The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season comes off a one-week hiatus and from now on it is almost non-stop until the winning team lifts the trophy and the confetti hits the floor. The playoff battle should be as interesting as ever with only two wins separating the teams in sixth and 13th place. The fight to get home-court advantage should be one to follow, too. With only 10 regular season games left for most teams, and five trades available in Round 25, it is a good time to shuffle your team in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime. Here are some suggestions to enhance your team this week. 

Fantasy tips, Round 25: A five-trade opportunity

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season comes off a one-week hiatus and from now on it is almost non-stop until the winning team lifts the trophy and the confetti hits the floor. The playoff battle should be as interesting as ever with only two wins separating the teams in sixth and 13th place. The fight to get home-court advantage should be one to follow, too. With only 10 regular season games left for most teams, and five trades available in Round 25, it is a good time to shuffle your team in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.152984827.371475967.1676795085-884385655.1669721726). Here are some suggestions to enhance your team this week. 

[Nick Weiler-Babb, FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) (8.1 credits) – There is some good news and bad news for Bayern, which brought back Vladimir Lucic but lost Augustine Rubit to injury. Without Rubit, Weiler-Babb becomes Bayern's go-to guy on offense. He proved it already by earning German Cup MVP honors over the weekend. Bayern needs his physicality against Maccabi, too.

[Matt Thomas, Panathinaikos Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matt-thomas/008967/) (9.9 credits) – Thomas made his EuroLeague debut in Round 24 and produced 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and a PIR of 14 against Valencia Basket. In 2019, Thomas was a EuroCup champion with Valencia and shot the ball well (47.7% 3FG, 90.9% FT). Expect more of the same for the rest of the season as Thomas is an elite, hard-working shooter.  

Nick Weiler-Babb, Matt Thomas, Dante Exum, Billy Baron and Nikola Mirotic are featured in this week's article.

EuroLeague Fantasy tips: Round 25

[Dante Exum, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dante-exum/011302/) (12.7 credits) – Partizan is on a four-game winning streak and Exum has had to do a lot with it; he has been showcasing his athleticism and all-around skills. Exum has averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a PIR of 17.5 in those four games. This week, Partizan plays at home against high-paced Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. 

[Billy Baron, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/billy-baron/005775/) (9.9 credits) – Milan won its last two EuroLeague games and Baron stepped up big time. He had 11 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and a PIR of 19 against Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 22, and followed that up with 15 points and a PIR of 18 against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. His strong shooting percentages (61.0% 2FG, 41.6% 3FG, 86.4% FT) make him a good choice.

[Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) (14.7 credits) – It looks like it is only a matter of time before Mirotic is at his best, the level that earned him 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP honors. He had 17 points and a PIR of 21 against Virtus in Round 24 and Barca hosts Monaco this week. It is an excellent opportunity for Mirotic to stand out.

Playing in his second season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Panathinaikos Athens guard [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) has seen his numbers increase across the board from his debut campaign with AS Monaco. Yet, it has not been an easy path for Lee to reach the pinnacle of European basketball, as he had to deal with tragedy during his college days at Illinois State University, where he played from 2013 to 2017.

In April 2015, he and his teammates were left in a state of shock by the news that Torrey Ward, their associate head coach, died in a plane crash that killed seven, including deputy athletic director Aaron Leetch. They were flying back from the NCAA Championship Game in Indianapolis, just over a two and a half hour's drive from the campus. Ward was 36 and a father of two, while his fiancée was pregnant with their third child at the time of his death.

"It was like 4:00 in the morning and \[our head\] coach called us to talk about apartments, because we were staying in dorms. We thought it was pretty weird that he would tell us to meet in the locker room at 4:00 in the morning to talk about apartments," Lee told Euroleague Basketball.

"When we got there, everyone was there except Coach Ward. And all the coaches were looking like they were crying, and we were like, 'What's going on?' Then, Coach said that there'd been an accident. When he said what happened, you could literally hear a pin drop. The locker room was so, you know just… It was a very difficult time. But, we just had each other. That day was one of the toughest days of my college career. Our coach decided to give us the day off that day, but everybody was like, 'Nah, Coach Ward wouldn't want us to do that.' So, we all went in the gym and we just pushed ourselves. We just stuck together."

"He had a smile that would brighten up the room."

Coach Ward had been both a friend and a taskmaster to Lee and his teammates.

"He was just a go-with-the-flow type of guy," Lee revealed. "I'd walk in Coach Ward's office and he was always smiling: 'What's up, man?' Like, always just in a good mood. He had a smile that would brighten up the room."

Just the same, Lee won't forget the one time the Illinois State players angered Coach Ward by playing well below their level in a blowout loss against a local rival.

"He told Coach \[Dan\] Muller, my head coach, 'Don't even come to practice, I'll take care of it,'" Lee explained. "Man, he destroyed us. He destroyed us."

Paris Lee, Panathinaikos: 'We just stuck together'

Lee's connection to his late coach was strengthened in the immediate aftermath of his passing, thanks to Mr. Ward's mother.

"His mom is very, very, very strong; I've got so much respect for his mom," Lee said. "Instead of us comforting her, she comforted us. It was almost as if she was a walking angel."

"It was an honor to be playing in my coach's shoes."

When the players were helping his mother clean out Coach Ward's house after he died, she made it a point to distribute some of his belongings to them, giving Lee two pairs of basketball sneakers.

"I ended up playing in them my senior year, and it was an honor to be playing in my coach's shoes," Lee recalled.

In that final year, Lee was named both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in his conference, accolades that took on greater significance for having been accomplished in Coach Ward's shoes.

Lee knows that Coach Ward would be incredibly proud of the paths his players have followed after university. Lee has gone on to play professionally in Belgium, Germany, France and now Greece, with Panathinaikos, despite his doubts when he first arrived in Europe.

"I was ready to go home a week later, if I'm being honest," Lee stated. "I definitely feel like my mindset has changed a lot, especially within the game, man. Like, I see the game so different. At Antwerp, I was more of a scorer... In the EuroLeague, I'm more of a defensive playmaking \[guard\]. I've still got opportunities to show what I can do offensively, but my primary thing is defense and being a playmaker."

While Lee has seen his averages improve in his second EuroLeague season, going from 7.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals with Monaco in 2021-22 to 11.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals with Panathinaikos, he has risen to another level lately. Since Round 19, Lee has posted averages of 18.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals, including a career-high 25 points in his last game.

"The higher up you go, I guess it's more of an all-star-in-your-role type of deal," he said.

Coach Ward is no doubt looking proudly down on Lee as an all-star well beyond his role.

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

**Streaks**

Mathias Lessort has posted a PIR in double figures in 23 of his 24 games this season. 

Yam Madar has made 13 consecutive free throws. 

Kevin Punter has collected at least 1 steal in 11 of his last 12 games.

Punter has scored 12 or more points in seven of his last eight games.

Punter has hit at least 1 three-point shot in eight straight games.

Punter has made 11 consecutive free throws. 

Dante Exum has scored at least 10 points in each of his last 12 games.

Exum has made at least 1 three-point shot in six of his last seven games.

Exum had PIRs of 12 or more in eight of his last nine games.

James Nunnally has made at least 1 three-pointer in five consecutive games. 

**Rankings**

Mathias Lessort ranks second this season in average index rating with 20.1 per game.

Lessort ranks third this season in rebounding with 7.2 per game, and Zach Leday ranks 10th in rebounding with 5.6 per game.

Lessort leads the league this season in offensive rebounding with 3.2 per game.

Lessort ranks sixth this season in blocks with 1.0 per game.

**Records/Milestones**

James Nunnally ranks 10th all-time in three-point accuracy at 44.0%.

Nunnally ranks 11th all-time in free throw accuracy at 89.1%.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

**Streaks**

Nemanja Bjelica has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 21 straight games dating back to the 2014-15 season.

Bjelica has made at least 1 three-pointer in seven straight games dating back to the 2014-15 season.

Bjelica has had double-digit PIRs in 27 of his last 28 games dating back to the 2014-15 season.

Melih Mahmutoglu has made at least 1 three-point shot in eight of his last nine games.

Scottie Wilbekin has made at least 1 three-point shot in 11 of his last 12 games.

**Rankings**

Johnathan Motley ranks sixth this season in rebounding with 6.1 per game.

Motley ranks second this season in offensive rebounding with 3.1 per game.

Nick Calathes is tied for eighth this season in assists with 5.0 per game.

Nigel Hayes-Davis ranks 10th this season in steals with 1.3 per game.

Tonye Jekiri ranks ninth this season in two-point shooting at 71.2%.

**Records/Milestones**

Nick Calathes set the EuroLeague single-season record in 2018-19 with 286 total assists.

Calathes is the EuroLeague career leader with 1,826 assists.

Calathes is in second place all-time with 394 steals; his former Panathinaikos teammate Dimitris Diamantidis is the all-time leader with 434.

Calathes enters Round 25 tied with Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus for second place all-time with 260 career starts. 

Calathes ranks sixth all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Calathes ranks 14th all-time with 3,717 index rating points. Ante Tomic is 13th with 3,723.

Scottie Wilbekin ranks seventh all-time with 472 career triples made. Milos Teodosic of Virtus Segafredo Bologna is sixth with 515 and counting.

Melih Mahmutoglu needs 31 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Marko Guduric needs 2 steals to reach 150 for his career.

Game Videos

Game News

It will be an emotional occasion for Zeljko Obradovic as the Partizan (13-11) coach welcomes former club Fenerbahce (14-9) and former assistant Dimitris Itoudis for a key showdown between direct rivals. Partizan has won its last four games and also has the opportunity to claim a head-to-head advantage over Fenerbahce after taking a dramatic 72-73 triumph in Istanbul earlier this season. Partizan sharpshooter Kevin Punter is averaging 18.3 points over the last three games, so stopping him will be key for the visiting team.

Game Facts: Partizan vs. Fenerbahce

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-02-23T20:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid guard Sergio Llull will have to remain on the sidelines for an indefinite period after picking up a left knee injury, the club confirmed on Monday. The injury, which is located in the internal lateral ligament in his left knee, occurred during Los Blancos' Spanish Cup quarterfinal victory against Valencia Basket last Thursday.

Real Madrid's Sergio Llull out indefinitely with knee injury 

Real Madrid guard [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) will have to remain on the sidelines for an indefinite period after picking up a left knee injury, the club confirmed on Monday. The injury, which is located in the internal lateral ligament in his left knee, occurred during Los Blancos' Spanish Cup quarterfinal victory against Valencia Basket last Thursday. Real has not confirmed how long Llull will be out for, and his return to the court will be determined by his recovery. In 23 appearances this season, of which 2 have come as a starter, Llull has averaged 6.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Victor Wembanyama's ANGT highlights

His name is on the lips of the whole basketball world these days, but three years ago this month, [Victor Wembanyama](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/victor-wembanyama/009553/) was mostly an unknown at the club level when he debuted for U18 Nanterre 92 in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament qualifier in Kaunas, Lithuania.

That city's die-hard basketball fans, who are now due to enjoy their first Final Four ever this spring, got the first glimpse outside France of Wembanyama's immense promise when he averaged 15.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.0 blocks over four games.

Nanterre went 2-1 to win its group and reach the ANGT Kaunas final game, but couldn't overcome Joventut Badalona despite Wembanyama's 16 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Even before he turned 16 on January 4, 2020, Wembanyama had already debuted in the 7DAYS EuroCup for Nanterre, going scoreless in two appearances. So his play in Kaunas was a true coming-out back then. He would make four more appearances for Nanterre in the 2020-21 EuroCup before making his EuroLeague debut last season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, by which time his name had circled the globe, all in a short span of three seasons.

After a pause in action for domestic cup competitions, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roars back to life with Round 25 on Thursday and Friday, with the regular season now entering its final straight. Here's your guide to this week's games.

[Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-fc-bayern-munich/E2022/217/)

After suffering a rare home defeat last time out against Zvezda, Maccabi (12-12) will attempt to climb back into the playoffs picture by overcoming Bayern (9-15). The German team has lost three in a row and can't afford many more losses if it wants to achieve a third consecutive playoffs appearance, but has to overcome the loss of key player Augustine Rubit to injury. Lorenzo Brown poured in 36 points when the teams met in December but that still wasn't enough for victory as 23 points from Cassius Winston helped Bayern prevail 98-89.

FC Bayern Munich - Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | Round 11 | Highlights

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Panathinaikos Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-panathinaikos-athens/E2022/218/)

Two teams with hopes of making a late charge towards the top half of the standings go head to head as Milan (8-15) hosts Panathinaikos (8-16). Milan, aiming for a third straight win after heading into the cup break on the back of home victories over Zvezda and Baskonia, will also be looking to avenge a 90-77 defeat in Athens in December. Panathinaikos is on a three-game losing streak and needs more scoring heroics from Dwayne Bacon, who netted 31 points when the teams met in Round 12.

Panathinaikos Athens - EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | Round 12 | Highlights

[Real Madrid vs. Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/real-madrid-zalgiris-kaunas/E2022/220/)

Second-place Real (16-7) will look for a fourth straight victory – and a fifth consecutive win at home – with a visit from playoffs-chasing Zalgiris (13-11), which has failed to reach 80 points in its last six games and will probably need to improve that figure to triumph in the Spanish capital. This should be a physical battle, with Real leading the league in rebounding at 37.9 per game while Zalgiris is not far behind (34.4). The visiting team's ability to tame Walter Tavares could be crucial.

Zalgiris Kaunas - Real Madrid | Round 14 | Highlights

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2022/219/)

It will be an emotional occasion for Zeljko Obradovic as the Partizan (13-11) coach welcomes former club Fenerbahce (14-9) and former assistant Dimitris Itoudis for a key showdown between direct rivals. Partizan has won its last four games and also has the opportunity to claim a head-to-head advantage over Fenerbahce after taking a dramatic 72-73 triumph in Istanbul earlier this season. Partizan sharpshooter Kevin Punter is averaging 18.3 points over the last three games, so stopping him will be key for the visiting team.

Round 25 at a glance: Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-alba-berlin/E2022/221/)

Friday's opening tipoff will see Zvezda (11-13) look to boost its playoffs challenge against an ALBA (6-18) team which has lost six in a row and could soon become the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoffs contention. ALBA has allowed at least 84 points in each of those six losses, and more than 93 in the last four, so Zvezda backcourt leader Luca Vildoza will be confident of providing the offensive fluency to secure a home win in Belgrade.

ALBA Berlin - Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade | Round 9 | Highlights

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/222/)

Inconsistent reigning champ Efes (11-12) will try to boost its playoffs hopes by triumphing at ASVEL (8-16), which is running out of time to find a top-eight finish after losing its last three games. Efes has only won once in its last six road trips, but boasts a dominant 8-1 record against ASVEL in their meetings this century, including recent memories of beating the French team after a 78-72 home win last month behind 22 points from Vasilije Micic.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul - LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | Round 17 | Highlights

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/virtus-segafredo-bologna-cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2022/224/)

Two teams very much in the hunt for the playoffs meet in Italy as Virtus (11-13) welcomes Baskonia (13-11).  The Spanish team boasts the league's most potent offense with an average of 85.4 points per game, but Virtus possesses an excellent perimeter defense, allowing opponents to make just 33.2% of their three-point shots (second best in the league). Baskonia marksman Markus Howard, who tops the competition with 3.0 triples per game, may find points harder to come by than usual.

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz - Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Round 15 | Highlights

[Valencia Basket vs. Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/valencia-basket-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/223/)

An entertaining showdown looks likely at La Fonteta as hungry Valencia (13-11) welcomes league leading Olympiacos (17-7). Both teams are in great shape, with Valencia having won six of its last seven games, including last time out on a dramatic game-winner by Chris Jones at Panathinaikos. Jones also scored the winning points from the foul line when Valencia triumphed in Piraeus in November, so the host will have nothing to fear as it aims to end the Reds' run of six straight victories.

Olympiacos Piraeus - Valencia Basket | Round 6 | Highlights

[FC Barcelona vs. AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-as-monaco/E2022/225/)

The round closes with a big battle in the race for a top-four finish between third placed Barcelona (16-8) and fourth placed Monaco (15-9). When the teams last met in December, Barca edged a low-scoring game, 63-69, behind 15 points and 9 rebounds from Nikola Mirotic. Monaco will surely hope to make this a more open game to unleash the scoring potential of Mike James, who has scored in double digits in seven consecutive games but will be eager to improve his season-long three-point shooting conversion rate of just 28.6%.

Round 25 at a glance: FC Barcelona vs. AS Monaco

This week: Playoff race resumes with 10 games left

FC Barcelona v AS Monaco (2023-02-24T19:45:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-02-24T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-02-24T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-02-24T19:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v ALBA Berlin (2023-02-24T18:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-02-23T19:45:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-02-23T19:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v FC Bayern Munich (2023-02-23T19:05:00.000Z)

Now in his 11th EuroLeague season, former champion Daniel Hackett has been setting an example for his Virtus Segafredo Bologna teammates with his leadership on and off the court and figures have a key role down the stretch as they chase the playoff dream. 

Daniel Hackett, Virtus: 'My journey as a kid and a teenager was being around a basketball'

Now in his 11th EuroLeague season, former champion [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) has been setting an example for his Virtus Segafredo Bologna teammates with his leadership on and off the court and figures have a key role down the stretch as they chase the playoff dream.

As soon as he joined Virtus midway through last season from CSKA Moscow, Hackett’s winning character began to show and by season’s end, he joined an exclusive club of 19 players to have won both the EuroLeague and EuroCup crowns in their career. It’s almost as if Hackett was bred to be a winner.

"Pretty much my whole journey as a kid was around basketball. My father was a basketball coach, so I was always around gyms and basketball players," Hackett says of his youth.

The EuroCup triumph put Hackett and Virtus back in the continental elite this season and it’s been an experience that he has cherished.

"It’s a big opportunity for me to keep improving, to try to take as many trophies as I can, try to win every game, every time I step on the court," Hackett explains. "On top of that, it's a chance that we have to be in the EuroLeague, to bring this club to a whole new level."

Perhaps to best understand the impact Hackett has had on Virtus, it's best to turn to the team's head coach."He brings fire, he brings passion, he brings competitiveness, he brings toughness. He has no fear to take the shots too," Coach Sergio Scariolo says of Hackett. "It’s really good to have him in the team, especially with many young players who are developing their best competitive personality."

Daniel Hackett, Virtus: 'Sometimes you have to sacrifice to win'

FC Bayern Munich forward [Augustine Rubit](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/augustine-rubit/006477/) is set to be sidelined for a significant amount of time due to an Achilles tendon injury. Rubit was injured in a German Cup semifinals game against ALBA Berlin on Saturday and had to leave the arena on crutches. Bayern's general manager Marko Pesic, told German television that Rubit had undergone surgery on Sunday. "It doesn't look good; it's an injury to the Achilles tendon," Pesic said. Rubit has averaged 10.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and a PIR of 13.8 so far this season. He was chosen as the [EuroLeague MVP for January](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mvp-for-january-augustine-rubit-fc-bayern-munich/), becoming Bayern's first player to receive this award, after averaging 17.8 points and a PIR of 21.0 during that month.

Bayern's Rubit, out indefinitely

With only 10 games remaining 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, most teams have established a rhythm on the offensive end. That is perhaps most evident in the fact that league-wide scoring efficiency has continued to rise deep into the season, reaching 0.99 points per possession following the conclusion of Round 24. 

Historically, efficiency tends to level out over the first third of the season. After that point, the surges of some teams are offset by the regressions of others. This season has been different because shot-making efficiency has continued to climb, month after month. With seven teams current scoring more than 1.00 points per possession – a gold standard at the highest levels of the sport – the EuroLeague may be on course to match the remarkable offensive standard it had set before the pandemic.

The league's highest volume scorers tend to be the standard-bearers for how high the bar truly is set in the EuroLeague at any given moment. The table above ranks the top players in points per possession among those using more than 10 possessions per game this season. Through the last round, a total of 58 players had used over 10 possessions per game. That group is scoring 1.00 points per possession, just ahead of the league average.

As has been the case throughout the season, [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) has set the curve among this year's top scorers in terms of efficiency. With only 10 games remaining, he is not only on pace to join Bo McCalebb, Boban Marjanovic and [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) as the only players in modern EuroLeague history to average more than 1.20 points per possession over 12 possessions per game, but he's still on track to set the modern scoring efficiency record, which currently sits at 1.26 points per possession. It is hard to understate just how effective Vezenkov has been to this point. His 77% shooting when finishing around the rim is nearly unprecedented, and his ability to score from inside and out has propelled Olympiacos Piraeus to the top of the standings.

Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos scored 24 of his 30 points against ALBA in catch-and-shoot opportunities, without even bouncing the ball once. Here are some of those shots.

Vezenkov's no bounce game vs. ALBA

It is not particularly surprising that Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona has reclaimed a spot on this list despite having missed the early part of the season with an Achilles tendon injury. Looking none the worse for the extended absence, Mirotic has nearly picked up where he left off in his spectacular MVP campaign last season.

[Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/) of Zalgiris Kaunas suffered a similar bout of bad luck this season; he was scoring at an elite level before he hurt his Achilles tendon in Round 17.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, which has been surging over the last couple months, places two new players on this list relative to the early part of the season. [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) has been a force inside all season, but the play of [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) and [Dante Exum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dante-exum/011302/) has been key to the club's rise as the most potent offense in the league.

Its easy to forget that [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) of Real Madrid is only 23 years old in what amounts to his rookie year in the EuroLeague. He played sparingly for Anadolu Efes in four games during the 2020-21 season, but blossomed last year and has taken another step in this one, giving Real a massive boost on the wing.

Veteran big men [Bojan Dubljevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bojan-dubljevic/002742/), [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) and [Gabriel Deck](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/gabriel-deck/009005/) have taken different paths to make it to this level. Dubljevic has been a cornerstone for Valencia Basket for a decade now; Motley worked his way up the ranks to get his first crack at the EuroLeague this year with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul; and Deck has always made an impact for Real but had to earn additional touches over time.

With the playoff push looming and expectations rising along with league-wide efficiency, the league's top players will likely have a chance to author the ending of what has been a very memorable season so far.