Halfway through the Euroleague Top 16 and we have had some big surprises, which perhaps should not have been so surprising after all. Bennet Cantu, sitting at 2-1 in Group H after convincingly beating Maccabi Tel Aviv at home, qualify on both counts.

That game was probably the best game of the competition so far in terms of drama and context – Maccabi are in serious trouble, and in all likelihood have to beat Cantu at home this week to stay in the competition. While Nokia Arena provides a formidable homecourt advantage, there are problems with the team that cannot be overcome by atmosphere alone. Cantu exploited the weaknesses in Maccabi’s roster and gameplan to take a deserved victory.

Problems at the Point

Since Jordan Farmar returned Stateside, David Blatt has shuttled through ball handlers without settling on any one of them. In the first half last week, Theo Papaloukas started, and provided three characteristically accurate passes in the first five minutes – two were converted, Eliyahu muffed a layup on the other. But that promising 4 minutes, 41 seconds was as much of a look as Theo was allowed.

There has been some discussion of his defensive lapses around the blogosphere as justification for his lack of playing time. But over the rest of the first half, after watching Keith Langford turn the ball over three times attempting to run a pick and roll, Yogev Ohayon’s unwillingness to shoot unless forced at gun point, and Tal Burstein’s cameo appearance, it seems difficult to justify limiting one of Europe’s finest playmakers to such a short spell, no matter how bad his defense is.

One name not mentioned above is the guy Blatt signed, in theory, to replace Farmar. Demond Mallet did hit a couple of big threes, and zipped a nice pass to Richard Hendrix, who had his layup attempt stuffed.

That was more or less it.

He had struggled in the Barcelona game to run the offense efficiently, but surely the answer to a shaky game against the competition’s best defensive team is not to banish him to spot duties at the two spot. Keith Langford did bail himself out of some broken plays as ballhandler, but he is clearly not a point guard and shouldn’t be cast in the role.

Trinchieri Doubles Down

Maccabi looked out of ideas once Trinchieri ordered his men to double Sofoklis Schortsanitis on the catch. Big Sofo caused havoc in the first half, scoring six of Maccabi’s first eight points and forcing Denis Marconato to the bench with two fouls. He only scored two more points after that.

The cleverness of the double team was that it didn’t always come from the same place – mostly from the baseline but also from the middle, and Sofo isn’t instinctive enough a passer to find the open man, particularly if he’s not sure where the open spot will be. Some centres like Mike Batiste and Lazaros Papadopalous can almost run an offense from the low block – Sofo isn’t one of them. It took too long to attempt to feed anyone else in the post, and when they did, Hendrix and Eliyahu had some success.

Flawless Execution

As for Cantu, they are proving people wrong almost weekly. Eventually, they have to be taken seriously as a playoff team, and that time has definitely arrived. Earlier in the competition, for all their organisation and flawless execution on offense, I doubted whether they had anyone who could ‘make bad shots’ or get to the rim when the jumpshots weren’t falling.

That was unfair on two fronts: first, their execution is so good that they mostly don’t need that player to succeed – one particular play in the second half saw the ball cycle round the three point line and make it to a cutting Shermadini open under the rim. The ball didn’t touch the floor until the Georgian slammed it home.

Secondly, they do have ‘that player’ – his name is Vladimir Micov. The young Serbian was everywhere in this game, driving, finishing, dishing, hitting threes, and can turn on the jets when he needs to.

It isn’t just him though –  Gianluca Basile is hitting shots from all over the floor with hands in his face while Giorgi Shermadini and even Denis Marconato can isolate  in the post – this team doesn’t always have to find the open shot and make a jumper, they just don’t need to force it very often.

Perkins Arrives, Cantu on the Cusp

If Doron Perkins, who won’t play this week, can get acclimated and hasn’t lost his explosiveness, this team could go all the way to the Final Four. They have a superb coach who can make in game adjustments, genuine chemistry, and the talent to take advantage of all of this.

[Read why Nick Gibson thinks Perkins is worth the risk for Cantu on Sheridan Hoops.]

It’s tempting to be excited about the emergence of Cantu and forget that it is still difficult to go to the Nokia Arena and win, unless you’re FC Barcelona.

Cantu only beat Zalgiris by one, and still need to go to Kaunas and win – the group is by no means settled. But Maccabi have problems, and not just with their point guards.

Motionless

David Blatt’s teams are known for their constant motion, but that had disappeared at the PalaDesio. Keith Langford’s penetration was to no effect if his path to the rim was blocked – several times he drove, dished to the corner but the off-the-ball movement was so lacking that it didn’t create a good look, and the ball was recycled back to the middle. For all his quickness and deft touch round the rim, Langford is not the playmaker that Jeremy Pargo was.

Last year, Maccabi got big contributions from David Blu and Guy Pnini hitting threes, but Pnini is mostly out of the rotation and Blu isn’t benefitting from the space that Pargo created.

It all comes back to the point guard position, which is why it makes sense to try to work around Papaloukas’ defensive shortcomings, at least for longer than five minutes per game. Perhaps Maccabi’s hectic schedule, which includes Euroleague and the Adriatic League, in addition to the Israeli League, is taking its toll and shortening practice time, particularly with the limited ability of the opposition in the latter two competitions, but they have not adjusted well since Farmar’s departure.

Looking Ahead

This week is a massive one for the Top 16, with several teams hanging onto qualification hopes that desperately need to win – Maccabi is one of those teams. Cantu could take a huge step towards the playoffs even with a narrow loss (anything under eight), but on last week’s evidence, it’s obvious they should go to Tel Aviv with no fear.

Rob Scott writes ‘Switching Screens’ every week. Follow him on Twitter @robscott33.

Jorge Gutierrez, Fab Melo, Kris Joseph, Jeffrey Taylor, Festus Ezeli, Juan Fernandez and a handful of otherwordly college stars go under Gus’ microscope.

Let’s get it.

This looks to be a do or die Thursday for a lot of different teams around Europe.  Can Fenerbahce get a season changing win at home versus the defending champs?  Will Unicaja be able to slow down Bo McCalebb and the now potent Siena offense?  Read on to see the picks and serve up your own game predictions in the comments section.

CSKA Moscow (2-0) vs. Galatasaray (1-1)

Sam: Last week CSKA Moscow was making their threes, so instead of beating you by 15 or 20 points, they conquered by 25 to 30 points.  Long range shots dropping or not, Galatasaray will have a mighty hard time playing four solid quarters against this defense. CSKA Moscow.

Nick: I love what I saw from Galatasaray last week so much that I swore I’d pick them to win a game down the stretch. I hope it was implied that this game was not up for discussion. CSKA Moscow.

Fenerbahce Ulker (1-1) vs. Panathinaikos (1-1)

Sam: The most intriguing matchup of the week could be a statement game for either team.  Can Fenerbahce get a home win they almost have to have if they want to sneak into the playoffs?  Can Panathianikos put a whooping down on Fenerbahce and regain their championship contending swag?  When it come down to it, I just don’t expect the often ridiculed Neven Spahija to out-duel Zeljko Obradovic. Panathinaikos.

Nick: With Kazan busting off the blocks, this game carries a lot more weight, as it might end up determining Group G’s two seed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Panathinaikos is only vulnerable for several more weeks. Take advantage now or see them in the championships. Fenerbahce Ulker.

Unicaja (0-2) vs. Montepaschi Siena (2-0)

Sam: In a shocking occurrence this weekend, Siena lost an Italian league game after putting an old fashion thumping on Real, in Madrid.  I’m just going to take the loss as a sign of old legs having an off shooting night and bet on the fact that an extra day of rest by playing on Thursday adds an extra 10 points to this 20+ point win. Montepaschi Siena.

Nick: Siena seems immune to road woes and Unicaja can’t buy any chemistry,  so you know the drill. Montepaschi Siena.

Bennet Cantu (1-1) vs. Maccabi Electra (1-1)

Sam: Cantu is playing at home, so you know this will be a close game.  This match is everything for Cantu, as they need to beat Maccabi at home if they want any shot at advancing.  So expect Cantu to bring their best body punches, but for a team that narrowly got by Zalgiris last week, I don’t have a ton of hope.  Maccabi Electra.

Nick: I love me some Cantu fans and I love me some Vladimir Micov, but I’m also a fan of  David Blatt and what he can do with a backcourt chock full o’ gun powder. Is this the week Keith Langford and Demond Mallet spark it up? Maccabi Electra.

Barcelona Regal (2-0) vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (0-2)

Sam: Juan Carlos Navarro, Pete Mickeal, and Boniface Ndong were all out of ACB action this week.  They’re expected to be back for Thursday’s game, but even if they miss it, Barcelona will still roll.  Barcelona Regal.  

Nick: No Reeves Nelson for Zalgiris anymore, which means they’ll be without [checks Nelson's stats, grimaces] zero points, two boards and -3 PIR against the Catalan power. Sorry, Paulius. Barcelona Regal.

The NBA draft means something different for nearly every team. For some, it’s the chance to get that one missing piece of the championship puzzle, while for others it symbolizes a fresh start, with a brand new star to represent the reborn team. For the Bobcats, this past draft was the opportunity to continue their arduous and seemingly endless rebuilding process by adding some key young players, namely, Bismack Biyombo.

As I said in my season preview, Biyombo was drafted to be the defensive lynchpin of the Bobcats. Apparently, I was wrong, because it seems as if Biyombo was drafted to ride the bench. Biyombo has yet to play more than 25 minutes in a single game this season, despite numerous blowout losses.

It’s not as if he hasn’t produced when he gets time on the floor, either. Biyombo has recorded eight games with multiple blocks, and has scored in double-digits twice. That last number may not seem that impressive, but considering his offensive game was thought to be at the level of fellow Bobcat DeSagana Diop, it’s definitely a welcome surprise.

That isn’t to say that Biyombo isn’t still a work in progress, or that he’s a perfect player; he’s far from it.

In fact, Biyombo’s plus/minus is the second worst on the entire team, ahead of only Eduardo Najera. While on the court, Biyombo is a -19.8 and his net plus/minus is -10.9. He’s also miserable from the foul line, shooting 43% at the stripe. These are all things that Biyombo can improve however, if he’s given the minutes.

If the Bobcats were even in the background of the playoff picture, then not playing Biyombo would be excusable. But let’s face it: this team is awful. They compete with the Washington Wizards for the title of “worst team” on a night-to-night basis, and often times win that dubious battle.

So why not play Biyombo?

One of the biggest knocks on him coming into the draft was how underdeveloped his game was, and judging by the previously listed negatives, this is a perception that still largely holds true. But the whole point of a project player is to develop them, and the Bobcats, in the midst of a lost season, have the perfect chance to give Biyombo as much real-game experience as he can take. It won’t be pretty, and he’ll absolutely take his bumps along the way, but that’s all part of the learning process.

The Bobcats have nothing more to lose (though it wouldn’t surprise me if they somehow found a way to do so). Even if Biyombo is only marginally better than Diop, that’s still better than this:

Yuck.

Jordan White writes Ballingual weekly for Euroleague Adventures. Follow Jordan on Twitter.

[Listen to the podcast by clicking below]

Still, there’s something Aww shucks! charming about Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull sharing the court together. They take the adorableness to the next level when they pair up and hand out goodies to their mates, and that’s what happened Wednesday night in an 83-65 home win over Bilbao. Two Sergios, thirteen assists.

Their double-digit home was consistent with the night’s theme, unfortunately. Yet in the absence of closeness, we still found 24 minutes’ worth of stuff to toss around.

Such as: is Vassilis Spanoulis surging to the head of the MVP race? What is Madrid’s most potent offensive line-up? Is there any silver lining in Milano’s ugly 59-44 loss in Kazan? Why isn’t Anadolu Efes leaning more on Tarence Kinsey?

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Week three of the Top 16 can be a turning point for a lot of teams.  An 0-3 start can be detrimental for trying to clinch a playoff berth, while getting a win to move to 1-2 can bring your team some new life.  We’ve got three games on the Wednesday slate today, and if Milano shows up ready to play in Russia, they could all be close ones.

UNICS Kazan (2-0) vs. Olimpia Milano (0-2)

Sam: Last week in Athens you kept waiting for UNICS to bend a little bit, to crumble ever so slightly.  But they didn’t flinch and walked out of Panathinaikos’ house with a road win against the supposed Group G favorite.  If UNICS can show that kind of resilience on the road against a championship contender, a home game versus the worst team still left in the Top 16 should feel like a vacation. UNICS Kazan.

Nick: Vladimir Veremeenko is everything scouts hoped he’d be about three years earlier, Petr Samoylenko has hit his prime at age 34, and Henry Domercant is a bona fide MVP candidate. Mason Rocca can’t guard ‘em all. UNICS Kazan.

Olympiacos (0-2) vs. Anadolu Efes (1-1)

Sam: Everyone gets beat up when the go to play CSKA in Moscow, so I won’t harp too hard on the performance or lack there of by Efes last week. Olympiacos also lost last week and looks to currently have the big man depth of your local high school junior varsity team.  These teams have talent but not consistency, so in a coin flip I’ll take the team with the best player, Vassilis Spanoulis. Olympiacos.

Nick: He’s not perfect, but Joey Dorsey brings them something their defense has been missing all season long: length and quickness. It’s up to the Olympiacos guards to keep Oliver LaFayette and Tarence Kinsey out of the lane, and Joey Dorsey out of foul trouble. Olympiacos.

Real Madrid (1-1) vs. Gescrap Bilbao (1-1)

Sam: Real Madrid doesn’t lose twice in a row at home, even with Alex Mombru rolling and returning to his old stomping grounds.  Jaycee Carroll is shooting 33% from deep in the Top 16, a number that can’t stay that low for long. Real Madrid.

Nick: Time to put that home embarrassment against Siena behind them. No better way than to conquer a Spanish foe. Bilbao.

These two take very different routes to arrive at similar stat lines. One’s a gritty defensive nightmare from Mexico, the other’s a silky Argentinian with flash for days.

Both Jorge Gutierrez and Juan Fernandez have taken huge steps since they arrived on their respective campuses four years ago, and now have earned the right to lead their teams as seniors. So far, so good for both. But what’s next for these two?

Let’s get to it.

When you’re done, check out all the Foreign Exchange profiles.

Jorge Gutierrez, California Golden Bears (Mexico)
6’3″ (191 m)  |  195 lbs (88 kg)  |  Point Guard 

Maybe pound for pound the toughest player in college hoops, over the last year and a half Jorge Gutierrez has blossomed from purely a defensive stopper into a First Team All-Pac 12 player. Gutierrez, a pesky on-the-ball defender is one of the most passionate and energetic players in the country and is the definition of a senior leader.

Not the most highly recruited guy coming out of high school, Gutierrez has worked for everything he’s received both on the floor and off it, as he has overcome all odds on his way to stardom at Cal. Gutierrez grew up very poor in the town of Chihuahua, Mexico and plays with an unparalleled hunger and edge that is a product of his tough upbringing. Gutierrez is any coach’s dream as he is fearless, leads by example and plays as hard as anyone in the country.

Last season as a junior Gutierrez broke out offensively as he developed an offensive game to go along with his defensive ability, which made him so much more valuable to Cal coach Mike Montgomery.

People took notice, and Gutierrez was the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year along with All-Pac 10 honors thanks to averages of 14.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.6 steals.

Gutierrez has picked up where he left off, as the senior point guard has led Cal to a 16-5 record while averaging 14.3 points, 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.s steals. And in addition to playing his trademark lockdown defense, Gutierrez is also shooting a career best 46 percent from the field.

Still, the guard from Mexico means even more to Cal than his impressive statistics would indicate.

In terms of pro potential, Gutierrez will have a shot at the next level because of his on ball defending and recent offensive improvement. Right now Gutierrez is a fringe second round draft pick, but with a lot of basketball left, Gutierrez could fly off the board earlier in the second to a team in need of an on-ball nightmare.

I look at both Toney Douglass of the Knicks and Delonte West of the Mavericks as comparable NBA players. While Gutierrez is not as fluid offensively as West and Douglass were at this point in their careers, but his defensive ability bears a striking resemblance to the two college stars—especially Douglass, who was the ACC Defensive POY at Florida State in 2009.

His physical dimensions are similar to Douglass and West’s as well, and his continued progress running the point means he’ll get a chance to make some NBA team’s training camp once his days as a Golden Bear are done.

Jorge Gutierrez is worth a watch as he as passionate, tough and energetic as any player we have in college basketball and his defensive pressure makes him one of the most feared defenders in all of college hoops.

Just ask the nation’s leading scorer Damian Lillar (24.4 ppg) of Weber State, whom Gutierrez held to just 14 points and a miserable 4-17 shooting in a blowout Golden Bear win.

Juan Fernandez, Temple Owls (Argentina)
6’4″ (1.93 m)  |  180 lbs (82 kg)  |  Point Guard

A crafty point guard from Argentina, Fernandez has been a very good four-year player at Temple for Fran Dunphy. Fernandez,who followed fellow Argentine Pepe Sanchez to Temple, has helped the Owls to two Atlantic 10 titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances in his three years as a collegiate.

This season Fernandez leads Temple in assists at 4.1 per game and ranks third on the Owls in scoring at 11.8 points per game.

While not an explosive athlete, he is a top tier point guard at the college level because of his court vision and basketball IQ. This basketball IQ and craftiness help him make up for his lack of elite athleticism or strength and allow him to control games even when he is not scoring. Fernandez is a clever passer who like Dellavedova possesses a flair to his game that at times reminds people of Steve Nash and more frequently/fittingly, his predecessor Pepe Sanchez. Fernandez can make the flashy pass look easy at times and also can make a wide array of difficult shots which helps him compensate for his lack of athleticism and quickness.

What Fernandez does possess is good height for a point guard at 6’4″, three-point shooting ability and great court vision. After a difficult offensive season as a junior Juan Fernandez looks to have rediscovered his outside stroke as he is shooting over 42 percent from three-point range this season up from a career low 33 percent a season ago.

Fernandez is a proven winner who has shown he is one of the better passers in America who can also beat you with a wide array of tricks to both score and setup his teammates. Fernandez may not look like much but his craftiness, basketball sense and vision make him a tough point guard to defend at the collegiate level.

In terms of next level potential Fernandez’s game may not translate well. Despite his good height, his slight frame and lack of NBA caliber athleticism could prevent him from catching on with an NBA squad.

On a given night, he can dominate a game as a scorer and/or passer, but his inconsistency and tendency to disappear in games make him a tough player to project at the next level.

Fernandez will be a professional point guard for a long time because of smarts, passing ability and craftiness but I feel that his game may translate better to Europe than it does to the NBA. Fernandez certainly has some skills that will have him on NBA executives radars like his court vision and outside shooting but his lack of athleticism and spotty defense make him likely an undrafted free agent signing.

If I had to compare Fernandez to anyone I would compare him to Real Madrid’s Sergio Rodriguez as he has decent height without the girth to go with it, is a crafty passer but lacks that legitimate burst great guards often have. To top it all off, he’s a so-so defender.

And if Fernandez expects to end up piloting a high-level European club like Rodriguez, he’ll have to take the same bumps and bruises first as he reins in a little bit of that creativity in exchange for a few more smart decisions.

Either way, Juan will make sure it’s fun to watch.

There were five games played this week in the NBL, and all of them had winning margins of at least 10 points. Despite this, there is one game that had all the attention, and rightly so.

Melbourne Tigers vs. Wollongong Hawks.

Wollongong are currently the worst team in the league, and I don’t just say that because they are the bottom ranked team in the league—they stink. They are struggling at both ends of the court, haven’t got any superstar player to carry them and rely on aging veteran players to produce points they simply can’t anymore (see this article if you want an in depth look at the Hawks problems).

What makes this an interesting match up between the Hawks and the Tigers therefore is based on off-court drama, rather than an on-court rivalry.

Two weeks ago the Tigers had just lost on their own court to the Gold Coast Blaze. This wasn’t anything unexpected either, the Tigers by this stage were into a three-game losing streak that had seen them lose pace with the top running teams and saw their playoff hopes dangling in the balance. The Blaze are a great team too (NBL Power Rankings) and the Tigers shouldn’t have been expected to beat them given their current form.

The problem with the loss was the Tigers fell short in all the ‘effort’ stat categories. They were out rebounded horribly, and shot poorly, including just 40 percent from the free throw line.

Directly following this loss, notorious Tigers owner Seamus McPeake stormed his way into the player’s locker room demanding answers for the disappointment that the team had brought him and the fans.

No one is really sure what went down, and the Australian press and NBL itself are strangely quiet on the issue, but what we do know is that import guard Ayinde Ubaka was fired on the spot, reportedly told to pack his bags and not come back.

For those unfamiliar with Ubaka, the 6’4″ guard played his college ball at Berkley and has been abroad since. He’s currently in his third year in the NBL, and has been a fan favorite at all three teams he has played for (Gold Coast, Cairns, Melbourne).

I have written an extensive analysis of the firing of Ubaka for those who want more information about the situation, but the long and short of the situation is that it was frowned upon by both fans and players alike and has left the Tigers in tatters. Despite the controversial way in which the ‘firing’ took place Ubaka handled the situation with professionalism and dignity, which only further the rage of fans at the management, as Ubaka was left looking like the innocent party betrayed.

Within two days the Tigers had replaced Ubaka with a new import guard, leaving fans wondering if it was in fact a pre-meditated decision to sack him in first place and Ayinde Ubaka had been quickly snapped up by the desperate Wollongong Hawks.

And now I’m sure you understand the reason for the hype surrounding the aforementioned game.

The first time Ubaka took to the court since being controversially and unceremoniously sacked was going to be against his former team. The media attempted to hype the story up as much as possible, and rightly so—but Ubaka was having nothing to do with any kind of revenge talk, maintaining he took no issue with the players or coaching staff but rather the management that mistreated him. Still, there was no hiding that he wanted to beat his old team, regardless of his reasoning.

And beat them they did.

Up until that game, the Hawks had only won a miserable four games (with 12 losses), but the Tigers came in a team in ruins and they showed it on court. They looked lethargic and lacking in confidence and the final score (90-68) certainly reflected that. As usual the Tigers were killed on the boards, but it wasn’t the Tigers that lost the game, it was the Hawks who won it.

Fired up by the public attention, the new point guard and the desperation for a win the Hawks came on to the court like a new team. They shot lights out and rebounded well but most of all, they played like a team. The result couldn’t have been better for Hawks fans, and indeed anyone not from Melbourne. Ubaka finished the game with 15 points, 4 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals—an all-around effort that will excite Hawks fans for the remainder of the season.

Where to for the limping Tigers from here though?

Their new guard Myron Allen certainly has the credentials having played three seasons in China and winning almost every award the Chinese league has to offer, but by the looks it is very much a stop over tour for Allen, and I imagine the Tigers will have their third rebuild in three years come the off-season.

With the founding of a second Melbourne team on the horizon for next season too, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few current Tigers jumping across town to play for a management that won’t fire them on a whim.

For now though, the Tigers will miss the playoffs again after such a promising start, and Ubaka will become a much needed hero for the city of Wollongong.

Karma.

Andrew Price is the creator of lobpasstoabercrombie.com, where he writes about the NBL and his hometown team, the New Zealand Breakers. Follow him on Twitter @andrewbprice and read ‘Abercrombie & Fitchett’ every Monday on ELA.

The first Rising Star Ranker of the Top 16 has to give a quick belated goodbye to those young pups that weren’t able to make it this far:  Milan Macvan, Donatas Motiejunas, Tornike Shengelia.  You guys were at the core of everything the RSR stood far and I truly thank you for trying your hardest.  If only the rest of your squad mates matched your respective efforts, maybe you’d still be here with the rest of your young friends, hooping in the Top 16.

Hate to see you go:  Milan Macvan, Donatas Motiejunas, Tornike Shengelia

Welcome (back) to the party: Kostas Sloukas, Furkan Aldemir

1. Nikola Mirotic, PF, Real Madrid
Points: 12.1   Rebounds: 4.1   Assists: 0.8
Last Ranking: 2

As long as the Euroleague is ok with a repeat performance, it looks like the Marvelous Mirotic has a pretty open road to claiming his second Rising Star Trophy.  Even if the likes of Macvan, Motiejunas, and Shengelia had advanced, Mirotic would still be the Rising Star frontrunner.  He was the December MVP, has been averaging over 16 points a game his last five Euroleague games, and has decisively put his name in consideration for another award: a spot on an All-Euroleague team.  The only thing that might slow him down now is a nagging ankle injury or Furkan Aldemir transforming into a super-human scoring beast.

2. Furkan Aldemir, PF/C, Galatasaray
Points: 6.7   Rebounds: 4.7   Assists: 0.5
Last Ranking: Unranked

Aldemir has been solid but not spectacular lately, and that won’t be enough currently to catch Mirotic.  He is no question the best competition that Nikola has left, but there’s a wide gap between first and second.  With a big win versus Olympiacos last week, Galatasaray has become a real contender to advance.  The better Galatasaray plays, the better chance Aldemir has of snatching this award from Mirotic’s grip.  Can you imagine a world where Galatasaray advances to the playoffs and Real Madrid doesn’t?  I can’t really either, but if it does happen, Aldemir all of a sudden becomes a much more appealing candidate.

3. Kostas Sloukas, G, Olympiacos
Points: 6.0  Rebounds: 1.6   Assists: 1.6
Last Ranking: Unranked

Holy shot and a half, Kostas Sloukas has arrived.  Not only did Sloukas hit one of the most amazing shots of the season last week to push Galatasaray into overtime, but he’s been playing wildly better these past few weeks. He’s averaging nine points and three assists in the Top 16.  Quality numbers, but not award winning just yet.

4. Kostas Papanikolaou, F, Olympiacos
Points: 4.4   Rebounds: 3.1   Assists: 0.5
Last Ranking: 5

There is a small cliff between the first three people on this list and the last two.

Papanikolaou’s production is not deserving of the minutes he’s receiving.  He’s getting over 20 minutes a game in Olympiacos’ last three matches, but there hasn’t been a single scoring effort over six points or a rebounding night over four.  Papanikolaou tends to disappear sometimes on the court, with Olympiacos running most of their offense through Spanoulis and whatever bigs are in with him. He finds himself on this list because of a dearth of candidates, but is getting enough playing time to move up the RSR.

5. Alessandro Gentile, G, Armani Milano 
Points: 3.0 Rebounds: 2.3 Assists: 0
Last Ranking: Unranked

After playing in only three Euroleague games so far, Gentile has pretty much no chance of winning this award.  His play so far hasn’t even been good enough to deserve a spot on this list.  He is a total byproduct of a weak Top 16 pool of rising stars, but since he’s known as one of the best prospects in Europe, he has a chance to breakout offensively at any time.  Consider yourself lucky Alessandro, another bad game and you’ll never been seen on the Rising Star Ranker again.

Folks in Madrid, Bilbao, Athens, Cantu, Tel Aviv and three different parts of Istanbul?

Meh. They could go either way.

We look at who needs wins the worst in week three and ask one simple question for our for winless squads: Are we telling you there’s a chance? Or will they get knocked the f*ck out, maaan?

Now, time to credit these two comedic geniuses via the YouTube.

[WARNING: Chris Tucker's language is, as usual, not suitable for children. Be good parents and send them out of the room. But if they just listened to the whole podcast with you then, well, do whatever you like. You've proven your worth as child rearers already.]

Jim Carrey goes first:

And now from Friday:

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