Euroleague Power Rankings – Week 2

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Two weeks deep, the Euroleague is sliced into thirds: there are the eight teams that haven’t lost a game, the eight teams that haven’t won a game, and the eight teams that have split the pair.

The two teams atop last week’s heap—Real Madrid and Olympiacos—couldn’t handle the pressure that came with the ranking and stumbled on the road.

Next in line at No. 3 was Fenerbahce Ulker, who gracefully eluded the Sheridan Hoops curse and beat Union Olimpija on the road.

But the curse still claimed two victims, however, as Fenerbahce had one starter sent to prison, and another hobble off the court with an ankle injury.

We’ll see if the Turks can hold the top spot for more than a week, but it won’t be easy: they’ve got a date with last week’s No.2, Real Madrid, this Thursday.

On to the rankings…

RANK TEAM THE RUNDOWN LAST
1

Fenerbahçe Ülker
(2-0)

 LAST WEEK: Won 81-75 at Union Olimpija
THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Real Madrid
Union Olimpija’s guards weren’t as successful keeping Bo McCalebb out of the lane as Slovenian border control was at keeping Romain Sato out of the country.  And while Romain Sato’s passport issues will be worth monitoring, the bigger question will be whether Fenerbahace will get McCalebb back for their game against Real Madrid, after the guard from New Orleans left in the second half with an ankle injury.		 3
2

CSKA Moscow(2-0)

 LAST WEEK: Won 76-71 at Partizan in OT
THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Bamberg
Ettore Messina is 2-0 after leaving the Lakers’ bench to return to Euroleague sidelines, but his wins have come narrowly against two of the EL’s youngest teams, Lietuvos Rytas and now Partizan—whom CSKA needed extra time to beat. Week Two MVP Sonny Weems had 30 points largely on isolation plays, but the Russians will be at their best when they start figuring out how to play off one another. Just nine assists in week two and the lowest assist-to-TO rate in the league (.59) means they’re not there yet.		 4
3 Regal Barcelona(2-0) LAST WEEK: Won 67-49 vs. Lietuvos Rytas
THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Besiktas
Barcelona has silenced any theories about a diminished defensive presence this season after letting go of Fran Vazquez, Boni N’Dong, Kosta Perovic and Chuck Eidson: no team has allowed fewer threes (4.0), free throws made and allowed (5.5 and 9.0, respectively) or points per game (54.5; Zalgiris is a distant second at 66.5). CSKA Moscow is the only team in Group D that can put 70 on them.
 5
4 Real Madrid (1-1) LAST WEEK: Lost 86-85 at Khimki
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Fenerbahce Ulker
The right side of my brain saw Khimki’s bigs—Paul Davis, James Augustine and Kresimir Loncar—go 14-of-18 for 41 points and 16 boards as the Russians entered the fourth quarter up 14; the left side, however, remembers the creativity and vigor with which Jaycee Carroll and Rudy Fernandez helped the Spaniards briefly tie things up during a 30-point fourth quarter. Both sides remember that Sergio Llull was out.		 2
5 Olympiacos (1-1) LAST WEEK: Lost 98-72 at Anadolu Efes
THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Zalgiris
Olympiacos hadn’t lost a game since March 23, and decided to blow that streak in style last week in Istanbul with a 26-point road failure. Olympaicos has given up a league worst 89.5 ppg in their first two and they almost let Jordan Farmar record the third EL triple double this millennium with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. (Nikola Vujcic, who played for the Reds between 2008-10, has the other two. If you don’t know Nikola, dig through YouTube. Sabonis Lite.)		 1
6 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2-0) LAST WEEK: Won 70-68 vs. Montepaschi Siena
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Elan Chalon
Ricky Hickman is getting into the paint, getting to the line and getting into his opponent’s shirt on D. Though slightly slighter in build, he’s been everything to David Blatt that Jeremy Pargo was in 2011 on a Maccabi team that made it to the Euroleague Final Four in Barcelona.		 6
7 Khimki Moscow (1-1) LAST WEEK: Won 86-85 vs. Real Madrid
THIS WEEK: Friday at Cantu
Much like Real Madrid’s loss, Khimki’s win this week poses a similar, albeit opposite, dilemma: how does one weigh three outstanding quarters and across-the-board contributions against one defensively inept period that nearly saw Khimki cough up an incredibly valuable victory? In the end, Zoran Planinic’s declaration that he’s a top Euroleague point guard and his potency when paired with a healthy Paul Davis has saved grace for that other Moscow team.		 13
8 Panathinaikos(1-1) LAST WEEK: Won 78-76 vs. Cantu
THIS WEEK: Friday at Union Olimpija
Sofoklis Schortsanitis’ 23-point Panathinaikos debut raised plenty of eyebrows. While some were raised in pure awe, a majority of those brows were soaked with skepticism: “Well, just don’t get used to that every week.” Big Sofo had something for the skeptics in week two: 19 points in just 18 minutes with more rebounds and fewer turnovers. And what’s more, the career 58.7 percent free throw chucker made 9-of-11 from the stripe.		 10
9 Zalgiris (2-0) LAST WEEK: Won 77-71 at Caja Laboral
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Olympiacos
I’ve called them old, slow and injury prone. Through two weeks, they’ve looked experienced, calculated and have achieved durability through depth. Defensively, only Barcelona has allowed fewer points (66.5 ppg); offensively, Zalgiris is in the top five for both field goal and free throw percentage and have seven players averaging between 8.5 and 13.5 points per game. (Paulius Jankunas has the slight edge over Marko Popovic’s 13.0 for the Zalgiris lead.) Now they’ll travel to Greece to face the recently defeated champs, Olympiacos. A win there would eliminate any doubt that Zalgiris should be taken seriously.		 12
10 Armani Milano (2-0) LAST WEEK: Won 83-71 at Cedevita Zagreb
THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Caja Laboral
The apathetic slop we saw out of Milano last year seems to be a thing of the past, and a roster that seemed stale and disparate now looks more like a team that’s spent two offseasons learning one another’s tendencies. Seeing how Milano react to a hungry 0-2 Caja Laboral side at home will give us a better idea of how far Scariolo’s bunch has come since last season. We’ve known they can score, but can they scrap?		 7
11 Anadolu Efes (1-1) LAST WEEK: Won 98-72 vs. Olympiacos
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Cedevita
In every level of basketball, having an elite point guard means having a chance to win each time out. So even if you’re playing the defending champs who haven’t lost in seven months, a 25-point, 8-rebound, 9-assist explosion out of Jordan Farmar is enough to get it done. Make 9-of-14 threes as a team and get to the line 32 times (making 21 of those) and the rout, apparently, is on. Now after toppling No. 1, they get to feast on No. 23.		 18
12 Besiktas (2-0) LAST WEEK: Won 86-71 at Bamberg
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Barcelona
On his third Euroleague team in as many years, ex-Baylor guard Curtis Jerrells is off to easily his best start with outbursts of 15 then 27 points for a Besiktas team that lost a majority of its scoring punch from last season when David Hawkins, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Marcelus Kemp left. The issues in the past have come in the consistency department for Curtis, and he’s just days away from going against the Euroleague’s stingiest defense in Barcelona.		 15
13 Alba Berlin (2-0) LAST WEEK: Won 74-71 vs. Elan Chalon
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Asseco Prokom
Former UNC Tar Heel Deon Thompson had EL career highs in points (24) and rebounds (8) against Chalon. It’s exactly what the doctor ordered after another doctor ordered Nathan Peavy to sit out the entire season with a ruptured ACL.		 9
14 Unicaja (1-1) LAST WEEK: Won 77-75 at Asseco Prokom
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Montepaschi Siena
The new pieces aren’t clicking exceptionally well—this is still Unicaja, after all—but at least their team photo is feng shui.		 11
15 Caja Laboral (0-2) LAST WEEK: Lost 77-71 vs. Zalgiris
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Milano
Getting Milko Bjelica helped, but not to the degree that losing Taylor Rochestie at the point hurt. Caja Laboral has size that can score in Andres Nocioni, Fernando San Emeterio, the Bjelica Boys (Nemanja and Milko–no relation) and Maciej Lampe. Without a show starter, however, it’ll become harder and harder for Caja Laboral to score as teams learn to double down and take away one-on-one scenarios.		 8
16 Montepaschi Siena (0-2) LAST WEEK: Lost 70-68 at Maccabi
THIS WEEK: Friday at Unicaja
Bounced back from Berlin blasting at home with a tamer, 2-point road loss against a contender. Still not convinced Bobby Brown deserves the role he’s been handed as a go-to scorer.		 19
17 Partizan (0-2) LAST WEEK: Lost 76-71 vs. CSKA Moscow in OT
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Lietuvos Rytas
At age 25, Andrey Vorontsevich and Milos Teodosic were the youngest CSKA players to see the floor against Partizan. Partizan’s oldest was Marko Cakarevic, who turns 25 next May. An overtime loss is nothing to be ashamed of.		 22
18 Cantú (0-2) LAST WEEK: Lost 78-76 at Panathinaikos
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Khimki
Cantu’s 2012 side—complete with Vladimir Micov, Giorgi Shermadini and Gianluca Basile—made it a habit to win close games. Those who’ve replaced them—Jeff Brooks, Alex Tyus and Pietro Aradori—have been on the wrong end of those same nail biters. I still can’t see this team in the Top 16 over Khimki or Panathinaikos.		 21
19 Elan Chalon (1-1) LAST WEEK: Lost 74-71 at Alba Berlin
THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Maccabi
If it seems like the French team leans a little too heavily on Steed Tchicamboud, it’s because they do; the French point guard has sat only 4:04 all season long.		 16
20 Union Olimpija (1-1) WEEK: Lost 81-75 vs. Fenerbahce Ulker
THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Panathinaikos
The glass slipper slipped right off against Fenerbahce, but the Slovenians’ execution was en pointe. If they can hit more shots against a Panathinaikos team that’s still finding itself offensively, a 2-1 record is not out of the question.		 14
21 Lietuvos Rytas (0-2) LAST WEEK: Lost 84-71 vs. Union Oimpija
THIS WEEK: Thursday at Panathinaikos
Opening the season against CSKA and Barcelona usually results in an 0-2 record, but this time it came with the Lithuanian bonus: one fired head coach, Aleksandar Dzikic. Loser of this week’s game against Partizan falls to 0-3, so Renaldas Seibutis will be pushing his troops as hard as ever.		 17
22 Bamberg (0-2) LAST WEEK: Lost 86-71 vs. Besiktas
THIS WEEK: Thursday at CSKA Moscow
Not once did Anton Gavel shoot the ball more than 10 times last season in an EL game, but he’s put up 11 and 12 in Bamberg’s first two games, respectively. While Gavel’s an unlikely leading scorer, who else would you have create? Casey Jacobsen and Bostjan Nachbar are solid veteran assets, but outside of Gavel and maybe Teddy Gipson, nobody on this team can create his own shot.		 20
23 Asseco Prokom  (0-2) LAST WEEK: Lost 77-75 vs. Unicaja Malaga
THIS WEEK: Thursday vs. Alba Berlin
Asseco Prokom excavates themselves from the bottom spot thanks to a Euroleague high 39 assists through two games and another forceful performance up top from Lukasz Koszarek, who notched 16 points and 8 assists for the Poles against Unicaja.		 24
24 Cedevita Zagreb
 (0-2)		 LAST WEEK: Lost 83-71 vs. Milano
THIS WEEK: Friday at Anadolu Efes
Another huge game out of Mickael Gelabale + Another slightly-less-huge game from Bracey Wright = Another huge Cedevita loss. The fact that they were down just three to Milano entering the fourth quarter makes the box score blowout hurt even worse.		 23

Nick Gibson, editor of EuroleagueAdventures.com, covers Euroleague and other international basketball developments for SheridanHoops.com. His Euroleague Power Rankings come out every Monday. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

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Mitnick: Euroleague Playoff Update: Calathes (Mavericks) leads Panathinaikos over Maccabi

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TEL AVIV — After yet another exciting game, Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Panathinaikos are set to face off in a do-or-die showdown in Greece next Thursday.

Last night, Panathinaikos edged out Maccabi 78-69 in a grind-it-out duel, in which Panathinaikos held a mere three-point lead with two minutes remaining. Taking place in Tel-Aviv’s Nokia Arena, a relatively small gym that holds 11,000 rabid fans, the atmosphere had at least as much intensity as an NBA playoff game. Every possession was a battle, with both teams combining for 52 fouls, playing a very physical brand of basketball.

Highlights:

Panathinaikos was led by former University of Florida guard Nick Calathes (whose NBA rights are held by the Dallas Mavericks), who finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Calathes has shown a tremendous amount of improvement since suiting up for the Greens under coach Zeljko Obradovic, vastly improving his jump shot, decision making and efficiency in the pick-and-roll. Playing under an excellent coach, alongside two of the top guards in recent Euroleague history in Dimitris Diamantidis and Sarunas “Sharas” Jasikevicius, Calathes has developed into one of the better guards in Europe, and has shown that down the road, he could be an impact player in the NBA.

With their excellent ball movement and dribble penetration, Panathinaikos was able to get the ball into the paint, where they converted 57% of their two point shots. They were the aggressors on offense, leading them to draw 30 fouls on Maccabi, giving the Tel Aviv frontline some serious foul trouble. With Maccabi over the foul limit for most of the game, Panathinaikos lived at the free throw line, making 25 of 35 free throws.

Maccabi was able to keep the game close, despite having a terrible shooting night from long range (4-for-23 from 3) and having trouble moving the ball, as they only totaled five assists as a team. Maccabi was able to will themselves into this game with spirit and effort, despite rarely having the balls bouncing in their favor, keeping the game close until the deciding minutes of the game.

Maccabi was led by Devin Smith (14 points, 7 rebounds), Keith Langford (14 points) and the Houston Rockets’ NBA rights-held forward, Lior Eliyahu (12 points). One of the deciding factors of the game was coach David Blatt’s decision to keep budding point guard Yogev Ohayon on the bench for the majority of the fourth quarter. Ohayon, who has drawn interest from the Lakers recently, according to Israeli media reports, had nine points and nine rebounds through 25 minutes, and was a major part of Maccabi’s third-quarter run. However, in the fourth quarter, the defense started sagging off of Ohayon, daring him to shoot from outside.

Coach Blatt chose to go with Demond Mallet, who made a momentum 3-pointer, and Langford at the point guard position the rest of the way.

Maccabi’s offense started struggling when Panathinaikos started helping off Ohayon, and it was a tough decision for Blatt to keep his point guard on the bench. The move was highly criticized by Israeli media, however, Maccabi needed to spread the floor to get their offense going, and if another one of Mallet’s shots had gone down, those same reporters would be talking about what a genius Blatt is.

A huge factor in Maccabi’s loss was the ineffectiveness of Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who went scoreless in 9 minutes of play, once again due to foul trouble. Coach Blatt spoke about how important it is for “Sofo” to stay away from silly fouls and keep himself on the court in the deciding game. Many of the foul calls against him have been questionable, as frequently occurs with someone of his massive size, but he will need to be cognizant of how the game is called and try to keep himself on the floor in Game 5.

Elsewhere in Euroleague Action

The winner of Maccabi-Pnathinaikos will take on the winner of CSKA Moscow vs. Gescrap Bilbao of Spain. CSKA seemed poised to sweep Bilbao with their powerful quartet of Andrei Kirelenko, Nenad Krstic, Milos Teodosic and Victor Khryapa, but the Spaniards were able to pull off a home upset to bring the series to 2-1.

Regal Barcelona was able to pull off a sweep against Unics Kazan behind strong play from Juan Carlos Navarro. Barcelona will take on the winner of the super competitive series between Montepeschi Siena and Olympiacos, which Olympiakos currently leads 2-1. Bo McCalebb of Siena will need to outduel Vassilis Spanoulis of Olympiacos if Siena is to have any prayer of overcoming this deficit and getting a chance to play in the Final Four in Istanbul.

With the European basketball world in full postseason mode, the best is yet to come.

AJ Mitnick is an American currently living in Israel and working for Maccabi Rishon Lezion of the Israeli Basketball Super League. A recent graduate of IDC Herzliya, Mitnick also maintains a  basketball blog, http://mindlessdribble.net, and is pursuing a professional basketball coaching license from the Wingate Institute in Israel. Follow him on Twitter.

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Mitnick: Euroleague Playoff Preview – Maccabi Vs. Panathinaikos

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In a rematch of last year’s Euroleague Championship, Maccabi Tel-Aviv is set to take on the Greek team, Panathinaikos, in the first round of the Euroleague playoffs.

With both teams possessing several NBA-caliber talents, and Maccabi rolling with two of the top Greek players in Theo Papaloukas and Sofoklis “Sofo” Schortsanitis, this promises to be among the more exciting playoff battles.

While two of the premier coaches in Europe, Zeljko Obradovic and David Blatt, will face off, this matchup contains some of the best talent Europe has to offer.

The reigning Euroleague champions, Panathinaikos is a veteran laden team, led by reigning Euroleague MVP, Dimitris Diamantidis, who is the very same point guard who demolished Team USA in the semis at the 2006 World Championships. Diamantidis is easily the best pick-and-roll player in Europe, and while he may not possess the same quickness as the top NBA point guards, he does demonstrate world-class decision-making.

Diamantidis has served as an excellent mentor to Dallas Mavericks-owned Nick Calathes of Florida, who has made excellent strides this season. Calathes plays with excellent efficiency, shooting 60% from the field and boasting a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. He has tremendously improved his execution in half court sets, to the point where the Mavericks are likely to give him a long look in the near future, and his production will be vital to Panathinaikos’ success.

Spurs 2004 draft pick, Romain Sato, plays the wing for Panathinaikos, providing toughness, shooting and excellent rebounding from the perimeter. Standing at just under 6’5”, Sato is the team’s leading rebounder in Euroleague play, averaging 6.1 per game. Sato likely will stay forever in Europe, as he is unlikely to play a major role on a powerhouse team in the NBA as he does it Europe.

Former Pacer and Golden State Warrior, Sarunas Jasikevicius, will be going up against his former team, Maccabi, with whom he won two Euroleague titles, and a European MVP award. While “Sharas” is not quite the same player as he was during his time with Maccabi, his shooting, playmaking and veteran leadership are a major boost off the bench for Panathinaikos.

Rounding out Panathinaikos’ rotation are American forwards Mike Batiste and Steve Smith, the former PAC-10 Player of the Year out of La Salle. Smith is excellent as a stretch four who can rebound, a perfect example of a player whose athleticism would make him look like a weak player in the NBA, but in the European style game, he is more valuable than many guys buried on NBA benches. Unlike the NBA, players who possess a combination of skill and basketball IQ are often more valuable in Europe than players with elite athleticism.

Batiste, formerly of Arizona State, didn’t really get many chances in his short stints with the Grizzlies or the Lakers, but he has become a rock for Panathinaikos, suiting up since 2004, and claiming a Greek League MVP award in 2010. Batiste is a presence around the rim, averaging 9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in just a shade under 20 minutes a night.

With 10 guys getting double-digit minutes in only a 40 minute contest, having players who can consistently produce efficiently and are able to bring a positive attitude despite not receiving the type of minutes they feel they deserve is a luxury that can be the difference for a championship squad.

While Panathinakos may be the reigning champs, Maccabi Tel-Aviv probably has the stronger team this season.

Many feel that Papaloukas has had a disappointing season to date, failing to realize that it hasn’t come time for Papaloukas to serve his true purpose.  A team doesn’t pick up an aging former Euroleague MVP for a domestic league game in December, but primarily for the second half of a dog fight with Panathinaikos in the Euroleague playoffs (though he has been a valuable mentor to promising young guard, Yogev Ohayon). Papaloukas’ familiarity with Obradovic’s system, and overall understanding of the Greek style of basketball, will be a very crucial tool for Maccabi that could be the difference maker.

Former Kansas Jayhawk, Keith Langford, will be leading Maccabi Tel-Aviv, with his ability to score. Langford is among the Euroleague’s best when it comes to creating his own shot, and he has a knack for dribble penetration. Since he can pull up for the jump shot, beat you to the rim, or dish for the assist, he is a very tough cover, and exploits this to get himself to the free throw line.

Panathinaikos will need to be focused on doing a good job containing him, especially in the games at Tel-Aviv, or else they are going to be in big trouble.

“Sofo,” is sure to draw a majority of the defense’s attention, with his monstrous size and dominant presence in the post. Like Batiste, “Sofo” produces in short spurts, averaging 9.6 points on 57% shooting in under 17 minutes per game. In Europe, his efficiency and overall presence make him an all-league performer. After showing that he is perfect for a 12 to 15 minute per game role with Maccabi, he could be a great fit for the second unit of the Clippers (who own his draft rights), as a player they can run their offense through in short spurts.

Maccabi features two Israelis who are on NBA teams’ radars in Lior Eliyahu and Yogev Ohayon, both of whom could be big difference makers in the series.

Eliyahu is the European version of Antwan Jamison, relying on unorthodox runners. His unique style of play, coupled with his ability to run the floor, have made him a consistent double-digit scorer, and one of the most difficult covers in the Euroleague. Ohayon plays with a tremendous spirit, and his scrappiness and intensity go a long way toward willing his team to victory. As a player who excels more in the open court and in one-on-one situations, the already successful guard probably would shine more in the NBA game than he ever could with Maccabi.

The main key for Maccabi, however, is their trio of shooters, David Blu, Devin Smith and Guy Pnini. With Blu suiting up mainly as a power forward, Maccabi is frequently able to throw two or three of these guys out there together, spacing the floor to give Langford and “Sofo” plenty of room to operate.

Having the luxury of three quality shooters who are willing defenders is a luxury most teams don’t have, and likely will be the x-factor in the series. When these three guys make shots, Maccabi is a very tough team to beat, especially in their home gym.

Experience and talent are crucial in basketball, but timing and situation trump everything. Maccabi is a team that is finally getting back to playing excellent basketball for the first time since Jordan Farmar left, and they will be itching for revenge from last season’s final.

While Panathinaikos was able to oust Maccabi for the title last season, it looks like this year Maccabi may be poised to earn a spot in the Final Four. Maccabi is a team that has been coming together as of late and is playing with the sort of swagger that could carry them to at least one win in Greece, and to certainly win both home games. Each game likely will be close, but Maccabi should be able to take this series in four games.

However, if we have learned anything from Norfolk State and Lehigh in the NCAAs over the weekend, anything is possible in basketball.

 

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Gibson: Eurostash trade assets (Western Conference)

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BARCELONA — Between the NBA and the Euroleague lies an ocean. Over here, we may have some of the best NBA trade deadline assets that you might hear about by Thursday afternoon. More and more, teams are pushing their shopping carts across the Atlantic in hopes of stumbling upon a Gary Neal or Gustavo Ayon.  Other teams did their legwork early, drafting and stowing Europeans whom they hoped would mature into NBA caliber players. Some of them have.  Here are the 10 best players in Europe whose rights are currently held by Western Conference teams.  Next, we’ll hit the East. …

1. Joel Freeland, PF, Portland

European Club: Unicaja (Spain) Odds He’ll Defect: 70 percent. Those murmurs of discontent have matured into agitated roars in Freeland’s third year with Unicaja, as the team has made a habit of blowing its beefy budget on shoot-first, pass-third mostly American guards who rarely make it through a full season.  Let me throw you some names: Zabian Dowdell, Taquan Dean, Juan Dixon, Pooh Jeter, a had-been Shammond Williams, an erratic Omar Cook and the shell of a man who was once Terrell McIntyre. This year, Earl Rowland, Gerald Fitch and Kristaps Valters (Latvia) kept tradition alive, guiding Unicaja into the Euroleague’s statistical cellar for turnovers (15.2 per game; 16th out of 16 in Euroleague’s second phase) and assists (11.8; 14th out of 16). Add a swift dismissal in the Copa del Rey, and Unicaja’s winless Euroleague Top 16 to his teammates’ lack of deference and yes, Joel Freeland is frustrated. This summer, however, Freeland’s a free man.  With his contract up at season’s end, he will choose one of three paths: Option A: Re-sign with Unicaja. Option B: Sign with Portland (or whoever holds his rights if they are traded) Option C:Sign with another Spanish Euroleague team such as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Caja Laboral. Freeland’s clipping his own wings with Option A. With Option C, he guarantees himself a fat chunk of Euros, but also relinquishes a great deal of offensive freedom if he lands with Barcelona, the club most frequently rumored to have interest in the British power forward. That leaves Option B as the logical leader in the clubhouse.  Unfortunately, Portland cycles through general managers like Unicaja does inoperative point guards, and it’s uncertain whether acting GM Chad Buchanan wants to bring the uber athletic Freeland into the fold just yet.

2. Sofoklis Schortsanitis, C, LA Clippers

European Club: Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) Odds He’ll Defect: 65 percent Priest Lauderdale, Shaquille O’Neal, Eddy Curry.  Too slow, too dominant, too dreadful. Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace, Joe Thomas.  Ah, yes.  Left tackles. That’s more like it when describing Big Sofo. Baby Shaq’s mammoth frame and feathery footwork might have been born in the wrong country and drafted by the wrong league, but he’s carved out a home—a very large, round, cavernous home—as Europe’s most lovable wrecking ball in his time with Olympiacos, Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Greek national team. Aside from the conspicuously apparent reasons (Hint: He’s a gigantic human being), Sofo’s most intriguing quality to an NBA team is his propensity to dominate for small spurts while willingly sitting during others.  Last season with Maccabi, the 370-pound (give or take a couple dozen pounds) Sofo needed only 19 minutes per game to lock up the first All-Euroleague nod of his career. Sofo’s job in Los Angeles would likely be the same as it is in Tel Aviv: check in, be large, grab boards and back your way into other centers’ nightmares. Lob City, get ready for Blob City if he goes to the NBA.

3. Erazem Lorbek, PF, San Antonio

European Club: Regal Barcelona (Spain) Odds He’ll Defect:  25 percent. Erazem Lorbek is having the best season of any power forward in the Euroleague, his unassuming genius populating box scores with big numbers before you even realize he’s taken a shot. When he does shoot, he usually makes it: 63 percent of his 2-pointers and 44 percent from 3 in the Euroleague this season. So of course the Spurs got the Pacers to toss him in the George Hill-for-Kawhi Leonard deal last June.  If the Spurs offered him a deal this summer, would Lorbek take it?  I asked him that very question at the 2:20 mark of the video below.

4. Nick Calathes, PG, Dallas

European Club: Panathinaikos (Greece) Odds He’ll Defect: 65 percent. Calathes left Florida as a guard with size, tools and questionable judgment.  Under the tutelage of Panathinaikos head coach Zeljko Obradovic and his backcourt mate, Dimitris Diamantidis, Calathes has blasted up the learning curve and left most of his silly turnovers in the dust. There’s still a contingent who doesn’t understand the extent of Obradovic’s faith in Calathes. I’m of the mind that it’s Obradovic’s trust itself which has infused the 6-foot-5 Calathes with the confidence necessary to reach his full potential. He’s not quite there, but he is close. Close enough to lead Greece into Olympic qualifiers this summer and definitely close enough to run an NBA offense for 20 minutes on game nights.

5. Donatas Motiejunas, PF, Houston

European Club: Asseco Prokom (Poland) Odds He’ll Defect: 90 percent. It came a season later than we’d hoped, but Motiejunas finally flexed his muscles this season in Poland, knocking down 1.4 3-pointers per game and setting a single-game Euroleague record for defensive rebounds with 18. Motiejunas has chiseled some of that boyish lank into grown man muscle and shed the softtag, ranking second in rebounding in a VTB United League which includes guys like Andrei Kirilenko, Nenad Krstic and former SEC Player of the Year Lawrence Roberts. (Toronto Raptors draft pick, Jonas Valanciunas, is first in the boards category. More on him when we look at the East.) With production and hype finally in lockstep, I’d expect Daryl Morey to offer Motiejunas a jersey as soon as this summer.

6. Sergio Llull, G, Houston

European Club: Real Madrid (Spain)  Odds He’ll Defect: 15 percent. The man’s a pure delight with the rock in his hands and empty space ahead of him. When defenses tighten up, however, so does he. Running has never been the problem. Running a team has proven more difficult. With Kyle Lowry playing out of his gourd, Goran Dragic showing us what a more refined version of Llull looks like and Jonny Flynn in the background, trying to figure out where it all went wrong, I doubt Sergio has any immediate future with the Rockets.

7. Latavious Williams, PF, Oklahoma City

European Club: FIATC Joventut (Spain) Odds He’ll Defect: 90 percent. The man from Mississippi is putting up some crooked numbers in the rebounding column for FIATC Joventut in Badalona, Spain, and he says he won’t quit until he’s made it to the NBA. At 6-foot-8 with arms that could hug a redwood, I’d be astounded if he’s not with the Thunder (or some NBA team) before the 2013-14 season begins, if not sooner.

8. Victor Claver, SF, Portland

European Club: Valencia (Spain) Odds He’ll Defect: 55 percent. Injuries have grounded Spain’s highest flyer intermittently, since just before the Blazers drafted him in 2009.  Claver was supposed to have locked up the starting small forward role for the Spanish national team by now, but his on again, off again relationship with health has made it difficult to gauge his progress. With two strong legs beneath him, he’s a monster.

9. Adam Hanga, G/F, San Antonio

European Club: Manresa (Spain) Odds He’ll Defect: 30 percent. Hanga’s a decent looking deep ball away from NBA material on the offensive end (just 19 percent on 3s this season), but he’s already figured out how to disrupt just about everything on defense.  Luckily, Hanga hails from basketball bereft Hungary and has entire summers to dominate the ball, hone his skills and generally freewheel his way through qualifying tournaments that Hungary never wins. If he does make it to the Association, he’d be only the second Hungarian ever to have his name on an NBA jersey. If you remembered that the other was Kornel David, who split 109 games between Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Toronto between 1998 and 2001, you’re a better man than me. (Eds note: I disagree. We’re just older and remember some of Jerry Krause’s post-Jordan fiascoes-CS.)

10. Nando de Colo, G, San Antonio

European Club: Valencia (Spain) Odds He’ll Defect: 35 percent. Here’s another guy who could benefit from the decongested NBA lanes and a hastier offense, but as long as Nando’s a defensive liability (which he irrefutably is), I can’t see Gregg Popovich getting too psyched about seeing him in silver and black. Nick Gibson, editor of EuroleagueAdventures.com, covers Euroleague and other European basketball developments for SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear each Friday. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

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Mitnick: The 10 best NBA prospects playing in Israel

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Lior Eliyahu, whose NBA rights are owned by the Houston Rockets

TEL AVIV – In recent years, there have been several strong rotation players in the NBA, including Will Bynum, Beno Udrih, Roger Mason Jr, Anthony Parker, Carlos Arroyo and Jeremy Pargo, who have honed their skills in the Israeli league in their quest for NBA success.

While the talent pool in Israel has dried up significantly due to the end of the NBA lockout, there are still several interesting prospects plying their trade in Israel who stand a chance to play in the NBA in the next few years.

Here are my top 10:

Sylven Landesberg – SG, Maccabi Haifa: After going undrafted in 2010 after his sophomore year at Virginia, Landesberg has been arguably the best scorer in the Israeli league during his time with Haifa. Due to having Jewish ancestry, Landesberg was able to acquire an Israeli passport, allowing him to count as a local player in a league that only allows four foreigners to dress per game. Landesberg currently leads the Israeli league in scoring, averaging 22.2 points per game on 58.7 percent shooting from two, and 34 percent from behind the arc.

Landesberg has shown an excellent ability to hit outside shots and shoot off the dribble, and he has no problem getting in the paint and finishing. While he already had elite athleticism, he has vastly improved his understanding of the game the last two seasons, and has developed himself into the type of 2-guard who could provide instant offense off the bench next season. Essentially skipping his last two seasons in college to play with grown men in Israel, Landesberg may have helped his career long term when he decided to head overseas instead of finishing up school.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis – C, Maccabi Tel-Aviv: Drafted by the Clippers in 2003, “Sofo” has become a dominant force in Europe. Many call him the Greek version of Shaq, but realistically, he could bring similar value that Eddy Curry brought to the Bulls before his weight issues derailed his career. An excellent scorer in the paint, Sofo’s massive size and quick feet would force him to command double teams in the NBA. The issue for Sofo would be getting his body through an arduous 82-game season.

He could never be a featured player on a squad, but he could be very efficient in a 15 minute role in 60 games for a contender. With DeAndre Jordan not exactly possessing the world’s greatest back to the basket repertoire, it may not be a bad idea for the Clippers to give some consideration to bringing in Sofo next year to give them a different look off the bench.

Dwayne Mitchell – SG/SF, Eldan Ashkelon: Coming off a season in which he was named the most valuable foreigner in the Israeli league after leading Maccabi Rishon Leziyon to the final four, Mitchell (who attended Louisiana-Lafayette and was cut by the Lakers in training camp in 2008) has been filling up the stat sheet again for Ashkelon this season. A triple double-threat every night in Israel, Mitchell plays with more giddy-up  than the Energizer Bunny. Mitchell is a guy who can come in off the bench and significantly raise a team’s energy level, defensive tenacity and ball movement.

Unfairly labeled a player with character issues by the media, all of his former teammates and coaches speak very highly of him. He has been described by former teammates as the type of player they would want to be in the trenches with when the going gets tough. Michell is very competitive and outwardly shows his enormous desire to win, which can rub some people the wrong way.  But there are many coaches who would kill to have a player with his type of attitude.

Lior Eliyahu – PF, Maccabi Tel-Aviv: Since his draft rights were acquired by the Houston Rockets in 2006, Eliyahu has proven to be one of the craftiest big men in Europe. Most American players scoff at Eliyahu when they see his awkward looking floaters and flip shots, but quickly realize how devastatingly effective his unorthodox game can be. His game slightly resembles a European version of Antawn Jamison’s.

Despite his thin frame, he has consistently been able to score and rebound at the top level in Europe, and has proven to be a solid team defender. He would struggle one on one against most power forwards in the NBA, but on a strong defensive team like Houston, San Antonio or Chicago, he would be able to more than cover up his mistakes with his high basketball IQ, energy and effort. Like many international players, Eliyahu would be very effective in some systems, but virtually ineffective in others. While Eliyahu has the talent to play in the NBA, he may not be willing to leave Tel-Aviv, where he is a well compensated star, for a chance to come off the bench for 15 to 20 minutes a night.

Joe Crawford – G, Maccabi Rishon Leziyon: After stints with the Lakers, Knicks and Kings, Crawford has gone to a situation where he is able to get significant minutes on a winning team. Already an accomplished scorer, Crawford has proven that he can defend, rebound and run an offense at a very high level. Crawford is probably in the best shape of his career right now, showing excellent quickness and leaping ability to go with his strong frame.

While Crawford is more of a 2-guard with his outstanding jump shot, he has significantly improved his point guard skills and should be more than capable of playing both spots in the NBA. Though he has been one of the top scorers in the league, averaging 19 points a game, Crawford has gotten his numbers throughout the flow of the game and his willingness to move the ball and keep his teammates involved has been a large factor for his team’s success so far this season.  It should be interesting to see whether Joe or his brother Jordan (Washington Wizards) ends up being the better player in the long run.

Richard Hendrix – C, Maccabi Tel-Aviv: After a short stint with Golden State in 2008, Hendrix moved on to Europe where he spent a season with CB Granada in Spain before signing a two-year deal with Maccabi. Hendrix has proven to be one of the best low post defenders in Europe and has been an absolute beast in the paint this season. He came overseas as an athlete, but has developed two or three solid go-to moves in the post that have made him extremely efficient around the rim.

At only 6’8”, he gives up a good amount of size at the center position, but he makes up for his lack of height with outstanding energy, strength and a nose for the basketball. He may not be a 7-footer, but he sure can rebound like one. He has the foot speed to stay with NBA guards off of screens, and has proven to be an outstanding pick-and-roll defender this season. Hendrix could fill a similar role to Reggie Evans, with a little less rebounding, a lot better finishing and a lot fewer incidents grabbing other players’ junk.

Jarvis Varnado – C, Hapoel Jerusalem: With the Heat holding his rights after drafting him in the second round in 2010, Varnado doesn’t appear to be an NBA ready center. He is an outstanding shot blocker, and would likely be among the league’s leaders in shot blocks per minutes if he were in the league. While his skinny frame is a big issue, his biggest problem is his tendency to fall for pump fakes consistently while he goes for shot blocks. The Heat may be searching for someone to fill the void at center if Curry does not pan out, but at this stage of the career, Varnado would get abused by opposing big men in the NBA.

Frank Robinson – SG, B.C. Haabika: After failing to make the Atlanta Hawks final roster in 2009, Robinson has been steadily improving his game in Israel. Robinson is a nitty gritty player who thrives doing the dirty work for a team. He is a player who will give a tremendous amount of effort defensively every possession, and has no problem diving on the floor for loose balls or bodying people up for offensive rebounds.

He still struggles a bit with his outside shooting, but his mechanics have improved significantly in the past year, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he starts seeing a lot of improvement in his shot over the next couple of months. Frankly there are a lot of guys out there with more offensive capabilities than Robinson, but defensively, he is capable of keeping up with the top scoring guards in the NBA, as he plays very physical and has the quickness and strength to bother most of the league’s elite guards. It also doesn’t hurt that he shares the namesake of a former Baltimore Orioles MVP outfielder.

D.J. Strawberry – G, Hapoel Jerusalem: Son of former Yankees and Mets outfielder, Darryl Strawberry, D.J. has been the go to guy for Hapoel Jerusalem after unsuccessful stints in Phoenix, Houston and New Orleans. Unfortunately for Jerusalem, he hasn’t shown a tremendous amount of leadership on the floor this season, and this has resulted in Jerusalem getting eliminated from the Eurocup in the first round, and a middling performance in the Israeli league.

Strawberry, however, has shown flashes that he may have what it takes to be a fourth guard in the NBA. He is not a point guard, and he should not be counted on to run an offense, but he can defend at a very high level. He has shown great improvement on his outside shooting, and teams now have to respect his jumper. Strawberry plays with a tremendous amount of energy, and would be very successful playing a role where he had the ball in his hands a bit less.

Keith Langford – G, Maccabi Tel-Aviv: After a short stint with the Spurs, this former Kansas Jayhawk has proven to be one of the top scorers in Europe. After leading the Euroleague in scoring last year with Khimki Moscow, Langford has taken his talents to Maccabi where he is filling the hole left by Jeremy Pargo.

Langford definitely has the scoring ability to play in the NBA, but he lacks the size to play the 2 full time, and isn’t adept enough at running an offense to be a full time point guard. He has gotten some chances to run the point this season for Maccabi since the departure of Jordan Farmar, but he will need a lot more seasoning at the position to be effective in the NBA. He most likely will remain a top player in Europe for the next few seasons, but if he proves he can run a team over the next few years, look for Langford to get another crack at the league.

AJ Mitnick is an American currently living in Israel and working for Maccabi Rishon Lezion of the Israeli Basketball Super League. A recent graduate of IDC Herzliya, Mitnick also maintains a  basketball blog, http://mindlessdribble.net, and is pursuing a professional basketball coaching license from the Wingate Institute in Israel.

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