Happy New Year’s everyone! This is a time when many people in different cultures bestow gifts on friends and family, while others make resolutions for what they wish to improve in the new year. With that in mind, here’s one simple wish or suggestion for each of the 18 teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague that could make them better in 2023.
New Year’s gifts for each EuroLeague team
Article
9 Mins read
ALBA Berlin
A turnover shredder
German champion ALBA Berlin stands out from the rest in the ways it attacks the basket with constant motion without the ball alongside great ball movement. The only downside to ALBA’s ways is that it leads the league in turnovers with 14.8 per game. If Coach Israel Gonzales’s men can cut down those miscues, the ALBA offense becomes even more of a threat as evidenced by its Round 16 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne when it committed just 9 turnovers and scored 91 points.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul
A healthy Shane Larkin
It’s a no-brainer really. Larkin has been one of the most dominant players on the continent since the day he first threw on an Efes jersey. Since his injury during EuroBasket 2022, Efes has struggled to replicate its best basketball with Vasilije Micic and Will Clyburn playing heavy minutes. Larkin’s return not only makes Efes more dangerous to opponents, but it will allow Coach Ergin Ataman to redistribute his playing time and ensure that his players reach the playoffs better rested. Larkin debuted last week in Tel Aviv and when he gets back into top form, it will surely be a blessing for Efes.
AS Monaco
Robin
Mike James is Monaco’s Batman… if not its Superman. And club management has done a fantastic job of putting together a talented cast around him. That said, most championship-caliber teams have a clear 1A sidekick, a secondary leader and scorer who can step up when the going gets tough or the opposition doubles down on stopping James. There are several candidates on Monaco and to make a championship run, one of those players must emerge as Monaco’s clear No. 2.
Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Take care of business early
No team has been in as many close games this season as Baskonia. Coach Joan Penarroya’s charges have already won seven games in which they trailed entering the fourth quarter. While Baskonia has shown its mettle by coming back to win so those games, having a few more nights where it takes care of business early and can play out the fourth quarter on cruise control could ease some nerves down the stretch.
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
The best of Campazzo
Zvezda already gave itself a great present for 2023 in signing two-time EuroLeague champion Facundo Campazzo. Although he debuted for Zvezda in the ABA League, he is still awaiting eligibility in the EuroLeague. Getting Campazzo on the floor as soon as possible became more urgent when Luca Vildoza was injured last week. He's expected to miss at least two weeks. When they finally get together, the All-Argentinian backcourt of Campazzo and Vildoza could be all this team needs to end a six-season playoff drought.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
The fountain of youth
It’s been a tough first half of the season for Milan due to injuries. Coach Ettore Messina’s squad is one of the oldest in the league with nine players in their 30s and three more who are 29. With five former All-EuroLeague selections, there is no shortage of star players on the team and if they can get healthy and find their peak level in the second half of the season, a playoff run and more could be in the cards.
FC Barcelona
Peak at the right time
On paper, Barcelona has it all. And it has for the past two seasons under Coach Sarunas Jasikevicus. But it has come up short when it matters most by losing in the championship game in 2021 to Anadolu Efes Istanbul and in the semifinal last season to Real Madrid. The greatest gift of all for Barcelona in 2023 would be to hit its peak and play its best basketball in May in Kaunas to have a shot at lifting the EuroLeague crown for the first time since 2010.
FC Bayern Munich
Soft rims
Bayern has no shortage of shot makers on the roster, but it has struggled to get shots to fall. The club is last in the league in both two-point shooting (43.3%) and field-goal shooting (39.5%). Some of that is down to bad luck. One way to fix that is to order some softer rims for Audi Dome – and the rest of the arenas Bayern will visit.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Nemanja Bjelica
What do you get a team that has it all? How about a former EuroLeague MVP? And it just so happens that Fenerbahce has one waiting in the wings. Coach Dimitris Itoudis’s team has played some fantastic basketball this season and was alone atop the standings before injuries struck. Nemanja Bjelica was expected to play a leading role for the club this season. But has yet to get fully healthy. His infusion into the roster, alongside a quick acclimation for Kostas Antetokounmpo, could have Fenerbahce riding high again.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
A green light
ASVEL has some fine shooters on the team, but Coach T.J. Parker’s side has fired up the fewest three-point tries in the league this season (20.8 per game). Only seven times this season has ASVEL made more threes than its opponents and it won four of those games. Considering that ASVEL’s 37.0% accuracy from deep is seventh in the league, a green light from behind the arc could help ASVEL going forward.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
A boost on the defensive glass
Maccabi rebuilt its frontline this season with a smaller and more athletic approach and it has been a modest success; Maccabi leads the league in offensive rebounds and is second in blocked shots. However, it is third-to-last in defensive rebounds. Because it has athletic guards who like to push the pace, controlling the defensive glass is critical for Maccabi, which is 8-2 when it has out-rebounded its opponents. The gift of a boost on the defensive glass would serve Coach Oded Kattash’s men well.
Olympiacos Piraeus
A lot of bubble wrap
Sasha Vezenkov is enjoying a season for the ages. His PIR of 25.3 is the highest for a forward in the EuroLeague in the last two decades and if he keeps it up, it would be the most by any player over a full season since Boban Marjanovic’s 25.7 in 2014-15. And with a player performing at that level, Olympiacos is a clear Final Four candidate. So get the Reds some bubble wrap to protect Vezenkov as much as possible and keep him in tip-top shape.
Panathinaikos Athens
Wonder Twins activate!
In the D.C. Comics Universe, the Wonder Twins were extraterrestrial siblings who together could do some amazing things. This season Panathinaikos has two young talented twins of its own, Georgios and Panos Kalaitzakis. The 24-year-olds have carved out roles as part-time starters, but neither has yet to make a major impact. If the Wonder Twins activate down the stretch, they could make a difference on an already deep roster to help the Greens make a playoff run.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade
Time
If only Coach Zeljko Obradovic had some extra time to work with his players. Not just a few hours or days, but an extra year together. Partizan is among the youngest teams in the league and players like Alen Smailagic, Yam Madar, Tristan Vukcevic, Gregor Glas and Balsa Koprivica all have bright futures ahead of them. However, they are still prone to mistakes and, as a young team, Partizan has allowed a league-high 85.3 points per game. It’s something that can be fixed, if only there was enough time.
Real Madrid
The Last Dance
Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez are players whose contributions to Real Madrid’s greatness will live forever. But at ages 37 and 36, respectively, it’s safe to say that their best days are behind them. Add to them Sergio Lull and Fabien Causeur, who are both 35, and you get the feeling that this may be the last dance for this core of Real players together. Here’s hoping they get the most out of it and give the fans a finish to remember.
Valencia Basket
An experience super-sizer
At nearly the midway point of the regular season, Valencia Basket is a mere one win outside of the playoff zone despite the fact that half of its roster are EuroLeague rookies. Not surprisingly, that has led to some inconsistency from young talents such as Kyle Alexander, Jared Harper, Jonah Radebaugh and James Webb. What if they can put it all together for the second half of the season? If they can build on their experience in the first half and reach their potential in the season, Valencia would become a very dangerous team.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna
A comeback (or two)
The ability to fight back from a deficit and win a tough game is a necessity to reach the EuroLeague Playoffs and it’s something that Virtus has struggled with so far. Despite having plenty of experience, including multiple former champs on the roster, Virtus has only won two game this season in which it trailed entering the fourth quarter. The good news is they have come recently, in Round 14 against Maccabi and last week against Fenerbahce. A few more comebacks early in 2023 could set Virtus up for a playoff run – and more!
Zalgiris Kaunas
A Final Four party
It might be unfair to gift an appearance at the Final Four to one team, but just imagine what a celebration it would be if Kaunas held a Final Four with Zalgiris! In lieu of that, let's simply wish that Zalgiris, the city of Kaunas and Zalgirio Arena host a memorable basketball party for this season’s Final Four that makes sure all the visitors understand what a great basketball nation Lithuania is. And if Zalgiris can sneak in, what an event it would be!