Maccabi Tel Aviv will be hosted tonight in Monaco for an important competition for a place in the Euroleague playoffs, which will lead to a meeting between Lorenzo Brown and Mike James.
In preparation for the match in the principalities, here is the quality map of the center backs in the Euroleague this season and an attempt to rank the No. 1s, the most important position on the field as of this point in time in the current season.
According to this list, tonight's meeting is among the best centers in the Euroleague.
1. Lorenzo Brown - Maccabi Tel Aviv
Statistics: 17 points, 6 assists, index - 17.8
Currently, Brown is the most prominent point guard in the Euroleague.
It is not absolute dominance, the differences from its competitors are small;
But the numbers, and more importantly - his impact on the team, put him at the top.
Brown is the only one among the leading group who is in the top five of the factory in the index, both in points and in assists.
However, in the run-up to the photo-finish, he will be measured by Maccabi's final result of the season.
2. Mike James - Monaco
statistics: 17.2 points, 4.8 assists, index - 17.8
It's not a huge season for the veteran center back, but he still takes Monaco to the playoffs almost certainly.
James was and remains one of the most influential centers, and even if he had brighter seasons (only 28% for three this season) - he is strong in the picture of the race for the top five of the season, and is in third place in points and in fifth place in the index.
James.
A head-to-head fight with Brown, photo: AFP
3. Vasilija Micic - Anadolu zero
statistics: 16.8 points, 5.8 assists, index - 19
The best player in the Euroleague for the last two years continues to deliver great numbers.
He is the centre-back with the best index, and in the first part of the season he single-handedly carried Anadolu in the absence of Shane Larkin.
The problem is that, unlike in the past, these numbers do not lead the Euroleague champion in the last two years to a big season.
The question now is whether Micic will continue the fight for the team and individual titles, since he is injured and it is not yet known when he will return.
Micich (left), photo: EPA
4. Kostas Sloukas - Olympiakos
Statistics: 11.6 points, 6.7 assists, index - 17
The never-ending Greek midfielder delivers another season of maximum efficiency, even though he regularly comes off the bench (the starting midfielder is Thomas Walkup).
All this leads Olympiakos to a great season, the goal of which is nothing less than winning the Euroleague.
The 35-year-old center is the king of the factory's assists and adds 11.6 points, and all this - in only 24 minutes.
Slokas, photo: Getty Images
5. Chris Jones - Valencia
Statistics: 14.3 points, 4.8 assists, index - 16.6
The surprising name on the list.
Ex-Maccabi Tel Aviv continues to climb upwards, and leads his team to fight for the playoffs. Beyond the excellent numbers, which are achieved in only 24 minutes, he has also become a man of victory baskets and one of the biggest winners in the most important enterprise in Europe.
Jones, photo: EPA
Points to note
• Two significant center backs are surprisingly not in the top five - Nick Clathes (Fenerbahce) and Tomas Stornski (Barcelona).
Both have had a mediocre season, and it should be remembered that Clathes has been considered one of the three leading centers on the continent for quite a few years, while Storanski made a comeback to Europe this season from the NBA.
• Shane Larkin and Milos Theodosic, who are considered huge names, are not on the leaderboard.
Larkin missed the entire first part of the season due to injury, and Teodosic is still brilliant on the court - but at his advanced age he is not as dominant as he used to be.
• The one who missed a very high place on the list is Keenan Evans, former Maccabi Tel Aviv, who had a tremendous season in Zalgiris Kovna, which was stopped due to an injury that disabled him until the end.
Evans,
• The best point guard in the EuroLeague may just be starting to play this week.
Fakondo Campazzo has finally finished his suspension, and will make his debut in the Red Star uniform in the upcoming season.
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