help inside, someone who can play above the rim and have a physical presence in the paint, blocking shots and crashing the boards.
8. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (8-5)
Black Friday purchase: Some lucky rolls
The amount of firepower on this Fenerbahce roster is not consistent with the numbers it has produced. The team is 18th in the league in scoring (79.6 ppg.) – and before you point out that it also plays at a slower pace, it is also 18th in two-point shooting (50.9%). Coming up next, Fenerbahce faces one of the league’s staunchest defenses, Olympiacos, on the road. However, the fix could be as simple as some lucky rolls because there is no question that Wade Baldwin, Devon Hall and Tarik Biberovic from last season’s championship squad and newcomer Talen Horton-Tucker are legit scorers who could help raise those numbers.
9. Real Madrid (7-6)
Black Friday purchase: An elite sharpshooter
Real Madrid needs a shooting specialist to balance its roster. It has had players like Jaycee Carroll and Dzanan Musa in the past, and that is the type of profile that would make Los Blancos even more dangerous. Giving Facu Campazzo another pair of safe hands to pass the ball to should make Real Madrid more unpredictable on offense, and give one-on-one players like Mario Hezonja and Gabriel Deck more space to play one on one.
10. FC Barcelona (8-5)
Black Friday purchase: More power in the paint
Barça needs more athleticism in the paint and that should be its first priority if coach Xavi Pascual wants to make the team more competitive. A good rebounder with good hands who can finish above the rim would be the ideal profile for the job. Barça has two top-class offensive talents at center, Jan Vesely and Willy Hernangomez, and would be even better with a strong, powerful big man down low.
11. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (7-6)
Black Friday purchase: A fully stocked health bar
The Peppe Poeta era has begun. He aced his two cameo wins, then debuted as head coach with a Round 13 encore. Now all Milan wants for Black Friday is… bodies that stay intact. Injuries have haunted them for years, so Poeta is surely guarding his roster like rare collectibles. Armoni Brooks is thriving under him, Shavon Shields just dropped a statement performance, and with good health, Milan’s ceiling skyrockets.
12. Dubai Basketball (6-7)
Black Friday purchase: A few extra nights of sleep at home
Travel takes its toll, and no one travels more than Dubai. So, it is not that surprising that the EuroLeague newcomers have a 5-1 home record but are 1-6 on the road. Away from home, Dubai is dead last in three-point shooting, shooting a league-low 28.6% and making 6.9 triples per game, which is 1.0 three per game fewer than the next best team and at least 3.1 three-pointers made fewer than the best seven road teams in this category. The rims are the same in all the arenas, so sleep and rest must have something to do with it; buying a few extra hours of sleep would be a no-brainer of a Black Friday investment.
13. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (5-8)
Black Friday purchase: A top-of-the-line head coach
Efes has had some bad luck with injuries while struggling to incorporate some of its summer signings. While there is little whoever takes over from the dismissed Igor Kokoskov can do to get Shane Larkin, P.J. Dozier or Vincent Poirier back in the lineup, he can find ways to motivate the players he has and get the most out of the available talent. More than anything else, that is what Efes needs right now.
14. Virtus Bologna (6-7)
Black Friday purchase: GPS navigation for winning road games
At home, Virtus looks like a Final Four team (5–0). Away from Bologna? The GPS keeps rerouting. Its 1-7 road mark hides some close heartbreaks, but narrow losses in Barcelona and Istanbul show it is not far off. Carsen Edwards is basically a cheat code at home (21.4 ppg.) and merely “really good” on the road (15.5 ppg.). A little travel magic would change everything.
15. Paris Basketball (5-8)
Black Friday purchase: A team-wide glue kit
Paris has only one win in its last seven, but every one of those losses has been within reach. With Lamar Stevens finally debuting and Jared Rhoden joining the mix, the roster is filling out. Justin Robinson has emerged as a top EuroLeague guard, and Nadir Hifi remains a human spark plug. What Paris needs now is simple: everyone healthy, available, and connected long enough to build momentum.
16. FC Bayern Munich (5-8)
Black Friday purchase: A few nights at a nice Munich hotel
Bayern has now lost four games in a row – the last two by a combined 48 points. This comes in the midst of a run of seven straight EuroLeague games on the road. Coach Gordon Herbert has not been with the team over the last three games either due to illness. What Bayern could use are a few nights at home – or maybe at a luxury hotel in Munich – to get back on track.
17. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (4-9)
Black Friday purchase: Coupons for “better defensive effort”
In the first two months of the season, we have watched Partizan players play subpar levels on defense. Partizan is ranked dead-last in opponents’ three-point shooting (41.5%) and second-to-last two-point shooting allowed (58.7%). Whether Zeljko Obradovic stays or a new head coach arrives, if he can redeem coupons for better defense, he may be able to help Partizan get out of its current tailspin.
18. Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (4-9)
Black Friday purchase: A stud stretch-4
Baskonia would improve right away with a power forward who can open the floor and attack the rim. Tadas Sedekerskis is already there, doing a great job and leading the team as its captain. Clement Frisch has seen very limited playing time. Baskonia has a great tradition of great power forwards, including Luis Scola, Mirza Teletovic and Toko Shengelia, among others. With that type of player, Baskonia would have a more balanced roster.
19. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (3-10)
Black Friday purchase: A true rim protector
Maccabi started the season without a true rim protector at the center position and has paid a price for that. While it has managed to block its fair share of shots thanks to the athleticism and mobility of players like TJ Leaf and Roman Sorkin, the team has no true traditional center (spare inexperienced rookie Clifford Omoruyi). Accordingly, Maccabi is second-to-last in the league in rebounding difference, and it needs a defensive backbone to improve on that.
20. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (3-10)
Black Friday purchase: A reinforcement bundle pack
Someone has to sit at the bottom, and right now it’s ASVEL. The results have been rough, though the Round 13 return of Nando De Colo was at least a bright spot. Still, reinforcements – any shape, any size – would transform the outlook. Until then, coach Pierric Poupet will squeeze every drop out of the roster he has.