After a one-week break, the Euroleague restarts this week with some nice matchups. So it’s time to check the current situations with the various participants to see who’s hot and who’s not.
1. CSKA Moscow (4-0) (+1)
CSKA Moscow continues its dominance both in the Euroleague and the Russian Superleague, where the team totally destroys every opponent in its fashion. The trip to Belgrade will show this week if CSKA can also face a very hostile environment and continue their winning streak.
2. Panathinaikos Athens (3-1) (+3)
The Greens won their national league derby against Olympiacos this weekend and improved their record in the Euroleague as well by beating the then-unbeaten Power Ranking leaders Montepaschi. These two major wins had the effect that PAO is now second in our rankings.
3. Montepaschi Siena (3-1) (-1)
A first road defeat for Montepaschi was enough to drop one place in our rankings. However, the team’s current dominating performances in the Italian League assure a spot in the top three teams. And the upcoming game against Nancy should not change this position a lot.
4. TAU Ceramica (3-1) (-1)
TAU lost their first home game in the Euroleague for a very long time against a Lottomatica Roma team last week. It was kind of a surprise but the Italians did not steal it. In the ACB, however, the team around Igor Rakocevic is still destroying opponents on a regular basis.
5. Olympiacos (3-1) (+2)
Despite having lost the derby with Panathinaikos in the domestic league, Olympiacos moved upward thanks to their win against Maccabi in the Euroleague. They should come away with another road win this week as they will travel to Le Mans which is, however, one of the tougher winless teams.
6. FC Barcelona (3-1) (-2)
The trend for Barcelona is a little downwards these days after a close win over Asseco Prokom and a defeat in the ACB this weekend against Unicaja. The trip to Kaunas should be used as a way to re-launch the Blaugrana machine, though.
7. Efes Pilsen (2-2) (+1)
Efes Pilsen Istanbul is still the stronger of the two Turkish representatives, as they showed in the domestic league derby recently. The loss to CSKA is not really a big surprise and so Efes gained one place to return to the 7th spot.
8. Cibona Zagreb (3-1) (-2)
The Croats are still the surprise of the Euroleague so far, and the team’s first defeat in the current competition has them moving backwards a little bit. The Adriatic League win this weekend may have some effects on their further regional trend as the in-game fighting will result in some player suspensions.
9. Lottomatica Roma (3-1) (-)
The opening Euroleague defeat in Berlin is now totally behind the Italian capital’s team, now unbeaten since that first game. The big win in Vitoria last week should have had a major effect in these rankings, but the loss to Montepaschi Siena this weekend in the Lega was a slowdown for the team.
10. Unicaja Malaga (2-2) (+5)
After handing Cibona their first defeat in the Euroleague competition, Unicaja came up with additional wins in the Spanish ACB, and an especially nice defeat of FC Barcelona; this makes Unicaja the major mover in the Power Ranking this week. With a possible win in Tel Aviv, Cibona can confirm the positive trend.
11. Partizan Belgrade (2-2) (-)
The Serbian champions continue in their usual way, at least in the Euroleague: winning at home, losing on the road. In the Adriatic League, Partizan continued their winning streak by beating Union Olimpija. Now CSKA comes to Pionir, and we’ll see if the magic of the Serbian capital still works.
12. Fenerbahce (3-1) (-2)
Fenerbahce Ülker is experiencing their ups and downs with a surprising defeat in the Turkish League to Aliaga. The next game will be a trip to Rome, which looks to be a very difficult game for Bogdan Tanjevic and his team.
13. Real Madrid (2-2) (+1)
Real Madrid has not reached their expected playing level up to now, but the team showed some maturity by beating AJ Milano in a crazy final minute and the big ACB win over Gran Canaria marks a possible positive outlook. A very important game is just around the corner with the imminent trip to Efes Pilsen Istanbul.
14. Maccabi Tel Aviv (2-2) (-2)
What counts for Partizan is also true for Maccabi: winning at home and losing on the road. Now Unicaja is coming to Nokia Arena and Maccabi can show if they’re on the necessary level to compete for the playoffs this season. Until now, the team does not look as promising and rumors about some major changes confirm this.
15. ALBA Berlin (2-2) (+3)
The German champions are currently dominating their local league at will and remain undefeated at home both in Euroleague and Bundesliga. The trip to Ljubljana comes at the right moment, too, as the Slovenian team is not looking that well right now.
16. DKV Joventut (2-2) (-)
Still without Ricky and Pops, DKV Joventut came up with a big road win in the Spanish ACB this weekend. However, the short rotation caused them some trouble in the Euroleague, and reaching the Top 16 looks very difficult for them right now. Plus, the upcoming game against TAU Ceramica will not be easy and may hurt their current record.
17. Air Avellino (2-2) (-)
Two wins in the major European competition are already a nice result for the newcomers. A qualification for the Top 16 is still possible, as the Italian managed to beat their direct competition for fourth place in their group.
18. Asseco Prokom (2-2) (-5)
The trend is negative for the Polish team, as they have already registered three defeats in the domestic league. Asseco Prokom has put in some proper performances in the Euroleague, but their problems in Poland cause them this five-spot drop.
19. Panionios (2-2) (+2)
The Greeks came up with back-to-back Euroleague wins and are slowly moving up in the Power Ranking. With additional wins in the Greek league, Ivan Zoroski’s team currently has the same record as four other teams in the group.
20. AJ Milano (0-2) (-1)
It may look strange, but AJ Milano is still without a win in the Euroleague. And it was so close in Madrid two weeks ago, but the team could not manage to close out a five-point advantage in the final minute. And the recent loss to Air Avellino in the Lega does not improve the current situation.
21. SLUC Nancy (1-3) (+2)
Nancy opened their winning record in the Euroleague against Zalgiris in a game that was clearly the worst Euroleague game of the season so far. But their dominance in the local league gives SLUC the important position of best French team in the competition.
22. Union Olimpija (0-4) (-2)
Despite signing Mirza Begic to a new contract, Union Olimpija still loses spots in the rankings. The upcoming game against ALBA is the team’s opportunity to win its first game in this year’s competition.
23. Le Mans (0-4) (-1)
Le Mans is probably the team most unable to win a close game. They use the domestic league to overcome their frustration at what seems to be a negative spell in the major European competition.
24. Zalgiris Kaunas (0-4) (-)
Zalgiris Kaunas is currently the worst team in the Euroleague. The loss in Nancy showed that the team is not at the level right now. And the departure of Loren Woods and Ratko Varda won’t improve the situation. We don’t see how the Lithuanians can move up right now.
