G - Markus Howard - BKN - 10.0 - vs RMB
We expect Howard to step up his game this year after a successful rookie Euroleague season. The departure of Darius Thompson, his partner in crime last year, has left the gunner's role vacant and Howard seems ready to step in. This may not just a round pick but a season pick! The game against RMB has traditionally been a high pace derby which particularly suits Howard's style. We expect him to lead his team's effort to win with a high volume performance. A PIR ≥ 15 seems within reach!
G - Nemanja Nedovic - CZV - 11.5 - vs ASV
Call it a gut feeling or an educated guess, we simply cannot see Nemanja achieving a PIR less than 17 against ASV at the Euroleague season premiere! Playing at home, we expect a strong start for CZV, a high tempo game and one of the most experienced players in the court, Nemanja Nedovic, to show the way for his team to win!
G - Carsen Edwards- BAY - 10.0 - vs BER
In his Euroleague debut season, we saw glimpses of Edwards' talent but his lack of experience and FNB's style of play got the better of him. That didn't deter coach Lasso though, who saw in him the man who can lead BAY's efforts in scoring and successfully complement the team's backcourt. BER has historically struggled against guards with advanced one-to-one penetration skills and Edwards' motor and strong body frame make him an excellent fit for this! Be it via drives, pull-ups or drawing contact, we expect his PIR to be at least 15!
G - Matt Thomas - BER - 8.3 - @ BAY
After a short stint with PAO at the end of last season, Thomas found a new home in a team that suits greatly his strongest attributes. BER's high motion offense creates many opportunities for open shots, which is Thomas' bread and butter. This high volume 3pt killer is expected to be a solid scoring reference for his team throughout the start of the season. Relatively cheap choice with material upside that can easily reach PIR ≥ 13.
F - Isaac Bonga - BAY - 7.7 - vs BER
This could be a breakout year for Bonga, where he will have plenty of opportunity to show his talent at a refined team built by one of Euroleague's best coaches, Pablo Lasso. Bonga showed his talent last season, and his performance at the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup was a statement that he can play better and deserves to play more! We expect him to feel comfortable at the German derby against BER and achieve a PIR ≥ 12.
F - Tornike Shengelia - VIR - 12.3 - vs ZAL
Toko has started the new season with VIR really well (21 points/7 rebs in 25' at the Italian Lega Basket Serie A) and we expect him to continue with a strong performance against ZAL at the Euroleague premiere! The new coach, Luca Banchi, would love to show the Italian fans why he was named Best Coach of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and would definitely rely on his star, Shengelia, for a great performance. A PIR ≥ 19 is definitely doable for Toko!
F - Elijah Bryant - EFS - 7.9 - @ BAR
Bryant led EFS's effort in the second half of last season despite the overall disappointing performance of his team. Vasilije Micic has been replaced by last year's wonder kid, Darius Thompson, but chemistry takes time to build! Until then, we expect Bryant's multi-faceted contribution to be a constant in EFS's game, starting with the on-the-road derby against BAR in Round 1. His multiple sources of PIR generation seem so undervalued we simply cannot ignore!
F - Shavon Shields - EA7 - 13.4 - vs FNB
Now this is a controversial pick! We are sure half of you love him and half hate him! We love to hate him! Jokes aside, we all know what Shields can do when he is healthy and so far he seems ready to lead EA7's efforts this season. In the first two official matches, Shields has posted 26P/5R/1A and 22P/5R/7A with 22 and 35 PIR respectively! EA7 needs him to restore the balance after a disappointing Euroleague season and a home court game is the perfect start! We expect him to find strong resistance from FNB's high F line-up but manage to achieve a PIR ≥ 24 thanks to his all-around contribution!
C - Joffrey Lauvergne - ASV - 9.0 - @ CRV
Do not underestimate Joffrey Lauvergne, a man who missed several games due to injuries last season; we strongly believe that he is undervalued for the PIR machine he can be if he is healthy! After 4 games in LNB Pro A this season, Joffrey is ASV's top scorer (14.8 Ppg) and rebounder (6.3 Rpg)! Against ASM in LNB Pro A, Lauvergne scored 21 points showing that he is in great form despite historically struggling against strong, athletic Cs. CZV's frontcourt seems ripe for harvest!
C - Alen Smailagic - PAR - 7.5 - @ MTA
Smailagic showed signs of his talent in the second half of the season, but had to live (and fair enough) in Lessort's shadow for the better part of it. With an extra year of experience on his back, and a softer overall line-up in the paint, we expect Smailagic to have a solid role in Obradovic's rotation and be a constant contributor in PAR's scoring and rebounding! He is the most Euroleague experienced of the 3 Cs and that should give him enough playtime, at least until Frank Kaminsky gains traction. His shooting range will be useful in opening up the paint against MTA'a athletic defense and at such a low cost he cannot go unnoticed!
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