Euroleague Group C preview and team-by-team analysis

GROUP C:

- Olympiacos Piraeus

Looking for a three-peat, reigning champions of Olympiacos however have lost three key players and top defenders in Kostas Papanikolaou, Kyle Hines and Pero Antic, as well as Josh Powell and Giorgi Shermadini.

Replacing Hines has been really difficult, since there's not a player with his package of tools in Europe, but Bryant Dunston seems to be a really good choice: he cannot defend on the perimeter the way Hines used to, on switches or on the pick and roll, but will guarantee excellent defense in the paint and, what's more important, could likely match Hines' rebounding contribution that has been such important to this team. Brent Petway has also big responsibilities in replacing Antic, whose defense was also fundamental both in the paint and on pick and roll plays: an incredibly physical and athletic player that loves to play through contact, with his big body and quick feet can guard both post and perimeter big men, even though being a bit foul prone and having little experience he could initially struggle in adapting to Euroleague level. Centers Cedric Simmons and Mirza Begic completes the frontcourt, and along with Petway and Dunston they are a bunch that's hardly matchable in term of physical presence and shot-blocking ability, making arguably Olympiacos' paint one of the most difficult to score in.

However it seems that Petway has too pressure on him, being the only one in the frontcourt that can consistently play at the 4 behind Georgios Printezis: in fact it seems difficult to play with two between Simmons, Dunston and Begic together, more likely we'll see some minute by Perperoglu and maybe youngster Ioannis Papapetrou.

With Matt Lojeski that will play both at the 2 and at the 3, Olympiacos is a more perimeter oriented team on the offensive end: as a second ball-handler that can create off the dribble and playing the pick and roll, Lojeski is a terrific swingman to play next to Spanoulis, since they are the only guards that can regularly beat the defender besides Acie Law; furthermore Lojeski is also more dangerous from the mid-range and will likely create wider spaces for the big men, despite surely he won't match Papanikolaou toughness and versatility on the defensive end. Acie Law, Kostas Sloukas, Dimitrios Katsivelis and Evangelos Mantzaris, the last one recovering from a torn ACL, are all confirmed next to Spanoulis, who obviously is again the main factor in Olympiacos' season.

Putting next to the reigning Euroleague MVP another offensive threat off the dribble like Lojeski is an intriguing move, while in the frontcourt they are even more athletic and tough than last season, but nevertheless the departures of Antic, Hines and Papanikolaou seems to be really hard to deal with.


- Montepaschi Siena

Financial issues didn't stop the Italian powerhouse from build a competitive roster despite losing the likes of Bobby Brown and David Moss. Marco Crespi has been promoted to head coach in place of Luca Banchi, who left for Milan, and the only players retained form last season's roster are Benjamin Ortner, veteran Tomas Ress and above all Daniel Hackett, this team's go-to-guy.

Next to Hackett in the starting five there’s rookie combo-guard Erick Green, an extremely quick scorer that will play both on and off the ball. Green’s inexperience however will be evident particularly in playmaking, since he's not really effective in run the offense in half-court, so should be Hackett himself who brings an help in such a role; that's also why has been added another point guard as Taylor Rochestie instead of a big man in the paint, since there was a real need of a point guard with a better court vision and little more experience, and the three of them could also see some playing time together in the type of 'small ball' that coach Crespi should utilize. From this point of view a huge addition has been the one of Josh Carter, a physically gifted wing that is an outstanding shooter off the catch and also a high level defender: he will start at the 3 and switch at the 4 when Siena will play three guards, that should be a good amount of time, and as a tremendous 'stretch four' that could guard opposite forward on defense he could represent a key mismatch for opponents' big men and a huge plus in pick and roll plays.

Behind him will play Jeff Viggiano, also an athletic player, dynamic cutter and good shooter off the catch that will likely himself play some minute at the 4 despite not having Carter's physical profile and being suited to guard more wing than forward players on defense. Kim English will instead play both at the 2 and at the 3: despite being like Green a fairly inexperienced player at his very first European experience, he has all the tools to become a first-class Euroleague player in the future, as a really smart guy, good defender, excellent shooter and post-up threat that will find more easy in Europe to score off the dribble.

The frontcourt is probably too light, but all the same features a well-assembled pair of centers in Benjamin Ortner and Othello Hunter, the former being little athletic but having an high IQ and being able to move extremely well without the ball, and the latter being the type of athletic and intimidating player that this team needed. Ress has a pivotal role off the bench thanks to his experience, defensive impact and outstanding IQ, and will likely play a good amount of minutes at the 5 in the 'small' lineup. A huge late addition has been the one of Spencer Nelson, thatseemed to be headed to Malaga, a true face-up four that can hit from distance and attack off the dribble: he will start at the 4, and because of Ress' occasional injury issues he could even replace his role at the 5 despite not having the same physical profile, giving also his rebounding prowess.

This is a much cheaper team, but despite some lack of experience and little weight in the paint it could for sure aiming for the Top 16.


- Unicaja Malaga

In a really disappointing 2012/13 season Unicaja failed to make the ACB playoffs and almost lost the Euroleague A License, so the team has replaced Jasmin Repesa with Joan Plaza and made some major change in the roster. 

Looking at the players, the first thing that catches your eye is a big, athletic and defensive gifted wing group that features Zoran Dragic, Carlos Suarez, Midaugas Kuzminskas and Sergi Vidal, a bunch that could be extremely effective in transition and in attacking the basket, while also bring a key contribution in rebounding the ball. Dragic, who had to go on a one-year loan, has instead remained in Malaga because of Vidal's injuries and will start at the 2 after an impressing show at Eurobasket: along with Kuzminskas they are an impressive duo on defense that could very well have a good role on offense with their ability to cut hard to the rim and move without the ball. 

Vidal himself, Txemi Urtasun and Ryan Toolson are all facing some physical issue, and that's surely a problem giving these players' ability to create off the dribble: the former could act as a true point forward thanks to his pick and roll plays and passing ability, while Urtasun and Toolson are excellent and versatile shooters that can hit also off the catch, in running off screens or with a mid-range pull-up. With all of them sidelined there will be arguably much pressure on point guards from a scoring standpoint, but both Earl Calloway and Jayson Granger can meet the expectations. Granger particularly is a good addition that could very well fix what lately has been a huge lack in Malaga at the point guard position: an excellent passer with good physique that allows him to drive to the basket, he will likely start and make Calloway coming off the bench in order to provide a quick change of pace.

The frontcourt features again the experience and defensive impact of veteran Fran Vasquez, and next to him Unicaja has decided to sign two players looking to a new chance after disappointing stints: Nik Caner-Medley comes back to Spain in order to be the team's starter at the power forward position, as a complete and athletic player that can both drive to the basket and hit from beyond the arc, and having basically no-backup (except youngster Domantas Sabonis) he will be replaced probably by Kuzminskas playing at the 4. That leaves plenty of minutes for the American player, who could have the needed larger offensive role in which he has always demonstrate to perform the better. Behind Vasquez will instead play Brazilian Rafael Hettsheimeir, a tremendous fighter in the paint that can score in the post and possibly hit from mid-range, an addition that has been passed by almost unnoticed but that can be really intriguing; there's also Vladimir Stimac, an even tougher center that will provide physical defense and rebounding prowess.

A largely renewed team that faces some absence in this season start, Unicaja has however made a huge addition with coach Joan Plaza and has surely all the tools in order to get the Top 16.


- Galatasaray Istanbul

Turkish champions of Galatasaray have retained the entire roster but Ndong, while adding the likes of Nathan Jawai, Zoran Erceg and veteran Sinan Guler.

In the backcourt Carlos Arroyo will have the most important task, as the only one that can consistently run the offense and create open looks for his teammates: a tremendous ball-handler and pick and roll player, he will have also a major scoring role thanks to his ability to drive to the rim, pull-up from mid-range and hit from beyond the arc. Behind him, Ender Arslan has a strongly questionable decision making despite his huge experience, and will likely act mainly as a shooter.

Swingman shooter Cenk Akyol and combo-guard Jamont Gordon have to play at the 2, with the latter that has a pivotal role in the backcourt: a consistent second ball-handler next to both Arroyo or Arslan, he's an athletic slasher that can easily attack the basket thanks to his strong first step, being able to absorb contacts and quickly change direction, while also being a legit threat in score out of the pick and roll or in transition. Guler will likely have mainly a defensive role, maybe being able to cover also Arroyo huge lacks in this area.

Manuchar Markoishvili and Henry Domercant completes the backcourt: the former will likely start at the 3 and will have a key role in shooting off the catch, despite being a player that can for sure looking for his own shot; the latter has lately seemed a little on a downward slide, but still can provide a first-class scoring impact.

Zoran Erceg takes Macvan's spot at the 4 in the starting five, a high-level pick and roll option to play along with Arroyo thanks to his tremendous versatility in both rolling hard to the basket or pop-out for a jump-shot. He's also an excellent high-post player that can regularly assist the centers in the low post, being in fact, along with Macvan, one of the best passing duo among big men in Euroleague. Erwin Dudley will instead guarantee a key contribution on the defensive end, with his assertiveness, IQ and incredible amount of hustle plays. Furkan Aldemir is the more likely starter at the 5, with Jawai coming off the bench: a well-assembled duo in the paint, they nonetheless seems to struggle a bit in post defense; what's more, this team seems to lack a consistent help defense, something that will be a crucial aspect in order to cover Arroyo's liability on the perimeter and particularly on pick and roll plays.


- Stelmet Zielona Gora

Losing Walter Hodge, Quinton Hosley, Oliver Stevic and Dejan Borovnjak has been quite painful, and Polish champions of Zielona Gora have rebuilt the roster almost entirely in order to compete in Euroleague. 

Now the team's core is RT Guinn, an extremely quick and agile power forward that could easily be their best scorer, giving his tremendous ability to shoot the ball and beat the opponents off the dribble; Guinn's backup role seem to be well covered with two solid and tough players as Aaron Cel and David Barlow, with the Aussie that will probably play a good amount of minutes as small forward. But putting Guinn next to Craig Brackins seems to be a risky choice: playing with such an atypical duo, in clear contrast with last season’s choice, is intriguing, but Brackins has always lacked the needed toughness to play at the 5. So this is probably a too light frontcourt to play with, particularly in this heavy Group C, nor seems to be enough the presence of Adam Hrycaniuk as backup; so seems to think the Polish team, that has just added also Vladimir Dragicevic, a good scoring option in the paint but also a really erratic player.

In the backcourt has been more difficult to replace Hodge and Hosley. At the point guard spot, the team has signed Russell Robinson, that comes from a good stint in Polish runner-up Turow: his decision making is strongly questionable, but the presence of Lukas Koszarek as a playmaker is kind of reassurance, and will allow Robinson to start from the bench and play also as a two-guard, something that we've already seen last season with Hodge.

To replace Hosley has come to Zielona Gora former Cleveland Cavaliers' pick Christian Eyenga: a mediocre shooter but an elite athlete, as for now he has shown very little improvement from his previous European days at La Penya, but his high ceiling and outstanding physical profile are intriguing even giving his poor work ethic; he seems to be a good fit next to Guinn though, with his rebounding prowess and slashing ability.

A key addition in the backcourt is shooter Przemyslaw Zamojski, who will probably start at the 2 spot and bring some much-needed outside shooting. Lately has been added also Erving Walker, a small combo-guard that replaces disappointing Adrian Oliver (who did not pass the test period) and will likely have scoring tasks off the bench: he can consistently shoot and get to the rim thanks to his quickness, but with his terrible decision making and shot selection he seems to be less suited even than Robinson to play at the point guard spot.


- FC Bayern Munich

The rising German team has been granted a wildcard, even though they finished with only a sixth seed. Looking for an upgrade, the roster has been rebuilt with eight new players, trying to assemble a 'big' starting five able to fight in the paint against top European teams: the additions of reigning German MVP and top rebounder John Bryant, along with the one of Deon Thompson, guarantee an heavy frontcourt that will be hardly outrebounded, giving also the addiction of Yassin Idbihi as a backup 5 and the confirmed presence, a bit surprising, of Chevon Troutman as a backup 4. Recently, after Thompson's injury, has been added also Serbian Boris Savovic, a little soft player but an excellent shooter and smart inside-outside scoring option that will give to Bayern a much-needed 'stretch four'; this also means that we'll continue to see Robin Benzing playing almost exclusively as a small forward.

In the backcourt to replace Tyrese Rice has been signed Malcolm Delaney, a physical and extremely quick guard that is highly effective on the pick and roll and could score at will even at this level of competition: despite being more suited than Rice to play at the point, Pesic will probably use him also as a scorer off the ball, something already seen with Rice and something that Delaney has already experienced last year in Kiev; and that's why next to Hammann has been added other ball-handlers such as Heiko Schaffartzik and Nihad Djedovic. Last but not least, Bryce Taylor, one of the most complete and prolific scorers in Bundesliga, has been taken to replace Brandon Thomas: he starts as a shooting guard, with Djedovic playing the 3 spot and Benzing coming off the bench.

This team will hardly have any difficult to score, but there are some legit questions about the defensive end, particularly in the backcourt: there's a lack of elite defenders outside of Lucca Staigger, and Benzing is probably too slow to adequately guard other teams' swingmen; furthermore, Bryant is an incredible scoring machine and a massive presence in the paint, but is a bad defender and right now also appears to be a little out of shape, and things won't get better if he will have to play next to Savovic, with Thompson sidelined.