London Lions will look to build on the momentum that came with its impressive win last week when it hosts winless Slask Wroclaw on Wednesday. London (2-3) routed hosts Veolia Towers Hamburg 75-103 on the road last week in an impressive display. Tomislav Zubcic led five London scorers in double figures with 22 points. Slask (0-5) has lost its last two games by a combined 6 points and is eager to finally taste victory.

Zubcic (16.8 ppg.) has been London’s top scorer this season and since returning from injury, Sam Dekker has been worth 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Point guard Jeremiah Martin (16.6 ppg., 4.8 apg., 2.8 spg.) runs the Slask attack and leads the EuroCup in steals and do-it-all forward Jakub Niziol (10.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 4.6 apg.) has also played great this season.

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Turnovers have been an issue for London this season; it has committed 16.0 per game, which is the third-most in the competition. Slask’s problems have been shooting as its three-point accuracy (28.2%) is second-lowest in the EuroCup and its two-point shooting (47.2%) is third-worst. How each team handles those challenges could be the story of this game. 

London looks to stay hot against winless Slask

London Lions v Slask Wroclaw (2022-11-30T19:30:00.000Z)

Round 5 of the 7DAYS EuroCup certainly had its fair share of excitement, with four of the 10 games decided by single possessions. As the dust has settled, one trend has held up well in the early part of the season: teams that have made their open jump shots at high rates are currently dominating the EuroCup standings.

The graphic above shows the top five teams in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage. All five of these teams currently sit third place or higher in their groups. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse is the lone 4-1 team to miss the cut above, but they are not far off the pace. Bourg is currently tied for seventh in three-point accuracy and lead all teams in the volume of their total shot attempts that are unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers. All of which means that getting and making the most of open shots on the perimeter is playing a key role in EuroCup outcomes so far.

Around 14% of all shot attempts and 35% of three-point attempts are unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers. EuroCup teams have converted 40% of their unguarded catch-and-shoot three-point attempts this season. That’s much better than the 33% accuracy that teams have on guarded catch-and-shoot attempts or the 30% on pull-up threes. Teams strategize for these open shots for obvious reasons, but they are not easy to come by. Open jumpers are just a small slice of a much bigger pie, but consistently finding and hitting them has impacted the standings.

Nathan Sestina Top 3 Pts of the 2022-23 Regular Season

Nathan Sestina's catch-and-shoot prowess

Among players, Nathan Sestina of Turk Telekom Ankara leads the EuroCup with 9 unguarded catch-and-shoot makes on 13 attempts. Leonardo Meindl, Allerik Freeman, and Lukas Meisner are tied for second with 8 such shots made. Given teams have averaged just 18.5 total makes of this kind during this season, players running especially hot can drive their teams’ success if they’re in the right place at the right time. Sestina, in particular, has often found himself at the end of the chain of passes on Turk Telekom’s best offensive possessions. His consistency in those moments has been a huge plus for his team.

Historically, the EuroCup’s diversity of play makes it difficult to pull one statistic that works for all the league’s top teams, which is why this catch-and-shoot trend is so notable now. Few trends hold over large samples, so it remains to be seen how getting and making open shots holds up as the season goes on. But for now, even as a proxy for a team’s shooting and passing skills, it has been a key factor in terms of early-season momentum in the standings.

Stats Review: What standings leaders have in common

The top and the bottom meet in Group B when Dolomiti Energia Trento hosts Gran Canaria on Wednesday. While winless Trento (0-5) shares the last place in the table, Gran Canaria (4-1) is tied for first. This will be their fifth clash in the EuroCup and Gran Canaria has won three of the previous four.

Diego Flaccadori (14.0 ppg., 4.3 apg.) and Drew Crawford (13.2 ppg.) have been Trento’s go-to guys thus far this season. Trento is last in the EuroCup in scoring (73.2 ppg.) and a big reason is that it’s also last in two-point shooting (44.2%). Trento has allowed opponents to make 59.8% of their shots.

Gran Canaria, the EuroCup’s top-scoring team with 87.0 points per game, has won three in a row and is 1-1 on the road this season. AJ Slaughter (16.6 ppg) and John Shurna (13.0 ppg.) have been its top scorers, though there are eight more players averaging at least 6 points per game. It is one of only three teams making more than 40% of its three-pointers (40.4%). However, Granca’s opponents are shooting 43.0% from deep and if Trento can get hot from the perimeter, it could shake things up and give the hosts a good shot at their first win of the campaign.

Trento seeks maiden win against top-ranked Granca 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Gran Canaria (2022-11-30T19:00:00.000Z)

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys faces Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana on Wednesday in a critical showdown in the bottom part of the Group A standings. Lietkabelis (2-3) is undefeated at home so far this season and will look to keep that part of its record unblemished against a Cedevita side that at 0-5 is still looking for its first win of any kind.

Lietkabelis came up short at Umana Reyer Venice 74-71 last week despite 25 points from Jamel Morris. The shooting guard enters Round 6 tied for fourth in the competition with 18.4 points per game.

Cedevita comes off its highest-scoring game of the season in an 89-94 loss to Prometey Slobozhanske Josh Adams scored 19 and Yogi Ferrell had 18 points and 7 assists in the loss. Ferrell (19.2 ppg.) is third in the EuroCup in scoring this season and Adams (15.8 ppg.) is tied for 14th.

These two teams have each scored 76.8 points per game this season, but Cedevita has allowed the most points to its opponents (89.0 ppg.). Lietkabelis has allowed more offensive rebounds this season (14.4) than all but one team and it will have to shore up the glass to keep Cedevita in check.

Lietkabelis and Cedevita to lock horns

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

One of the key matchups in Group A in Round 6 pits last season’s runner-up Frutti Extra Bursaspor against EuroCup debutant U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Bursaspor (3-2) comes in on a high after knocking off the last remaining undefeated team in the competition, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, 80-89 on the road last week. David Dudzinski and Zach Auguste both posted double-doubles in the win.

Bursaspor is 1-1 at home this season. Onuralp Bitim (16.8 ppg., 4.5 apg.) and Derek Needham (13.8 ppg., 4.8 apg.) have been Bursaspor’s most-productive players this season, but Coach Dusan Alimpijevic has many players who can rise to the occasion on any given night.

Cluj (2-3) is winless on the road this season, though both of its losses have come by small margins. Last week it defeated Germani Brescia at home 91-86 as Karel Guzman and Leonardo Meindl led six Cluj scorers in double figures with 15 points apiece. Meindl is fourth in the EuroCup in scoring (18.4 ppg.) this season and new signing Nemanja Gordic contributed 13 points and 4 assists in his debut.

It should be a high-paced game as Cluj is second in the EuroCup in scoring (86.8 ppg.) and Bursaspor is sixth (84.2 ppg.). While the visitors have excelled more in the paint – Cluj leads the EuroCup in two-point shooting (63.7%) and is second in offensive rebound (13.0 per game), Bursaspor is fourth in three-point accuracy (38.9%).

Plenty of points expected when Bursaspor meets Cluj 

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske will look to remain undefeated at “home” this season when it takes on ratiopharm Ulm on Wednesday. Home has a different meaning for Prometey (3-2) than for other teams as the Ukrainian club is forced to play all of its games on foreign soil due to the war in its country. However, while it has used Riga, Latvia, as its home base to this point, Wednesday’s game will be at Zalgirio Arena, the home court of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague squad Zalgiris Kaunas.

Prometey comes off an 89-84 victory at Cedevitia Olimpija Ljubljana for its first road win of the season. Caleb Agada, Gian Clavel and DJ Kennedy combined for 61 points to lead the way. Clavell is sixth in the EuroCup in scoring this season with 17.0 points per game and DJ Stephens (7.8 rpg.) is among the top 10 rebounders.

Ulm (2-3), which is 1-1 on the road this season, scored a season-low 54 points in losing to Joventut Badalona at home last week. Point guard Yago Dos Santos has thrived lately with 14.0 points and 4.3 assists over his last three games. Ulm is a balanced team with 10 players averaging at least 5 points per game and it will look to use its depth as a weapon.

Backcourt play could be the key to this game and Prometey has an advantage as not only does it commit the fewest turnovers per game (12.2), but it also forces the most (17.8). Ulm commits an above-average amount of turnovers (14.8) and has collected the second-fewest steals (5.4). those numbers could be decisive in this game.

Prometey faces Ulm in Kaunas 

Prometey Slobozhanske v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Tuesday’s Round 6 action will wrap in Italy when Germani Brescia hosts Umana Reyer Venice. Reyer, which won the only two previous clashes between them in the EuroCup, is 3-2 in Group B this season. Brescia is 2-3. They will meet next in the Italian League in two weeks. 

Brescia will look to bounce back after losing back-to-back games to Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Guards Amedeo Della Valle (15.8 ppg., 4.8 apg.) and Troy Caupain (14.5 ppg., 4.0 apg.) have been Brescia’s main weapons this season with Kenny Gabriel serving as its main frontcourt reference.

After losing its first two games this season, Reyer has won three in a row, including its only road victory in Round 3 at Cluj. Center Mitchell Watt (13.6 ppg., 6.6 rpg.) and forward Derek Willis (12.8 ppg.) have been Reyer’s top scorers and Marco Spissu its backcourt leader.

The game will be a clash of styles with Brescia the superior offensive team and Reyer better on the defensive end. Controlling the pace could be critical and the hosts seek to run, while Reyer prefers a half-court game. 

Italian clubs Brescia, Reyer meet again 

Germani Brescia v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-11-29T19:30:00.000Z)

The teams with the best records in Group A will face off when Joventut Badalona hosts Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse on Tuesday night. They each have 4-1 records and the winner will take sole possession of first place in the group.

Joventut, which is 2-0 at home this season, showed its defensive chops in a 54-68 road win at ratiopharm Ulm last week. Simon Brigander led the way with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) and 5 blocks in 18 minutes off the bench. Henry Ellenson (11.4 ppg.) and Ante Tomic (10.6 ppg.) have been the team’s top scorers this season.

Bourg comes off of its first loss this season, 80-89, against last season’s runner-up Frutti Extra Bursaspor. The team has both of its road contests thus far. Jordan Floyd (16.4 ppg.) is Bourg’s top scorer and Mike Isiaha (12.4 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has also put up big numbers.

These teams are the best three-point shooting teams in the EuroCup with Joventut converting 41.7% of its shots from downtown and Bourg making 40.5%. Joventut is the superior rebounding team, taking 7.2 boards more per game than its opponents, and the battle on the glass could be critical in this game.

Group A co-leaders Joventut, Bourg face off

Joventut Badalona v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2022-11-29T19:15:00.000Z)

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv will try to keep its perfect home record intact when it hosts Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on Tuesday evening. The two teams enter that game with 3-2 records and the winner will be assured at least a share of third place in Group B by the round’s end.

Hapoel lost a nail-biter at Gran Canaria 85-83 in its last game despite Xavier Munford’s 24 points. Munford (16.0 ppg.) is Hapoel’s top scorer and he shares the backcourt with the EuroCup assists leader, J’Covan Brown (12.6 ppg., 6.8 apg.).

Buducnost, which is 2-0 on the road this season, lost 74-77 at home against Paris Basketball last week despite a monster performance from Alpha Kaba (17 points, 16 rebounds). Kaba (14.0 ppg., 10.8 rpg., 2.4 spg.) leads his team in scoring, leads the EuroCup in rebounding and is tied for second in steals.

The key matchups to follow in this game will likely be between Kaba and Hapoel’s Onuaku Chinanu in the paint and between Brown and Buducnost’s Trae Bell-Hayes at point guard. A big game from any of those players could make the difference in this contest.

Hapoel hosts Buducnost in key showdown

Hapoel Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-11-29T18:00:00.000Z)