G - Sterling Brown - BER - 10.9 - vs ASV
We love stability in performance and especially when this means PIR higher than 14. In the last five games, Sterling Brown has avg PIR of 18.76 with standard deviation 3.4! At the price of 10.9 crd seems like a no-brainer. You are not convinced yet? OK, then let us also tell you that ASV, is ranked 18th in PIR points achieved by opponent guards (opponent guards achieve avg PIR 10.42 including only those played 5+ min). Both BER and ASV will fight hard to get their second win in the season, so we expect this to be a close game with Brown, BER's first scorer (avg 14.1 points), leading the way to win!
F - Alpha Diallo - ASM - 11.6 - vs EFS
We trusted Alpha in the previous round and he rewarded us with his A-game and a PIR of 29.7 which is a season high (so far!)....In the last five rounds Alpha Diallo has avg PIR 22.22 with standard deviation 5. At the price of 11.6, it feels impossible not to be part of this round's picks. We do not expect an easy game for ASM against EFS...they both come from a win, so they are both in a good mood. Nevertheless, ASM is very strong at home and we expect them to fight hard and win...Past experience has shown that when there is a strong fight, Alpha Diallo stands out....
F - Dinos Mitoglou - PAO - 10.5 - vs ZAL
Mitoglou is in beast mode and we simply can't ignore this. Home court game with a great chance for PAO to expand its positive momentum in front their own fans. The greens of Athens appear to have found some initial balance and Mitoglou is paramount for this. The team's injuries guarantee him significant playtime and with significant playtime comes significant PIR for a player that connects a high motion frontcourt and backcourt. ZAL has the skills to match his energy but their strong start in the season has given way to a period of underperformance. We expect a relatively easy win for PAO with Mitoglou being among the PIR leaders once again.
C - Moustapha Fall - OLY - 10.9 - @ MTA
This seems to be a risky pick and let us explain why....The (still early) data show that opponent Cs struggle against MTA, having avg PIR of 6.5 (counting only those who played for more than 5 min). Lessort (15), Antetokoumpo (15) and Ibaka (16) are the only outliers so far (even for Lessort, PIR 15 is below his standards). Fall is in a very good form (back to back excellent performances in Greek Basket League and a great game against BKN with PIR of 24) but the main reason behind this choice is the extra playtime (37mins against BKN!) due to Milutinov's injury (only 3mins with BKN) which will continue in round 8. He is a versatile player with high 2FG% and an excellent passer for his height. 16+ PIR will not be a surprise.
C - Joffrey Lauvergne - ASV - 9.7 - @ BER
ASV is heading to Berlin in pursuit of its second victory against a team that has been struggling with versatile F/C so far. BER is also looking for its second W in the league but the rally from their home victory against EA7 seems to have run out of steam. Pozzecco's hiring has done exactly what was meant to do; motivate and empower a squad that was performing below its standards. BER will not be an easy prey in its home court but the derby seems like an excellent opportunity for ASV to solidify its new head coach momentum. We expect a high tempo game which will allow Lauvergne to cause some damage with his in-and-out game and his rebounding skills.