Both teams have plenty of reasons to be pleased about the decisions that led to them being where they are now
The battle for first between Bayern and Zalgiris
Game Preview
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 8 of 34
Regular Season
FC Bayern MunichBAY
7774
Zalgiris KaunasZAL
Overview
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Round 8 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season features the Derby of the Eternal Enemies and a showdown between Spanish powerhouses FC Barcelona and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. But the matchup between the teams with the best records will be Thursday night's showdown between FC Bayern Munich and Zalgiris Kaunas.
Yes, you read that correctly. Through seven rounds, Zalgiris sits alone atop the standings with just a single loss. Bayern is among four teams tied for second at 5-2.
There are plenty of storylines to this game, including that Bayern boasts the league’s best offense with 88.3 points scored per game and Zalgiris has the league’s stingiest defense with a mere 71.4 points allowed.
But what I find most interesting about this game is the fact that Bayern can welcome the team with the best record in the league – a team whose top scorer (Sylvain Francisco) played for it last season and whose head coach (Andrea Trinchieri) was on its bench until the summer of 2023 – to a sold-out SAP Garden without any regrets.
In different times, seeing the success that Trinchieri has found with Zalgiris – especially with Francisco leading the way – might be a difficult pill for Bayern to swallow. But today, Bayen can greet these two and give them a tour of the amazing arena that was being built when they left, before hosting a game in which a home win would vault Bayern to the top of the standings.
Among the reasons Bayern has no regrets is that it has found a coaching maestro of its own in former German national team head coach and FIBA World Cup winner Gordie Herbert and a high-scoring playmaker in Shabazz Napier. There are many reasons for Bayern's strong start to the season, from Carsen Edwards's scoring to Devin Booker's inside presence to Nick Weiler-Babb's versatility to Johannes Voigtmann's veteran leadership, but Napier, despite coming off the bench in all but one game, has been Herbert's right-hand man on the court.
Bayern, which comes off back-to-back road wins, has aced its three tests at home, with Napier averaging 20.7 points against the trio of Real Madrid, Paris Basketball and Olympiacos Piraeus. And Coach Herbert will hope Napier remains in top form for his showdown with Francisco.
Trinchieri and Francisco will also be looking to shine on their Munich visit. The coach has his name on some of the greatest seasons in Bayern history, including its only two EuroLeague playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022. And Francisco, who will be eager to bounce back from a tough outing against AS Monaco last week, will face a handful of former teammates as Zalgiris’s go-to scorer.
Does the fact that Trinchieri and Francisco know so many of Bayern’s players give them an advantage? Perhaps. But under Coach Herbert, Bayern is playing a different brand of basketball and averaging nearly a dozen points per game more than it did in Trinchieri’s last season there.
On the court, Bayern’s ability to control the glass through Voigtmann and Booker and push the pace through Napier and Weiler-Babb could be the decisive factor, while Zalgiris will rely on a team defensive effort with unsung heroes like Dovydas Giedraitis, Edgaras Ulanovas and Arnas Butkevicius playing key roles. New Zalgiris signing Lonnie Walker is in line to make his debut, too.
At the heart of it all, however, are two teams whose fans can be proud of their fantastic starts to the season. And who should be able to enjoy an intense and exciting Round 8 game.