Euroleague Regular Season: Week 26

[Toruko]

Well watching the game i can say the main problems in defense and turnover still remains. Fenerbahce wont win a series against big clubs (stand now) but keeping Sloukas and Kalinic out for a long time was a good step. Especially Kalinic but also Sloukas are big problems right now.

[Overthetop]

Despite another crisis at the end of the game, Fenerbahçe managed to win the game thanks to +15 diff. in last two minutes. Nonetheless, winning an away game against Top-8 team is very crucial.

[markkanen]

Zalgiris! Zalgiris! Zalgiris! Epic win, one more for Saras boys, and this was huge. Armani played really well, they hit 15 threes, usually that would be enough for easy victory, but not in Kaunas. Don't forget that Zalgiris was at 3-12 score and last place, and before game in Belgrade, we were at 5-13, and Red Star at 9-9, now we have 11-15, Red Star only 10-16. But, nothing is decided, we are still outsiders, and we need two victories in next week (it will be double week), and that's though task for any team in euroleague.
I suspect that Fenerbahce will win in Valencia because I watched game Valencia vs. Maccabi, and Valencia is plagued with injuries, they can't organize anything without Colom, but they can't defend anything with him on court. So, that's why Fenerbahce had those monstrous percentages, and that's why Maccabi beat Valencia quite easily.
Zenit and Asvel, what can I say? One ridiculous at home, other funny in away games.
Now, we have 6 teams with only one victory difference and two spots, but I think that Panathinaikos can be in problem because they have tough schedule, and they don't play good anymore.

[Tevfik1907]

You don't see 75/56/90 as anomaly? Nobody is shooting like that. Fener is shooting 54/40/80 in the season and is one of the best teams. Efes, the best team in all categories, has 57/42/86. So yes, Fener's % today is a big anomaly.

with that kind of shooting number of assists will always be impressive.

You think Fener is some kind of average EL team with average players?

The same Efes was nothing 2 years ago, and 1 year ago we were the favorite for winning the EL and we would if not for the injuries.

We have the same quality equal to any other top teams.

Our problems is not about the quality of the players, it's about the poor team play, rebounds / assists (which is related to still not being able to move and fight like a team).

If we get over with our problems, we should able to shoot like that, but unfortunately, due to internal and individual problems with coach and his ending contract, and due to some players are not caring about it, we are in this position.

What I am saying that it shouldn't be surprising that we shoot like that, the quality and the background of the players are there.

Also you can't compare that statistic to general season statistic where there are lots ups and downs with major loses, you can compare it with other wins.

Efes's last Alba game (without even Larkin); 62/55/90

It's all the same except for the 2 pts percentage is lower a little, it could've been higher with Larkin's 2pts. The 3pts and FT percentage is all the same. And how many assists they made? 22 assists.

We made 24 assists today.

[Killer Bob]

You think Fener is some kind of average EL team with average players?

The same Efes was nothing 2 years ago, and 1 year ago we were the favorite for winning the EL and we would if not for the injuries.

We have the same quality equal to any other top teams.

Our problems is not about the quality of the players, it's about the poor team play, rebounds / assists (which is related to still not being able to move and fight like a team).

If we get over with our problems, we should able to shoot like that, but unfortunately, due to internal and individual problems with coach and his ending contract, and due to some players are not caring about it, we are in this position.

What I am saying that it shouldn't be surprising that we shoot like that, the quality and the background of the players are there.

Also you can't compare that statistic to general season statistic where there are lots ups and downs with major loses, you can compare it with other wins.

Efes's last Alba game (without even Larkin); 62/55/90

It's all the same except for the 2 pts percentage is lower a little, it could've been higher with Larkin's 2pts. The 3pts and FT percentage is all the same. And how many assists they made? 22 assists.

We made 24 assists today.

Please look how many times has Fener shot like that in last 5 years.

Great shooting and many assists is always positive correlated.

[Tevfik1907]

What a disastrous season for Milan. They'll never make the playoffs again.

Ironic thing is they send James at the beginning of the season, and they trusted Nedovic.

And James is playing great in CSKA while Nedovic never filled the scorer gap that Milan needed.

They should still kept James.

[janketa]

Keeping Kalinic and Sloukas out of game was key for the win.

At last, Sloukas showed what is his best role and that's exactly what he played in Oly and tonight in Fener, backup pg and combo guard.

I realy don't have words anymore to describe Kalinic role and why is he still part of this team. If anyone mention word glue again connected with him, I am saying he is pure idiot.

Good shooting from Williams but again poor rebounding and rim protection.

The real glue guy for this team is Vesely and he showed that tonight.

[berry]

Still 6 teams left in competition over two last spots, and if Pana looses to Oly next week they also will enter danger zone, though it's highly unlikely.

With such calls like the ones in Tel Aviv yeah, it's highly unlikely...

[MikeMaccabiFan]

With such calls like the ones in Tel Aviv yeah, it's highly unlikely...

Oh come on, stop whining already.

[vivo]

I haven't watched the game, only saw stats, but could this win attributed to Sloukas and Kalinic playing 12-13 minutes each?

Kalinic is in a slump, he was terrible in the last 2 games and he was also really bad even in 12 minutes yesterday. Sloukas was also bad in the last games but yesterday he was decent (until he switched his brain off in the last minutes). I think it was good that Obradovic cut the minutes of players who have been under performing, but I don't think we will see 12 players per game for Sloukas rest of the season.

As Bob said, these shooting percentages are not sustainable. We had many lucky shots and Valencia was stupid under our rim. BUT, at least we made those lucky shots with sharing the ball and 24 assists from 11 players, so there is that.

[MikeMaccabiFan]

You think Fener is some kind of average EL team with average players?

This season? Yes, yes, and yes. Money talks, bullshit walks - meaning show me your results.

We have the same quality equal to any other top teams.

Not this season. You have one half-decent center. You have one pretty good PF. You have one SG which was very good. You have one half-decent point guard. That's it.
You have coach which is EL legend, which plays outdated basketball. You will be lucky to get to top 8. That's the truth.

[Tevfik1907]

This season? Yes, yes, and yes. Money talks, bullshit walks - meaning show me your results.


Not this season. You have one half-decent center. You have one pretty good PF. You have one SG which was very good. You have one half-decent point guard. That's it.
You have coach which is EL legend, which plays outdated basketball. You will be lucky to get to top 8. That's the truth.

Why it was so hard for your top team to beat us then? What's stopped you? What if Thomas didn't act like a statue and what if Hunter didn't score that miracle shot in the last 2 seconds?

And that was Datome's and DeColo's worst game and you still had troubles against ''average'' EL team...

The regular season standings are not important as long as you get there healthy and get there physically fit, Real won the EL when they finished at 5th place, we did the same in 2017.

Not saying we will play F4 or anything, but your assumption based on regular season results is nonsense, you can't know what will happen and as far as the quality of the players goes we are at the top.

And Obra is playing with outdated basketball? How the hell this guy played F4 in the last 5 years in a row? I guess the basketball has changed in 1 year from 2019 to 2020...

[janketa]

I agree Obradovic is playing outdated basketball until last night. Raping the ball for 15-20 seconds by Sloukas is anything but modern style.

If he continues to limit him and Kalinic I think we could win some games even with some mediocre players like Nunnaly and Williams. Point is that giving Sloukas and Kalinic 30+ minutes per game and leader roles brought us to this humiliation. Sharing minutes like last night could be the key, maybe...

[vivo]

I agree Obradovic is playing outdated basketball until last night. Raping the ball for 15-20 seconds by Sloukas is anything but modern style.

If he continues to limit him and Kalinic I think we could win some games even with some mediocre players like Nunnaly and Williams. Point is that giving Sloukas and Kalinic 30+ minutes per game and leader roles brought us to this humiliation. Sharing minutes like last night could be the key, maybe...

Not saying it is right or wrong, but I don't see Obradovic playing Sloukas 12 minutes a night consistently.

I think one solution for the remainder of the season is not playing Sloukas and De Colo together. Our defense gets absolutely fucked. Start with Westermann and De Colo, then let Sloukas lead the second unit. Finish the game with De Colo + whoever is good that night.

In any case, it will be a fucking miracle to beat a team in playoffs if we get there. I expect major overhaul in the summer

[MikeMaccabiFan]

Why it was so hard for your top team to beat us then? What's stopped you? What if Thomas didn't act like a statue and what if Hunter didn't score that miracle shot in the last 2 seconds?

And that was Datome's and DeColo's worst game and you still had troubles against ''average'' EL team...

The regular season standings are not important as long as you get there healthy and get there physically fit, Real won the EL when they finished at 5th place, we did the same in 2017.

Not saying we will play F4 or anything, but your assumption based on regular season results is nonsense, you can't know what will happen and as far as the quality of the players goes we are at the top.

And Obra is playing with outdated basketball? How the hell this guy played F4 in the last 5 years in a row? I guess the basketball has changed in 1 year from 2019 to 2020...

First of all, it's not that Datome and De Colo just decided to have worst game in the season - Maccabi's defence was there... As for being top team, Maccabi, for today, is not a top team, unfortunately. Until we lost half team with injuries, yes we were on our way to be one (remember Maccabi trashing Basconia and Oly?). But still, compared to Fener, we have a) EL star(Wilbekin), b) Solid, tough and very experienced center(Hunter), c) additional five centers/PFs(Cohen, Acy, Caloiaro, Reynolds, Stodemayer), which, while not on top level, give more than Fener's tall guys d)two decent small forwards (Avdija/Zussman), e) two good shooting guards (Bryant and Dorsey, even though he should improve his defence). Only problem, we don't have decent playmaker, unless Aaron Jackson will give more, hopefully...And, we have one of the best (the best in the first half of the season, by his peers judgement) coaches in EL for today. He has his weak moments, like in last game, but he's really a magician, and gentleman. And we have good team atmosphere, nothing toxic like Obradovic...So that about Maccabi.
But I was talking about top 3-4 teams which are not Maccabi - Real, Barca, Efes, and CSKA(they did huge mistake letting Hunter go, and lost Clyburn, but still are good). They have much better rosters, sorry.

There's a truth in your words, that one team, having bad season can still win EL, even with worse roster. We also did it in 2014, while having worse season than this year so far. Still, you need to have good base to do it, I don't see it in Fener...