The march towards the 7DAYS EuroCup postseason began in earnest in Round 12 with various players born in 2001 or after proving that they can have an impact on the playoffs race.
Stats Review: Impact young players
Stats
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High-Gravity Matchups
In the first year of the EuroCup's new format, the unlikely possibility that the teams at the top of both groups would face off on the same week has hit in Round 12. With Joventut Badalona taking on Partizan NIS Belgrade and Gran Canaria playing Valencia Basket, last week had a distinct playoff feel.
Joventut-Partizan
Joventut secured an 92-84 home victory over Partizan to get two wins clear at the top of Group A. The difference for the hosts was their three-point shooting. They went 16-for-35 from beyond the arc to dominate the second the third quarters after a slow start. Notably, Joventut shot 5-for-15 from beyond the arc from the right wing and 11-for-20 from the left wing.
That has been the norm for Joventut all season as the shot chart above suggests. Its shooters have attempted nearly 30 more three-pointers from the left wing than the right while making nearly 8% more of those shots. The differences in shooters and shot types between sides is mostly nominal. Ultimately, most of the top team's shooters have simply been more consistent when left open on the right side of the floor. Many teams have a quirk with regards to their shooting, especially in the relatively small sample of games that have been played to this point. Whether it's a distinct off-the-catch versus off-the-dribble split, a few obvious hot spots, or Joventut's left-right differential, there's often plenty to be learned from a spatial analysis of a team's shooting and sometimes it plays out in real time like it did in Round 12.
Gran Canaria-Valencia
In a Spanish League showdown, Gran Canaria secured a 91-90 overtime victory over Valencia. While AJ Slaughter finished with a game-high 23 points, the hosts also got 18 points in 22 minutes from 20-year-old center Khalifa Diop.
While Diop turned in one of the most impressive games of any young player in recent history – also securing 9 rebounds while needing only 12 shots to tally his 18 points – there are several others around his age have been consistently productive this season.
It's hard to understate just how difficult it is for young players to contribute to winning in the EuroCup, but the players above have all carved out roles this year despite fighting an uphill battle against players often five years older or more.
Valencia big man Jaime Pradilla has not just been the most productive young scorer in the EuroCup, but he currently leads the competition in two-point field goal percentage shooting a blistering 83.3% inside the arc. Playing within himself consistently around the rim, he has been a valuable asset for a team primed for a deep playoff run.
Big forward Nikolaos Rogkavopoulos has made a splash for Promitheas in his first season with the club, providing value with his perimeter shot-making, the same reason that shooting guard Gregor Glas has been prolific in spurts for Partizan. Shooting is always at a premium for EuroCup teams and an obvious route to game action at this level for young players.
Hamburg native Justus Hollatz is the lone point guard on the list above. Playing a position that demands poise and consistency, players like Hollatz face a particularly harsh reality at the EuroCup level given the burden the pick-and-roll play puts on a team's primary ball-handler. While he is still improving as a pull-up jump shooter, Hollatz's passing ability has helped him contribute to Hamburg Towers' push to qualify for the postseason in the team's European debut.
Khalifa Diop is perhaps the rarest of young players at the EuroCup level. Standing 2.13 meters with a 2.19-meter wingspan and a strong 250-pound frame, his size is remarkable for a player of any age at any level of the spot. After contributing in a limited role last season, Diop has taken a major step forward this year and that ultimately was key for Gran Canaria to get clear of Valencia at the top of Group B with their Round 12 win.
Looking Ahead to Round 13
The bottom of Group B is going to be a story follow from here on out as one win separates the four teams vying for the last two playoff spots. The two teams on the outside looking in, Promitheas Patras and Frutti Extra Bursaspor, will go head-to-head in Round 13 in a game that could have lasting implications for that cluster of teams.