The Euroleague.net experts have provided their updated power rankings for the 2024-25 season
Power Rankings: How things look nearly one-third into the season
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Welcome to the November edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Power Rankings. The following list is the brainchild of EuroLeague.net's team of experts, which is made up of Geoff Gillingham, Javier Gancedo, Frankie Sachs and Igor Petrinovic.
The power rankings represent where the experts rank if compared to all teams right now and not necessarily where they feel they will be at the end of the season.
Next to each team, there are several numbers. First is the team's record. It is followed by the highest rank on any individual ballot and the next number represents the lowest.
1. Olympiacos Piraeus (7-3); 1, 2
Preseason power rankings position: 2nd
Things are clicking for Olympiacos very fast and this is why they are first in our power rankings, despite not having the best record in the competition. Coach Georgios Bartzokas has found the perfect balance on offense, with Sasha Vezenkov leading the way, but a lot of players are contributing in many ways. In particular, Evan Fournier is looking as good as advertised and has had a crucial role in the Reds' current five-game winning streak. What's more, no team is deeper at center than Olympiacos, which has Nikola Milutinov, Moustapha Fall and Moses Wright at the '5' spot. Defense? Olympiacos has always played hard. Right now, the Reds are the team to beat. -- Javier Gancedo
2. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (7-3); 2, 3
Preseason power rankings position: 1st
Not only is Panathinaikos the reigning EuroLeague champion, but it boasts the deepest roster in the league and appears to be finding its groove once again, going 5-1 over the last six games. Able to lean on the ever-reliable Mathias Lessort and Kendrick Nunn, the Greens have such an array of options that they keep finding ways to win games. If it isn’t Lessort or Nunn, it is Juancho Hernangomez and Kostas Sloukas. If it isn’t them, it’s Jerian Grant and Lorenzo Brown. And then there’s still ex-NBA Turkish duo Omer Yurtseven and Cedi Osman, Greek pair Ioannis Papapetrou and Konstantinos Mitoglou, and injured swingman Marius Grigonis. Panathinaikos’s depth is scary, and that will likely prove crucial in its bid to secure back-to-back EuroLeague titles. -- Geoff Gillingham
3. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (8-2); 1, 2
Preseason power rankings position: 3rd
There should be little surprise to see Fenerbahce ranked so high as it boasts the best record in the league and is undefeated on the road. Coach Saras Jasikevicius's team has won five in a row despite a tough run of injuries; only two players have started every game (Nigel Hayes-Davis, Bonzie Colson) and only two more have appeared in all 10 games (Nicolo Melli, Khem Birch). The way the team has continued to succeed despite the obstacles is a great sign for the future and when fully healthy, the team is a title contender. -- Frankie Sachs
4. Paris Basketball (7-3); 2, 9
Preseason power rankings position: 17th
What a pleasant surprise Paris has been this season. Following on from the excellent work done by Tuomas Iisalo, first-year head coach Tiago Splitter picked up the baton and has made the French outfit look like a playoff-level side in its first-ever season among Europe’s elite. There’s a strong case to be made for TJ Shorts – in his rookie season – to be one of the strongest candidates to be named the EuroLeague MVP, with the American-born guard conducting Paris’s offense and, most importantly, leading it to wins. Paris has already beaten Panathinaikos, Monaco and FC Barcelona this season, with the latter two coming on the road, and the team’s fairy-tale story shows no sign of slowing down. -- Geoff Gillingham
5. FC Barcelona (7-3); 4, 6
Preseason power rankings position: 5th
Barcelona has looked great in its 15-point victory over Monaco and its two road wins in Belgrade. However, it underwhelmed in road losses at Olympiacos and Paris. Barcelona’s true value is somewhere in between. The fact that Barca has successfully integrated four new players into the rotation, including October MVP Kevin Punter, is impressive and a sign that things can get even better. While the loss of Nico Laprovittola for the season no doubt hurts, Justin Anderson and Juan Nunez have made great impacts to keep the team on course. -- Frankie Sachs
6. FC Bayern Munich (7-3); 5, 6
Preseason power rankings position: 15th
Led by a FIBA World Cup champion head coach in Gordie Herbert, maybe Bayern's improvement shouldn't have much of a surprise. But it is, and Coach Herbert deserves a lot of credit for that. A lot of EuroLeague veterans have stepped up at Bayern and are playing some of the best basketball of their careers. Center Devin Booker looks stronger and more effective than ever (67.1% 2FG, 41.7% 3FG, 89.7% FT), Carsen Edwards is leading the competition in scoring (21.0 ppg.), and Nick Weiler-Babb has been Bayern's glue guy (7.8 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 4.8 apg.). Things could get even better when Vladimir Lucic and Niels Giffey return, and SAP Garden is proving to be a fortress, with Bayern winning all five of its games at its brand-new arena. -- Javier Gancedo
7. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (6-4); 7, 8
Preseason power rankings position: 7th
Winners of four straight road games, despite losing Shane Larkin to injury, Efes has shown the mettle needed to reach the playoffs and fight for a Final Four spot. The next few weeks could prove critical, as coach Tomislav Mijatovic’s men face several teams close to it in the standings. Efes has leaned on its backcourt of Darius Thompson and Elijah Bryant, while Vincent Poirier and Dan Oturu have provided muscle inside. With Larkin due to return and debutants Stanley Johnson and Jordan Nwora adjusting to the EuroLeague, Efes could be going places. -- Frankie Sachs
8. AS Monaco (6-4); 6, 9
Preseason power rankings position: 6th
While Monaco has not shown the form that made it a Final Four contender the last few seasons, it has also not been playing with the roster designed to get it there. Nick Calathes, who has been sidelined since the preseason, should be back soon and Furkan Korkmaz has only played in two games so far. Even so, Monaco has won three of its last four road games and now plays three of its next four at home, which could see it charge back up the standings. -- Frankie Sachs
9. Real Madrid (4-6); 8, 9
Preseason power rankings position: 4th
Honestly, nobody among our editorial staff saw this coming at the start of the season. Real is struggling on the road, posting a 0-5 record away from WiZink Center, and just registered its first home defeat against Efes. The talent and experience is there, but Real has had a series of key injuries, losing Andres Feliz, Usman Garuba and Dzanan Musa. It is also not easy to adjust to life without retired superstars Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez. Make no mistake: Real should bounce back and we would be surprised if we see them this low in our next power rankings. -- Javier Gancedo
10. Zalgiris Kaunas (7-3); 10-11
Preseason power rankings position: 13th
Just a few weeks ago, Zalgiris found itself joint top of the standings after a 6-1 start – aided by a five-game winning streak between Round 3 and 7 – but the wheels have come off lately. Andrea Trinchieri’s side has now gone three games without a win and has tumbled down the standings, with its most recent defeat – to Fenerbahce in Round 10 – seeing its perfect home record come to an end. That said, the addition of Lonnie Walker gives Zalgiris an elite option on offense and he is starting to get acclimatized to the EuroLeague, so there is definitely still reason for optimism. Zalgiris has the pieces to make a push towards a playoff spot, but at present its place in the play-in seems just about right. -- Geoff Gillingham
11. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (5-5); 10, 13
Preseason power rankings position: 12th
It has been an up-and-down season for Zvezda. It started with a bang, recording road wins against Paris and Fenerbahce, who have barely lost after that. On the other hand, Zvezda is 1-4 in games decided by five points or less, which indicates that it could rank even higher after narrow losses against ASVEL, Zalgiris and Panathinaikos. Its game against cross-town rival Partizan arrives in a good moment and could give Zvezda a big boost. Joel Bolomboy should be back from injury soon, too, joining forces with recent signing Filip Petrusev in the team's frontline. -- Frankie Sachs
12. Maccabi Playitka Tel Aviv (3-7); 12, 14
Preseason power rankings position: 14th
It’s been a tough run for the Israeli champs, which have dropped three straight games. However, last week they led against Panathinaikos in the fourth quarter and were within 1 against Olympiacos late. Coach Oded Kattash has his players competing hard, which has helped make up for the fact that Saben Lee, David DeJulius and Marial Shayok all joined the team after opening night, while Tamir Blatt, Wenyen Gabriel, Rokas Jokubaitis and Jasiel Rivero have all missed time due to injury. How good will Maccabi be when it’s at full strength? We should know sooner rather than later. -- Frankie Sachs
13. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (4-6); 12, 15
Preseason power rankings position: 8th
When you look at Milan’s roster, there is a lot to like. The reigning Italian League champion can call upon 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP Nikola Mirotic, an athletic center in Josh Nebo, a do-it-all in forward Zach LeDay, a scoring threat in Shavon Shields, and exciting guards in Neno Dimitrijevic, Nico Mannion and Leandro Bolmaro. Yet, it hasn’t worked. Injuries have blighted Ettore Messina’s troops once again, a familiar pattern to recent seasons, with Milan going 1-5 through the first six games. However, three wins from four have calmed things down, and Milan still has the potential to go up another couple of gears once Nebo and Shields return from their injuries. Especially in the second half of the season, Milan should be a team to look out for. -- Geoff Gillingham
14. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (4-6); 12, 15
Preseason power rankings position: 11th
Baskonia has been quite a Jekyll and Hyde team through the first 10 rounds. After winning its first four home games, Buesa Arena was looking like a fortress for Pablo Laso’s men, who have gone a dreadful 0-4 on the road so far. But last week’s double round saw Baskonia fall at home to Efes and Monaco, with Markus Howard going scoreless in both games. The American guard is Baskonia’s X-factor, so when he doesn’t play well it often results in defeat. There have been up-and-down performances across the roster, and coach Pablo Laso has had strong words of late. Still, Baskonia has one of the best home atmospheres in the EuroLeague and a number of exciting players, like Howard, Trent Forrest and Chima Moneke, making it a potential force in the push for the play-in spots. -- Geoff Gillingham
15. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (3-7); 10, 16
Preseason power rankings position: 16th
ASVEL snapped a five-game losing streak in Round 10 when it edged Crvena Zvezda. Still, it’s important to note that several of those losses came against title contenders such as Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and Fenerbahce – and that the last two of those were decided by a combined 6 points. Theo Maledon is establishing himself as a star and Neal Sako has been one of the season’s biggest surprises. Add in the presence of veterans Nando De Colo and Joffrey Lauvergne and there is a blueprint for ASVEL making a serious run at the playoffs. -- Frankie Sachs
16. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2-8); 14, 17
Preseason power rankings position: 16th
After a 0-4 start, Virtus has improved somewhat but is coming off consecutive losses in the last double-round week. Some newcomers like Will Clyburn and Matt Morgan are struggling to find their rhythm, and others like Rayjon Tucker and Andrejs Grazulis have barely seen playing time despite arriving In Bologna with great expectations. The team ranks last in rebounds (30.6 rpg.), too. Coach Luca Banchi managed to make Virtus play really fluid basketball last season, but the Italian side has dished just 169 assists through the first 10 games, 30 fewer than it did in the opening 10 games last season. -- Javier Gancedo
17. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2-8); 16, 17
Preseason power rankings position: 9th
So far this season, Partizan has mixed flashes of brilliance with forgettable scores. There is no doubt about the ability of coach Zeljko Obradovic’s squad, but thus far it has not translated into the desired results. Do not despair, though, as Partizan is a nearly completely new team this season. As far as talent, this is a team that can compete with anyone, and Obradovic knows a thing or two about team building. When the players finally gel, Partizan just might be able to make a run at the playoffs – or the play-in. -- Frankie Sachs
ALBA Berlin (2-8); 18, 18
Preseason power rankings position: 18th
Despite being bottom of the EuroLeague standings – and our power rankings – there are a few reasons to be cheerful if you are an ALBA fan. No team in the EuroLeague has been hit harder by injuries than ALBA, which has provided the platform for its younger talents to enjoy even bigger roles, particularly in the cases of Matteo Spagnolo, Gabriele Procida and Trevion Williams. Experienced guard Martin Hermannsson – out at the moment with an Achilles injury – has provided a steady hand in the backcourt, too. It would be the shock of all shocks to see coach Israel Gonzalez's team turn this around and make a playoff push, but regardless, the fight the players have shown in tricky circumstances is something the ALBA faithful can be proud of. -- Geoff Gillingham