Right, then: It’s finally time. The top professional basketball league in the world (Now that bears some thinking about now, dunnit?) tips off its 2011-12 regular season tonight as Žalgiris Kaunas hosts AK47-armed, Teodosic-toting CSKA Moscow.
Almost as anticipated as the actual Euroleague opening game is of course another round of BallinEurope’s Official Fearless Predictions™ for the season. (Yeah, surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre.) In a shameless ripping off of an homage to BiE’s favorite regular column on anything in any media, namely ESPN.com’s Tuesday Morning Quarterback – it’s true; BiE is a closet (American) football junkie – BallinEurope presents the first-ever Euroleague regular-season predictions in haiku form.
So without further ado … to the Fearless Predictions™!
Group A. More top-heavy than Christina Hendricks, this group’s top three can be penned in for the Top 16 right now. The battle for fourth might be interesting, though…
Caja Laboral
Have you seen this 12?
Scorers, scorers, everywhere!
And Seraphin! Yes!
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 7-3 record in EL regular season
Fenerbahçe Ülker
Mixed results so far
Don’t inspire much confidence,
Though strong regardless.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 7-3
Olympiacos
Big-budget spending
Quite curtailed for ’11 –
Dusko faces work.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 6-4
SLUC Nancy
Chemistry problems?
Roster shakeups leave team with
Quite a mix, low height.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 4-6
Bennet Cantu
A surprise entry,
Cantu could compete for fourth,
Become “best of worst.”
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 4-6
Bizkaia Bilboa Basket
Euroleague welcome:
You finished second in Spain?
Good for you. Try this.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 2-8
Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694): Poet, huge basketball fan
Group B. If history’s your thing, a trio of storied franchises in CSKA Moscow, defending Euroleague/EΣAKE champions Panathinaikos and Žalgiris Kaunas should draw you to Group B immediately…
CSKA Moscow
Scary additions
Lead to flashbacks of ’05;
Red Army marches.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 9-1
Panathinaikos
Underrated? Maybe,
But ’12 an even-numbered year:
The Greens won’t repeat.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 6-4
Žalgiris Kaunas
Basketball heartbreak
In Lietuva goes on.
Very sorry, fans.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 5-5
Unicaja Malaga
Overachievers?
Nice roster of hard workers
Just won’t quit this year.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 5-5
Brose Baskets Bamberg
Low-profile signings
May help win in Germany,
But in prime-time ball?
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 3-7
KK Zagreb
Bonus prediction:
Zagreb won’t do much this year,
But they will be back.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 2-8
Group C. Depending on the Pionir Arena factor, this is probably the bunch worthy of the hackneyed “Group of Death” moniker. BiE wouldn’t be shocked to see the top three in C – Maccabi Tel Aviv, Anadolu Efes and Real Madrid – continue on into the semifinals despite deceptively low records in pool play.
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Point-scoring machine
Also plays David Blatt’s defense –
This team will go far.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 7-3
Anadolu Efes
Great off-season
Builds up a nice deep roster;
A round-three dark horse.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 7-3
Real Madrid
Newish-look Real
Seeks lotsa points on the ‘board,
But face tough defense.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 7-3
Emporio Armani Milano
Milano is more
Than Bourousis, Gallinari –
But not very much.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 5-5
Partizan Belgrade
Home-court advantage
Won’t be enough in Group C,
Nor will Pekovic.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 3-7
Belgacom Spirou
Don’t worry, Spirou!
EL puts Qualifiers
In Belgium next year.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 1-9
Group D. After the top two – reckon that to be FC Barcelona and Montepaschi Siena – this group could get wild. Who can tell what might happen? Ah, BiE’ll give it a shot…
FC Barcelona
Same team as last year,
Plus Eidson and Huertas?
Good enough, Barça.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 8-2
Montepaschi Siena
Stock with blue-collars,
Run and gun and run and gun:
A good formula.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 7-3
Union Olimpija
Few brilliant signings
Spell unimpressive finish
In this league this year.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 5-5
Galatasaray
The most fun to watch,
This unsung team surprises
As they run up points.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 5-5
Unics Kazan
Lynn Greer’s leadership
Could earn Kazan two, three wins
But they won’t advance.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 3-7
Asseco Prokom
Tough group for these guys,
Though Motiejunas expects
To put on a show.
Official BiE Fearless Prediction™: 2-8
And for the Final Four, BiE’ll go with CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos, FC Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Enjoy the season!
