Shane Larkin and Will Clyburn returned to form in an 89-84 win against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.
Old stars leading a new-look Efes
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A new-look Anadolu Efes Istanbul was inspired by its old leaders en route to a much-needed first victory of the season, with Shane Larkin and Will Clyburn combining for 37 points, 10 assists and 12 rebounds in the Turkish team’s Round 3 victory, 89-84, over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Tuesday.
Efes has enjoyed unusual stability in recent years, with head coach Ergin Ataman counting on a settled roster of players to secure consecutive EuroLeague titles in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
But that era is now over, with Ataman heading to Panathinaikos Athens and several key players – such as Vasilije Micic, Bryant Dunston and Chris Singleton – also moving on.
Looking towards a new future
The transition under new coach Erdem Can, who replaced Ataman in the summer, has not been straightforward with Efes losing its first two games of the season as new signings like Darius Thompson, Derek Willis and Tyrique Jones gradually settled in their fresh surroundings.
But when the pressure situation of Tuesday’s meeting with ASVEL came around, with Efes desperately needing to get into the win column against an opponent it would expect to beat at home, it was the tried and trusted stars rather than the new arrivals who stepped forward.
Larkin, Clyburn bounced back
Firstly, Larkin, who netted 18 points on 3-of-7 three-point shooting and also led the team with 6 assists and 6 rebounds. Clyburn posted very similar numbers, bouncing back from a slow start to the season by scoring 19 points along with 4 assists and 6 boards.
Tellingly, Larkin (32:19 minutes) and Clyburn (31:48) spent more time on the court than any other players, showing that Coach Can is expecting the stars he inherited to take leadership roles as the new-look team takes shape.
And having played that role to perfection, the veteran duo spoke like leaders too, insisting there is a lot more to come from this fast-developing team.
“It’s a new team, with new chemistry that we have to build,” said Larkin. “So we’ve just got to be patient and continue to stick with each other, day by day get better and see where we can end up.”
Clyburn struck a similar tone as he observed: “We struggled in our first two games but it’s a learning process. A new coach, new team, but we’re going to get it together.”
With Larkin and Clyburn still onboard and playing close to their best, the process of ‘getting it together’ should be much easier.