Portuguese League 2006/07

[rikhardur]

With 3 rounds completed for some teams, Larry Jon Smith leads the scoring table with 32.0 ppg, the best Portuguese being António Pires with 13.0 ppg.

Top rebounder is Mike Williams with 11.6 rpg, best Portuguese Élvis Évora (9.0 rpg).

Most assists per game for now go to Julian Blanks (7.5), followed by António Pires with 6.6 apg.

Benfica, Porto (-1 game) and Ovarense (-1 game) lead the league.

Tomorrow the 4th round will take place, with the rivalry clash between Porto and Benfica.

[Juan Carlos Nadal]

I have a question about the Portuguese teams in fact. How come no portuguese team participates in Euro competitions this year? Not even in the FEC or FECC. What is the reasoning behind that? Have they just decided not to bother with them? Are the financial expenses outweighting the potential benefits?

I find it bizzare because 2 years ago there were 3 teams in the ULEB cup (OK, due to special circumstances, but still...) plus several others in FEC and FECC.

What changed this year?

Wouldn't it be useful for portuguese players to get some more international experience ahead of the portuguese NT's participation in the the EB next summer?


PS: Who is the fav to win the league this year?

[rikhardur]

I have a question about the Portuguese teams in fact. How come no portuguese team participates in Euro competitions this year? Not even in the FEC or FECC. What is the reasoning behind that? Have they just decided not to bother with them? Are the financial expenses outweighting the potential benefits?

I find it bizzare because 2 years ago there were 3 teams in the ULEB cup (OK, due to special circumstances, but still...) plus several others in FEC and FECC.

What changed this year?

Wouldn't it be useful for portuguese players to get some more international experience ahead of the portuguese NT's participation in the the EB next summer?


PS: Who is the fav to win the league this year?

That's actually a very good question to which I have no answer. Nothing was mentioned in the media about that situation, at least that I know of. I tried searching the news content of the LCB and FBP websites, but there's nothing there about the matter.
You are right, it's always useful to play in a European competition, the players show their skills to a wider audience and get experience. I simply don't know why that didn't happen this year.

I think Ovarense will win it again this year, but Porto and Benfica are always championship contenders.

[Juan Carlos Nadal]

How about Queluz? Where do they stand now? They had a fairly decent team a couple of years back. And what about Ginasio? Any chance of repeating last year's miracle?

[rikhardur]

Queluz lost their first 3 games already, by only a few point difference that's true, but I don't expect that much from them, although the competition is only starting. Yeah, they had a magnificent team some years ago, but they had financial problems if I'm not mistaken.
It was a miracle indeed last year for Ginásio, I don't expect them to repeat it though, at least not with such vigour.

[ziv]

i guess we all should respect portugal after the tremndous summer the NT had (at least we israelis should).
i wonder how's miguel minehva is doing? he changed teams this summer and i realy liked him playing with the NT. tall, smart (and young) point guard, capable of scoring from outside and driving. was great in the crunch against israel. might be a legitmate player for bigger leagues.
anyway, how is he doing?

[rikhardur]

Yeah, Minhava is now playing for Benfica, he was in Belenenses the previous season and played also some play-off games with Cornellà in the Spanish LEB 2. He's a good disher and also a good scorer imo. He's not getting as much minutes as he used to have in Belenenses though. Check his stats up to now: http://www.lcb.pt/ligatmn/?esc=jogador&id=56
I think he definitely has the potential to play in stronger leagues.

[rikhardur]

4th round

Porto beat Benfica 71-68.

PORTO:
Larry Jon Smith 17 pts + 8 rebs + 3 blocks
Nuno Marçal 16 pts + 7 rebs
Rodrigo Mascarenhas 10 pts + 16 rebs

BENFICA:
Corey Benjamin 15 pts
Ashante Johnson 14 pts + 9 rebs
Leroy Watkins 12 pts + 3 blocks
Miguel Minhava 9 pts + 3 assists


CAB Madeira beat Lusitânia 89-81.

CAB:
Eric Sandin 24 pts + 9 rebs
Marko Antonijevič 18 pts + 4 assists
Filipe da Silva 14 pts + 7 rebs + 7 assists

LUSITÂNIA:
Mike Williams 19 pts
Willie Taylor 14 pts + 4 rebs
Graham Brown 10 pts + 6 rebs

[rikhardur]

4th round

Ovarense beat Belenenses 89-83.

BELENENSES:
Brian Robinson 24 pts + 7 rebs
Jason Robinson 16 pts + 3 rebs + 6 assists
Cameron Echols 16 pts + 11 rebs + 2 blocks

OVARENSE:
Gregory Stenpin 19 pts + 6 rebs
Ben Reed 19 pts + 6 assists
Shawn Jackson 17 pts + 12 rebs


Barreirense beat Queluz 73-66.

BARREIRENSE:
João Gomes 28 pts + 7 rebs + 7 steals
Cortney Scott 18 pts + 7 rebs
António Pires 13 pts + 7 assists

QUELUZ:
Kalu Guasco 15 pts + 5 rebs
Rob Kampman 11 pts + 5 rebs
Ike Nwankwo 10 pts + 9 rebs + 3 blocks
Jamie Kendrick 9 pts + 9 rebs + 2 blocks

[adebisi]

I remember when last year I was studying in Portugal, Arvydas Straupys was playing for CAB Madeira, and actually he was one of the leaders in that team, but he did't finished that season in CAB as far as I know... Maybe anyone know the reasons?
P.S. In daily sport newspaper "Bola" or what so ever, they were giving statistical leaders of Portuguese league, and Straupys always was in TOP3 in 3pt shooting table

[rikhardur]

There were apparently disciplinary reasons for Straupis's getting cut from the team. He was not with the team for the first League Cup game because of discipline problems and then he missed the following training. I don't know where he is playing now, do you happen to know?

[elaj]

There were apparently disciplinary reasons for Straupis's getting cut from the team. He was not with the team for the first League Cup game because of discipline problems and then he missed the following training. I don't know where he is playing now, do you happen to know?

Casta SPU Nitra - Slovakian league.

[rikhardur]

There were apparently disciplinary reasons for Straupis's getting cut from the team. He was not with the team for the first League Cup game because of discipline problems and then he missed the following training. I don't know where he is playing now, do you happen to know?

Casta SPU Nitra - Slovakian league.

Hvala

[rikhardur]

4th round MVP

The MVP was Barreirense's 21-year-old forward João Santos with an outstanding performance against Queluz:
28 pts (6/6 FG, 5/7 3pt, 1/4 FT)
7 rebs
7 steals
2 assists
1 block

[rikhardur]

5th round

Ginásio lost to Belenenses 80-96.

GINÁSIO:
Ricky Woods 28 pts + 7 rebs
José Costa 18 pts + 4 assists
Jesse Smith 14 pts + 5 rebs

BELENENSES:
Cameron Echols 31 pts + 10 rebs
Jason Robinson 15 pts + 11 rebs + 5 assists
Diogo Carreira 14 pts + 6 assists
Paulo Simão 12 pts + 6 rebs + 6 assists


Ovarense beat Queluz 86-57 (!)

OVARENSE:
Ben Reed 14 pts + 4 assists
Élvis Évora 12 pts + 8 rebs
Gregory Stempin 11 pts + 4 rebs + 3 steals

QUELUZ:
Jamie Kendrick 21 pts + 7 rebs
Rob Kampman 10 pts + 6 rebs
Tiago Barreiro 3 pts + 5 rebs + 5 steals