Two very experienced yet very different centers are set to face each other on Thursday as top-ranked Real Madrid hosts end-of-the-table ALBA Berlin.
Head-to-head: Tavares, Real vs. Thiemann, ALBA
Stats
3 Mins read
When unbeaten Real Madrid welcomes last-place ALBA Berlin in Round 10, it marks a great chance for fans to see two successful, experienced centers, Walter Tavares for the hosts and Johannes Thiemann of ALBA, go against each other for the eighth time in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Tavares has been one of the most influential big men in EuroLeague history. He has been chosen to the All-EuroLeague First Team three times in six full seasons, won the continental title twice, including as Final Four MVP last season, and is a three-time Best Defender Trophy winner. He is the EuroLeague's all-time leader in blocked shots with 386 and needs just 74 rebounds to become the eighth player to reach the 1,500-mark.
A EuroLeague veteran of four full seasons and 108 games now, Thiemann is a reigning World Cup champion with Germany, an experience that has boosted his game this season. Through the first nine rounds, Thiemann is posting career-high averages of 14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and a seventh-ranked 18.6 PIR. So far this season, Tavares ranks 40th in average PIR (11.9) while leading the league in blocked shots, as he has done for five consecutive seasons, with 2.0 per game.
In the last five seasons, Tavares and Thiemann have crossed paths seven times. As Real is 14-0 against ALBA this century, Tavares is undefeated against Thiemann, too. In their first meeting, just over four years ago, Tavares had 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and a PIR of 20 to lead Real to an 85-71 home victory on November 1, 2019. Thiemann had 10 points, 4 rebounds and a PIR of 15 off the ALBA bench. A year later, on December 22, 2020, Tavares had one of his 30 career double-doubles against Thiemann, getting 16 points, 11 rebounds and a PIR of 27 in a 91-62 winning effort. In their latest showdown, Real beat ALBA 77-84 behind 6 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks from Tavares. Thiemann was limited to 2 points, 3 rebounds and a PIR of 4.
Overall, Tavares has outperformed Thiemann in those seven head-to-head games, averaging 10.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and a PIR of 19.9. Thiemann has averages of 8.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 10.4 PIR from the same games.
Shooting percentages give a hint of Tavares's influence in the game. Thiemann, a career 53.5% two-point shooter, has made just 12 of 28 attempts inside the arc (42.9%) against Tavares. Conversely, Thiemann has been really effective from beyond the arc against Real, burying 7 of 12 attempts (58.3% 3FG). Thiemann hit all of his 11 free throw attempts and Tavares went 14 of 21 from the foul line (66.7%).
Of course, there are more possible matchups in this game when ALBA's Khalifa Koumadje and Real's Vincent Poirier step on court, but Thiemann and Tavares will certainly go against each other some of the time, and EuroLeague fans should be ready for a truly interesting matchup.