National Basketball Association

European Basketball Primer: Euroleague Team Preview

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Euroleague is the best non-NBA basketball you can watch this winter. It involves a collection of the 16 best clubs in Europe, battling in a competition that offers all of the excitement of college basketball, played at a higher level. The atmosphere of European basketball is completely unique. Take the regional pride associated with college basketball, mix it with NBA-style rosters featuring former college players and top-level international players from across Europe mixing together, and sprinkle some of the insanity of European soccer fans and administration on top. It’s a bizarre world to keep up with if you’ve never done it before, but it’s extremely entertaining.

This year’s competition will look slightly different than prior years. Instead of the group stages that have been the norm in the past, Euroleague will shift to an Americanized style of play this year. The 16 teams will play each other twice over a 30-game regular season, with the top eight teams proceeding to a best-of-five playoff round, followed by a single-elimination Final Four. It will be interesting to see how this new format pans out, as it could be another step towards a European NBA, with a permanent top flight replacing the current qualification and licensure system.

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This year should also offer plenty of intrigue about who will win the competition. Defending champions CSKA Moscow and runner-up Fenerbahce are once again favorites, having brought back basically the same rosters from last season. But these two will have plenty of challengers. Real Madrid and Barcelona both added quality pieces. Olympiacos also has a ton of experience, and Panathinaikos had a solid offseason. Baskonia and Galatasaray overhauled their rosters to be able to compete with the big names, and Darussafaka Dogus brought in David Blatt to coach.

As an NBA fan, there’s plenty to watch for here. Almost every team has a draft-and-stash prospect, and there are also some top future draft picks that will look for playing time. Former and aspiring NBA players are here in bunches as well. While there probably isn’t a Dragan Bender here for draft nerds, and there probably won’t be a Malcolm Delaney who can come out of nowhere to earn an NBA bid, there’s still plenty to follow. Here’s who to keep an eye on.

Anadolu Efes

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Top 16, Turkish Superleague Regular Season Champions

Notable Prospects (Class and Draft Express ranking or team owning draft rights in parentheses): C Emircan Kosut (’95 No. 10 overall prospect), G/F Cedi Osman (Cavaliers), G Furkan Korkmaz (76ers)

Other Notable Names (Most recent NBA team/National Team affiliation): F Deshaun Thomas (58th pick in 2013), G Bryce Cotton (Grizzlies), F Tyler Honeycutt (Kings), F Derrick Brown (Bobcats), G Thomas Heurtel (France)

Anadolu Efes reloads for life without Dario Saric. They still have fellow NBA hopefuls Cedi Osman and Furkan Korkmaz, though, and should be a tough matchup for any team that’s not ready to defend for 40 straight minutes. Bryce Cotton joins Thomas Heurtel in what should be a deep backcourt, and former Ohio State Buckeye Deshaun Thomas should help to provide scoring punch in place of Saric. The big story line for Efes from an NBA perspective will be how much we see Osman and Korkmaz take on new roles with Saric gone. Both have been used primarily as bench role players to this point, and it will be interesting so see if they’re given more freedom this year.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Efes: 76ers, Cavaliers, Blazers

Andrea Bargnani heads back to Europe to try to re-invent himself at Baskonia.

Baskonia Vitoria

Location: Vitoria, Spain

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Final 4, 4th in ACB

Notable Prospects: C Ilimane Diop (’95 No. 14 overall prospect), F Adam Hanga (Spurs), F Tadas Sedekerskis (’98 top prospect)

Other Notable Names: F Andrea Bargnani (Nets), G Shane Larkin (Nets), G Rodrigue Beaubois (Mavericks), F Tornike Shengelia (Bulls), C Kim Tillie (France), G Rafa Luz (Brazil)

Baskonia is certainly going to field a competitive basketball team in 2016-17, but whether they can compete with last year’s Final Four run remains to be seen. On paper, the three-headed monster of Bargnani, Beaubois, and Larkin is going to be a problem, and Tillie and Hanga are both underrated players at the international level. But Bargs and Roddy Buckets have to stay healthy for this group to gel, and there’s concern over whether there’s enough possessions to keep everyone happy. Sedekerskis will be an interesting watch — the Lithuanian is getting his first taste of elite basketball, and he could be a “Diet Dario” in terms of playmaking from the 3 spot.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Baskonia: Nets, Spurs, Knicks (out of irony)

Brose Baskets Bamberg

Location: Bamberg, Germany

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Top 16, Bundesliga Regular Season and Playoff Champions

Notable Prospects: C Leon Kratzer (’97 No. 12 overall prospect)

Other Notable Names: F Nicolo Melli (Italy), F Darius Miller (Pelicans), F Elias Harris (Lakers)

Bamberg is a whole more than a sum of its parts. While they don’t offer top level talent, they play excellent team basketball and will chuck a ton of threes. Melli and Miller lead this team from the forward spots, where Miller is a solid all-around, effort player and Melli will burn your gym down from three (45.3 percent last year). Their guard depth is very good, and they have a solid young center pairing in Daniel Theis and super-rebounder Leon Kratzer. If you are a fan of team chemistry and ball-movement, this is your squad.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Bamberg: Hawks, Magic, Celtics

Crvena Zvezda (Red Star)

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague playoff round, 2nd in Adriatic League (Won playoffs)

Notable Prospects: G Marko Guduric (’95 No. 7 overall prospect), F Borisa Simanic (’98 top prospect), C Luka Mitrovic (Kings), F Nemanja Dangubic (Spurs)

Other Notable Names: G Charles Jenkins (76ers), C Ognjen Kuzmic (Warriors), F Marko Simonovic (Serbia), G Stefan Jovic (Serbia)

Crvena Zvezda’s starting frontcourt is fearsome. Kuzmic and Mitrovic can both overwhelm with their size and physicality in the paint, and adding Bjelica and Adidas Next Generation Tournament star Borisa Simanic makes this a team that will punish you under the basket. However, this team isn’t all forwards: Jovic is coming off a career year at point guard, Jenkins is a solid isolation scorer, and Dangubic and Guduric can both threaten from long-range. Red Star should be more consistent this year, given Mitrovic is back from his knee injury and they won’t have to completely re-tool their roster on the fly due to injury.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Crvena Zvezda: Kings, Grizzlies, Nuggets

CSKA Moscow

Location: Moscow, Russia

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Champions, VTB League Champions

Other Notable Names: G Nando De Colo (Raptors), F Viktor Khryapa (Bulls), F James Augustine (Magic), C Joel Freeland (Blazers), F Jeff Ayres (Clippers), G Cory Higgins (Bobcats), G Milos Teodosic (Serbia)

The defending champs are back at less than full strength, due to injuries to Freeland, Kyle Hines, and Pavel Korobkov. However, they still will be deadly. Nando De Colo returns after winning the MVP of last year’s competition. The team added James Augustine and Jeff Ayres to join Viktor Khryapa at the forward spots, and Milos Teodosic is back after flirting once again with the NBA. This team has one of the best offenses in the competition, and their depth is superb, as Andrey Vorontsevich, Cory Higgins, and Vitaly Frizdon would all be top-three players on many European teams. This squad is absolutely stacked, and shouldn’t be doubted until proven otherwise.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch CSKA Moscow: Lakers, Warriors, Blazers

Nov 15, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt reacts after a 127-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Darussafaka Dogus

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Top 16, 4th in Turkish Super League

Other Notable Names: C Furkan Aldemir (76ers), F James Anderson (Kings), F Luke Harangody (Cavaliers), C Semih Erden (Cavaliers)

Darussafaka was kind of a mess last year, playing one of the worst Euroleague games ever against Maccabi Tel Aviv to narrowly sneak into the Top 16, and then getting ripped apart once there. They decided to make some big changes this summer as a response. In comes David Blatt, the coaching giant who flamed out with the Cavs. His post-centric Euro-offense should have plenty of horses with Harangody, Erden, and Aldemir around, and he has some interesting pieces to work with on the perimeter as well, including NBA vet James Anderson and former Bamberg point guard Bradley Wanamaker. This roster is experienced and has a lot more talent, which Blatt should be able to use to threaten some of the top clubs. How he manages his first season back from the NBA will be very interesting.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Darussafaka: Cavaliers, 76ers, Pistons

EA7 Olimpia Milano

Location: Milan, Italy

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Regular Season, Serie A Regular Season and Playoff Champions

Notable Prospects: G Alessandro Gentile (Rockets), F Milan Macvan (Cavaliers), F Simone Fontecchio (’95 No. 16 overall prospect)

Other Notable Names: C Miroslav Raduljica (Timberwolves), G Zoran Dragic (Heat), G Mantas Kalnietis (Lithuania), G Krunoslav Simon (Croatia)

Olimpia Milano is a very explosive team, in every sense of the word. On the court, they will try to beat you with offense, as they have a solid point guard in Kalnietis joining Raduljica’s bruising post presence and Gentile’s volume scoring. Off the court, this team is also a candidate to completely implode, as they’ve had some locker room issues already this season, and Gentile has a reputation of being a player that rubs people the wrong way. He’s fun to watch though, as are three-point gunner Krunoslav Simon and enforcer Milan Macvan. There are a lot of good pieces here, but it’s been a few years since Milano was able to put it all together.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch EA7: Lakers, Kings, Rockets

Barcelona Lassa

Location: Barcelona, Spain

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague playoff round, 1st in ACB (Runner-up in playoffs)

Notable Prospects: F Aleksandar Vezenkov (’95 No. 1 overall prospect), G Rodions Kurucs (’98 No. 2 overall prospect), G Marc Garcia (’96 No. 6 overall prospect), F Markus Eriksson (Hawks)

Other Notable Names: G Juan Carlos Navarro (Grizzlies), F Victor Claver (Blazers), C Joey Dorsey (Rockets), F Shane Lawal (Nigeria)

Barcelona lost a few players, including Tomas Satoransky and Samardo Samuels, but there’s a lot to like about their chances of being a factor this year. Headlined by Navarro and big man Ante Tomic, Barca has historically started very hot in this competition, due to their feisty young depth. That should be the case once again, as Vezenkov, the high-flying Kurucs, and Eriksson will shore up the perimeter behind Stratos Perperoglou. They also added point guard Tyrese Rice, who was a monster for Khimki Moscow last year and will provide a nice off-the-dribble threat to set up Barcelona’s shooters. The question will be whether the young players can progress as the season goes along, and allow Barca to maintain their top level throughout the regular season.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Barcelona: Hawks, Blazers, Celtics

Fenerbahce

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Runner-up, 2nd in Turkish Super League (Won playoffs)

Notable Prospects: G Berk Ugurlu (’96 No. 10 overall prospect), G Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings), F Ahmet Can Duran (’99 top prospect)

Other Notable Names: F Jan Vesely (Nuggets), C Ekpe Udoh (Clippers), C Pero Antic (Hawks), F James Nunnally (76ers), F Luigi Datome (Celtics), F Nikola Kalinic (Serbia)

Fenerbahce, like CSKA Moscow, brings a lot of continuity back from last year’s runner-up team. There’s a wealth of NBA talent here as well, as Vesely, Udoh, Antic and Bogdanovic are all NBA-caliber players. Datome and point guard Bobby Dixon add some excellent speed on the perimeter, and the team has youth to lean on as well, as Ugurlu should step into a rotation spot this year, and Nunnally adds an extra burst of athleticism. Team-wide shooting is a mild concern, but this is the most athletic squad in the competition, and they’ll overwhelm most teams with that alone.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Fenerbahce: Wizards, Raptors, Kings

Tibor Pleiss is back from the NBA to anchor Galatasaray in the middle. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Galatasaray

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

2015-16 Finish: Eurocup champions, 3rd in Turkish Super League

Notable Prospects: G Jon Diebler (Rockets)

Other Notable Names: G Russ Smith (Grizzlies), F Emir Preldzic (57th pick in 2009), C Tibor Pleiss (Jazz), F Austin Daye (Hawks), G Justin Dentmon (Mavericks)

Galatasaray is one of two new teams to Euroleague from last season, as they won the Eurocup competition in 15-16. They bring an upstart squad to this competition, led by several new players and Turkish national team coach Ergin Ataman. This group will be able to score behind Smith, Dentmon and Blake Schlib, and signing Pleiss to replace the injured Nenad Kristic may be a blessing in disguise. Galatasaray might not have the top-flight talent to break into the playoff this year, but this is a squad that should not be slept on, especially at home.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Galatasaray: Bucks, Timberwolves, Rockets

Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv

Location: Tel Aviv, Israel

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Regular Season, 2nd in Israeli Premier League

Notable Prospects: F Colton Iverson (Celtics), F Itay Segev (’95 No. 29 overall prospect)

Other Notable Names: G Andrew Goudelock (Rockets), F Quincy Miller (Pistons), F Victor Rudd (Heat Summer League), G Gal Mekel (Pelicans), F Joe Alexander (Bulls)

Maccabi will use this year as a rebuilding year after spending the last two years in utter chaos. Without David Blatt, Tel Aviv fell off so far that they were eliminated from Euroleague in the regular season last year after winning it all in 2014. This year’s squad will be led by high-octane guard Andrew Goudelock and Mekel as the primary playmaker. Iverson is also a name to watch, as he’s developed into a post-scoring machine in Europe. Maccabi also beefed up their roster with the athletic Rudd and Maik Zirbes, who blossomed as a dominant big man for Crvena Zvezda last year. The problem for Maccabi will be injury, as they’ll be without Goudelock for at least the first game, Segev for four months, and Miller for 4-6 months.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Maccabi: Lakers, Nets, Mavericks

Olympiacos Piraeus

Location: Piraeus, Greece

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Top 16, Greek League regular season and playoff champions

Notable Prospects: F Dimitrios Agravanis (Hawks), C Nikola Milutinov (Spurs)

Other Notable Names: G Erick Green (Jazz), F Kostas Papanikolaou (Nuggets), G Vassilis Spanoulis (Rockets)

Olympiacos has a fun collection of established veterans and young pieces. Green will be the engine on offense, as he’s a nice two-way guard who can score in bunches. Olympiacos also has some nice shooting on the wing, relying on Spanoulis, Papanikolaou, and Matt Lojeski to space the floor around what should be an incredible pick-and-roll with Green or Spanoulis and veteran Georgios Printezis. The young big men are the real treat to watching Olympiacos, though; Patric Young is a sledgehammer at the rim on both ends, Milutinov is a skilled post defender and screen-setter, and Agravanis and Khem Birch will offer depth. There is a lot of solid NBA potential here.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Olympiacos: Bucks, Spurs, Wizards

Panathinaikos Athens

Location: Athens, Greece

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Playoff round, 2nd in Greek League

Notable Prospects: F Vassilis Charalampopoulos (’97 No. 4 Overall Prospect), G Georgios Kalaitzakis (’99 top overall prospect)

Other Notable Names: G Nick Calathes (Grizzlies), F Chris Singleton (Wizards), F Antonis Fotsis (Grizzlies), F Demetris Nichols (Knicks)

Panathinaikos is a gritty team that consistently punches above its weight. This year, though, there’s plenty of talent for Panathinaikos to make a run to challenge the top teams. Led by Nick Calathes at the point and Ioannis Bourousis in the middle, this is going to be a skilled, deep squad on both ends of the floor. Mike James provides scoring punch off the bench or from the starting lineup, and there are plenty of talented forwards to pick from between Fotsis, Singleton, Nichols, James Feldeine and Pat Calathes. If Charalampopoulos can progress as a shooter and playmaker, he’s also an NBA-caliber draft prospect. this team has balance, depth, and now a top-10 Euroleague player in Bourousis.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Panathinaikos: Hornets, Grizzlies, Jazz

Real Madrid

Location: Madrid, Spain

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague playoff round, 2nd in ACB (won playoffs)

Notable Prospects: G Luka Doncic (’99 top prospect)

Other Notable Names: F Anthony Randolph (Nuggets), G Rudy Fernandez (Nuggets), F Andres Nocioni (76ers), C Gustavo Ayon (Hawks), F Othello Hunter (Hawks), F Trey Thompkins (Clippers), F Jeff Taylor (Hornets), G Sergio Llull (Spain), F Felipe Reyes (Spain), F Jonas Maciulis (Lithuania)

Real Madrid is the most veteran squad in the tournament. They go 10-deep in experienced hands, and the roster is full of former NBA players and Spanish national team members. they’ve got a strong defensive identity formed around Llull and Nocioni, with Ayon, perhaps the best rebounder in the competition, under the basket. Fernandez runs the show, and with Hunter, Taylor, and Randolph, Madrid should have a fantastic open-court game. The X-factor that could push Madrid into title contention is Randolph, who has shrugged off his disappointing NBA career to become Europe’s most fearsome pick-and-roll finisher. Doncic is also a must-watch, as he’ll probably be a top-10 pick in 2018 and should get a few pockets of minutes this year.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Real Madrid: Clippers, Suns, Bulls

UNICS Kazan

Location: Kazan, Russia

2015-16 Finish: Eurocup Playoff 1st round, 2nd in VTB League

Notable Prospects: F Latavious Williams (Pelicans)

Other Notable Names: F Coty Clarke (Celtics), G Keith Langford (Spurs)

The other new team to the competition this season, Unics will likely not be a playoff contender. However, they still have a few interesting pieces, headlined by Coty Clarke, a dominant scorer in the D-League last season. Clarke and Williams will allow Unics to play a lot of small-ball, which suits the team well, as guards Langford, Quino Colom, and Evgeny Voronov are all well-suited to get out and run.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch UNICS: Pacers, Pelicans, Jazz

Renaldas Seibutis will attempt to push Zalgiris to a surprise playoff appearance.

Zalgiris Kaunas

Location: Kaunas, Lithuania

2015-16 Finish: Euroleague Top 16, LKL regular season and playoff champion

Notable Prospects: F Isaiah Hartenstein (No. 21 overall prospect), G Martynas Varnas (’97 No. 22 overall prospect)

Other Notable Names: G Kevin Pangos (Hawks Summer League), C Augusto Lima (Brazil), G Renaldas Seibutis (Lithuania), F Paulius Jankunas (Lithuania), C Robertas Javtokas (Lithuania), C Antanas Kavaliauskas (Lithuania), F Brock Motum (Australia)

If you’re focused specifically on the 2017 NBA draft, then Zalgiris is the team to watch. German big man Isaiah Hartenstein is a 1st-round prospect, and he’s got great size and shooting ability. If he can get time on the floor, look to see if he can become more engaged and develop a better sense of positioning, as those are the two major things holding him back. Otherwise, Zalgiris will rely mostly on home-grown talent, including Seibutis and Javtokas. Pangos will also be an interesting player to follow, as he performed very well in Summer League and is a very nice pure point guard prospect.

Fans of these NBA teams should watch Zalgiris: Hornets, Thunder, Heat

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