Stats Review: When height matters

Which team stands the tallest in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague?

High-Gravity Matchup

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Real Madrid had gotten stops as consistently as any two teams in the EuroLeague entering their makeup game last week. Holding the team atop the standings to just 38% shooting inside the arc and 20% shooting from beyond it, Fenerbahce scored an emphatic 15-point home win that not only reinforced the validity of its fifth-ranked point differential, but helped them grab a spot in the playoff zone.

Tall Teams

The size a team can put on the floor and how balanced that size is across a five-man lineup has implications in a variety of areas on both ends of the floor and no team has hammered that point home as consistently as Fenerbahce throughout the season.

After setting baselines for minutes and games played to eliminate fringe players and those that only play in blowouts, Fenerbahce ranks as the tallest team in the EuroLeague with the average player in their main lineups standing 201.3 centimeters. Not only does their rotation frequently hold a size advantage, but they hold it at relatively unique spots. While teams like Real Madrid sit so high in these rankings because of centers like Walter Tavares (220 cm), it is Fenerbahce’s backcourt that often towers above the opposition.

With Jan Vesely (213 cm) more than holding his own against bigger players and Pierria Henry being the team’s shortest starter at 193 cm, Fenerbahce’s size is uniquely spread across all five positions. That affords it the ability to switch actions a lot of smaller times cannot afford to. For most teams, switches create mismatches and mismatches at this level lead to quality shots, but for Fenerbahce’s defense, the opposite has been true.

Not only can Fenerbahce simplify its rotations and prevent dribble penetration by switching, but it has allowed a top-ranked 0.68 points per isolation possession and 0.66 points per post-up possession. Whether it has been Vesely on the perimeter or Dyshawn Pierre in the post, Fenerbahce’s ability to leverage its defensive versatility has been perhaps its biggest strength this season.

Currently tied with Real Madrid allowing a league-best 0.91 points per possession overall, Fenerbahce's size and its distribution have been a differentiating factor in the team's play all year. That was particularly apparent when it held Madrid to just 8-of-23 shooting inside of 5 feet in this week's victory. Typically, Fenerbahce uses its size defensively to limit shots at the rim entirely, but in this game, it was the way it was able to consistently affect shots inside that shined.

Shooting a league-best 65% at finishing around the rim within half-court sets, Fenerbahce’s size fills a prominent role in its offensive performance as well. While Devin Booker and Vesely serve as the team’s most productive finishers, there are seven other rotation players converting shots at or above the 57% league average. There’s value in the ability of big guards to use their size advantage to put pressure on the rim and move the defense, but it’s a luxury when those players can score consistently as well.

Looking Ahead to Round 27

Third-place AX Armani Exchange Milan heads to Greece to take on fourth-slotted Olympiacos Piraeus, which won by 21 points in Mediolanum Forum in Round 12. The Reds turned in one of their best offensive performances on the road in that game making Milan’s ability to find answers a point of interest. Currently three wins clear of Olympiacos in the standings, Milan has a bit of cushion to work with heading towards the postseason, but claiming a win at Peace and Friendship Stadium would go a long way towards solidifying a tier of their own in the playoff picture.