18 teams from ten countries and over 320 games • After the previous season was stopped and not renewed, the Euroleague will open 2020/21 tomorrow with the league leaders facing one task - to bring the season to an end • An early break from the league could be catastrophic for the senior European enterprise
Wilbkin vs. Place Manadolo Zero last season
Photography:
Alan Shiver
1.
Coach Anadolu Zero Argin Atman is known as one who keeps nothing in his stomach.
Politically correct it is not he.
He has recently had two significant statements, aimed at the Euroleague.
The Turkish coach does not forget.
To remind you Anadolu was the best team in the factory last season with great basketball and first place.
The league break probably prevented her from the title.
The fact that the league was not renewed prevented it from having another option to do so.
"Anadolu is one of the teams that has suffered the most injustice ever in the history of the sport," the coach said, adding that there was no reason not to renew the plant, citing the NBA and European football leagues as an example.
So far on what was last season.
Now Atman refers to the season that opens tomorrow and says that the Euroleague will lose all its credit and credibility if this season does not come to an end either.
2.
The Turkish coach says what many think.
The Euroleague is in a significant crossroads season for it.
Although the limitations of the virus do not depend on it, it stands the test of way and power, the failure of which will cause it immense damage to its status and prestige.
The honor of the factory is at stake.
A second season that will not come to an end is a catastrophe.
The Euroleague has taken on a very difficult task, some say almost impossible.
The season has not been cut and there is no Corona format (but the league made sure to announce that there is a "Plan B" in case things go wrong), but has remained in the same model and the same method.
The teams will play between 34 and 40 games this season.
In total, more than 320 games with teams from 10 countries that have to move between them very often.
The Basketball Champions League, which already has half the amount of games in the Euroleague, made a format change last week, and now the amount of its games is almost a quarter of the senior factory.
3.
In every season the goal is to break spectator records, the most attractive basketball and improve exposure to the factory.
This season the goal is survival.
Reach the finish line.
Do not fall into the obstacle course.
There is a chance that this season will not be decided at all on the floor, on who played better basketball or demonstrated the highest qualities.
This is because it will be a season with new rules.
There is a fear that this season will be decided by a number of Corona contagions, game postponements, moving games to other countries, cancellation of games, differences in crowd attendance between pitches and countries (example: Zalgiris will play against 7,500 spectators - 11 teams without a crowd at all), possible break in the middle, Format changes along the way (beyond the bubble?) And other data that will be imposed on the plant as a result of dealing with the virus.
Basketball will come later.