The table above ranks the top players in points per possession among those using over 10 possessions per game this season. Through last week, 50 players have used over 10 possessions per game. That group is scoring 1.00 points per possession—a less subtle improvement from last season than the league’s overall figures. However, this season’s volume scorers have been as efficient as in any season in recent memory.
As one might assume, based on the first month and a half of the season, that Sasha Vezenkov has set the curve among this year’s top scorers in terms of efficiency; he’s on pace for the modern EuroLeague record early on. Shooting nearly 50% from beyond the arc in the early going to complement his typical savant-level consistency inside the arc, the 27-year-old has set the bar extremely high to propel Olympiacos Piraeus toward the top of the standings and set up an intriguing showdown with Nikola Mirotic as the latter nears his return from injury. Mirotic bested Vezenkov for the top spot on last year’s scoring efficiency rankings averaging 1.26 points per possession compared to Vezenkov’s 1.20 per possession.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul won 10 games last season and is on course to eclipse that mark before the calendar turns to 2023 this one. The play of Johnathan Motley has been a factor in the team's strong start as he not only ranks among the EuroLeague leaders in points scored off rolls to the rim and putbacks, but has shot a pristine 73% around the rim overall.
Rounding out the top three is 29-year-old journeyman Naz Mitrou-Long. Even though he has only appeared in three games after losing several weeks to an early-season thigh injury, Mitrou-Long has emerged as a very effective option off the bench for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in what is only his second season in Europe.
Playing most of their minutes on the floor together, Mathias Lessort and Zach LeDay may give up size in some matchups, but have been an excellent one-two punch in the frontcourt for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade—especially on the offensive end. LeDay has shot the three well manning the power forward spot while combining with Lessort to finish 31 dunks—more than all but two teams this season.
Nicolas Laprovittola has played parts of five of the last eight seasons in the EuroLeague and the 32-year-old guard has really taken the next step this season. He found his consistency as a jump shooter in his late 20s and has translated that in an outsized role serving as FC Barcelona’s clear-cut first option in Mirotic’s absence to get out to the best start of his career.
This list always includes a few dynamic shotmakers and Elie Okobo and Markus Howard have been the league’s most consistent ones early on this season. Having guards that can stop and pop with elite efficiency off the dribble is a luxury and Howard leads all players in pull-up three-pointers made on 50% shooting with Okobo matching that remarkable percentage on fewer attempts.
Dzanan Musa made his EuroLeague debut as a 16-year-old near the beginning of the 2015-16 season and he has truly found his footing as a key contributor for the first time this season after building quite a resume elsewhere. He’s always had great offensive instincts and he currently leads all players in transition scoring and has been opportunistic off the ball in the half-court as well proving to be a terrific addition for Real Madrid.
While it remains early in the year, there’s no discounting the fast starts of the league’s stars given the competitiveness of the current format and the urgency of every game for their respective teams.
Looking ahead to Round 9
There are 12 teams with between 3 and 5 wins at the moment. Two of the teams above the fray will face off in Round 9 when AS Monaco hosts Fenerbahce in a game that could shake up the top of the standings.
Fenerbahce currently leads the EuroLeague in both offensive and defensive efficiency - a feat at any point in the season and something to monitor moving forward.
