One question for every EuroLeague team.
Not necessarily the most important one. Just something I find interesting – and hopefully you will too.
Of course, every EuroLeague team enters the season with a sea of unanswered questions hanging over it. As the season goes on – and if previous years have taught us anything – some will be answered, only for new ones to appear.
Sometimes I’ll even try to answer them myself.
Feel free to disagree. Actually, you’re encouraged to.
Anadolu Efes
Is Mike James definitely past his peak? And can Dario Šarić still play high-level basketball consistently?
OK, that’s two questions. What can you do?
For both, I’m leaning towards the same answer: yes.
Armani Milano
Can Alec Peters be just as effective as one of the main guys as he was operating more in the background?
Why not?
Can Milano finally play up to its budget and expectations?
Maybe start by not having everybody get injured immediately.
Beşiktaş
How will Dušan Alimpijević adjust to having significantly less time to prepare for games?
He’ll do fine.
And do you remember how Scottie Wilbekin and Ante Žižić played for Darüşşafaka? I don’t blame you if you don’t. It was 10 years ago.
Can they be… not dominant again, perhaps, but relevant?
Crvena Zvezda
How long will Ibon Navarro need to fully implement his system?
It won’t be easy.
Will Patrick Baldwin Jr. be a revelation or a disappointment?
That one, honestly, nobody knows.
Dubai
If this exact Dubai roster were wearing Panathinaikos, Olympiacos or Real Madrid jerseys, we’d probably be calling them title contenders.
So how much do a club’s name, history and reputation really matter?
Quite a lot.
And yes – can Mfiondu Kabengele really do that again?
There’s more competition on the roster now, but something tells me last season was no accident.
Barcelona
Can Josh Nebo stay healthy?
I sincerely hope so. The man is a beast.
Barcelona might actually be the biggest unknown heading into the season, so it’s perfectly reasonable to ask:
What on earth is this team going to look like?
Bayern Munich
Will Andreas Obst break his personal record for three-point attempts in a single game?
He launched 16 against Crvena Zvezda last season and reached double figures in attempts six more times.
And then there’s a much more serious question:
What kind of player will Rokas Jokubaitis be after more than a year away?
Fenerbahçe
Could Talen Horton-Tucker be an MVP candidate this season?
The man is a tank.
How many EuroLeague minutes will Melih Mahmutoğlu play this season?
Take it easy with your answer. He’s been there since 2013.
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Will Vasilije Micić play up to his reputation – and his contract?
If he stays healthy, he’ll be better than last season.
Baskonia
Can Chris Duarte become an elite EuroLeague player?
If he can keep the occasional craziness under control, maybe he can.
Baskonia’s style should suit him.
ASVEL
What will Jae Crowder look like in the EuroLeague?
I’ll be watching this one closely. He’s 36, yes, but Jae Crowder is Jae Crowder.
The same goes for Patty Mills.
Mills is 38 and knows just about everything there is to know about basketball. The question is whether his body can still handle the EuroLeague grind.
Maccabi
Can Yam Madar become the player almost all of us thought he would become after his season with Partizan?
I got nothing here, guys.
Olympiacos
Too many players who like the ball in their hands?
Maybe. Let’s see.
What will Sasha Vezenkov’s highest PIR in a single game be?
His best last season was 35 – three separate times. He’s going higher this year.
Panathinaikos
What will the atmosphere be like when Željko Obradović returns to Belgrade to face Partizan?
Should be emotional.
And on the court: Who gets the ball when the game is on the line?
I know, I know – it depends on the situation. But there are quite a few candidates who will want the ball in their hands.
Paris Basketball
Will they add another player – and if so, when?
They need one.
Partizan
Will Luca Vildoza blossom in Belgrade again, this time with a bigger role than he’s had over the past three seasons?
It wouldn’t be unrealistic.
And what will the support from the stands look like after everything that happened last season?
Once the games start and the adrenaline kicks in, I expect it to be like it always is: fiery.
Real Madrid
Will Facundo Campazzo show any signs of slowing down?
I don’t know if you know this, Facu, but you’re 35.
Can Théo Maledon establish himself as one of Real Madrid’s leaders? Hmm…
Valencia
Is there still elite basketball left in Nikola Mirotić?
Probably not consistently, but there should still be some brilliant flashes.
Can T.J. Shorts get back to his Paris level?
Whatever happens, I expect it to go better than his time in Athens under Ataman.
Virtus Bologna
Can Álex Mumbrú produce some kind of alchemy? Magic, perhaps?
He’ll need it if Bologna wants to see playoff basketball.
Žalgiris
Is Jonas Valančiūnas dominant by European standards – maybe even an MVP candidate?
My instinct says no. Then again, he’ll be back home and highly motivated.
Ask me again in a couple of months.
