G - Jerian Grant - PAO - 11.1 - @ MTA
As we did in the previous round, we will once again focus on the injury list. PAO is one of the hottest teams in Euroleague right now and much of that is owed to this guy. Grant came from Eurocup to dominate the league and become one of the favourites, in our opinion, for the "defensive player of the year" award. He is the glue that holds PAO's edifice together and with Sloukas' absence after his injury in the domestic league game against OLY, Grant is expected to get extra playtime and lead the effort for PAO in this critical game against MTA.
F - Yannick Wetzell - BER - 7.4 - vs CZV
This is a value-for money pick. Wetzell has double digit points in 4 of the last 5 games, averaging about 20mins on the court. He has become one of the main go-to guys for BER in this latest turn of the season and we expect it to remain the same in the upcoming game against CZV. Let's be honest, it won't be an easy one for BER, but it is definitely one they need to go for with all their force if they won't to unstuck themselves from the bottom of the pile. We expect Wetzell to lead the way. A calculated risk with only 7.4 credits.
C - Vincent Poirier - RMB - 11.7 - vs OLY
Sticking with the injury plays, Tavares will not partake this week and the opposition's dominant Centers (Fall, Milutinov) are all in the pits. Poirier will get his usual 25+mins and is expected to face little resistance from the other side. It is not a matter of talent, it is simply a matter of size. There is no player in OLY's roster to match his strength in the paint. We expect RMB to surgically attack the basket by exploiting Poirier's advantage and placing the ball in his hands over and over again. Let's see how this translates to PIR.
C - Filip Petrusev - OLY - 9.7 - @ RMB
Much like above, Petrusev is the only man left in OLY's roster that can get meaningful minutes as a Center. Peters and Sikma will help and Filip is the one expected to be on heavy duty and get over 25mins in the paint. OLY's offensive cornerstone has been the rapid ball movement with in and out cutters and we expect this to feature even more heavily in this matchup. The lack of body weight in the frontcourt will force them to be more agile and rely on players positioning and (hopefully) efficient shooting. Petrusev's job won't be easy but his cost is also quite low. Seems like a risk worth taking.
C - Youssoupha Fall - ASV - 10.8 - @ BAY
Youssoupha has entered the double double zone in the last two games and we think he is gonna be the main offensive axis for ASV against BAY's frontcourt. Ibaka's presence is a deterrent as we have seen multiple heavy hitters dropping their numbers when against him. However, we think Fall is a frame he will struggle to contain. It will all be a matter of positioning and steering away from foul trouble for Fall. If he manages to do so, his playtime will increase and will manage to cause troubles one way or another.
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