There will never be a meaningless game in Istanbul, especially against Efes. This game in no exception coming at very critical juncture for both teams. They have the same record so far (3-5) and had to deal with similar problems, mostly the injuries that plagued both front-lines. Efes lost to injuries the two designated centers, Vincent Poirier and Georgios Papagiannis; Olimpia is forced to play without its starting point man, Lorenzo Brown. One more note: Efes has won two road games out of four but lost three times at home; Olimpia won twice on the road and lost twice in Milan. The Istanbul one is the sixth road game of the season (four more road games have been played in the Italian league) and will be followed by three straight home dates (Asvel Villeurbanne, Olympiacos Piraeus, Hapoel Tel Aviv). So far, Olimpia even in losses was able to compete right to the last possession, earning – Munich being the only exception – the chance to win the game, as the point differential is showing (+9 despite the under 50 percent win-loss record). And this happened in spite of the injuries and players missing games. For example, Pippo Ricci, replacing Zach LeDay, was decisive both in Kaunas and last week against Paris Basketball. Devin Booker – helped by Bryant Dunston – held the fort at the center position and will enter this game as the third-best offensive rebounder and the 10th-best rebounder. Olimpia will start from a disadvantage because while Efes played last Monday its last game (against Manisa in the Turkish league), Olimpia will take the floor just 48 hours after playing a tough Brescia game in the Italian league. Olimpia spent the night in Verona, where it boarded the plane to Istanbul
NOTES – Anadolu Efes-Olimpia Milano is scheduled to be played on Thursday, November 6th at Istanbul’s former Abdi Ipekci arena at 18:30 Italian time.
REFEREES – Miguel Angel Perez (Spain), Milivoje Jovcic (Serbia), Marcin Kowalski (Poland).
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “We face a team that in the disguise of losing two very important players like Poirier and Osmani, found in the versatility of Smits and Osmani the key to open up space for the efficiency of very talented guards. In order to try to win this game, and Istanbul is tough place to win, it will be decisive for us to have a solid defensive and rebounding impact.”
ARMONI BROOKS – “Efes has high-level guards and physicality, but overall they’re a very strong team. We’ll have to match their physicality, don’t let their physicality overwhelm us and set the tone right from the start.”
NATE SESTINA – “In Istanbul, we’ll have to play a game full of energy and aggressiveness. Mostly, it will be important to play with the same physicality as them from the first possession, set the tone, stay together.”
ANADOLU EFES OUTLOOK – Of the historic team that played in three EuroLeague Finals, two of which they won, only the two guards remain: Shane Larkin and Rodrigue Beaubois. Larkin’s performance is virtually unchanged from then: he’s averaging 16.8 points and 4.2 assists per game, shooting 42.9% from three. Beaubois, 37, has missed the last three games and played sparingly in the others. Coach Igor Kokoskov, formerly of Fenerbahce but more importantly a Serbian coach who built a career in America, landing a one-year stint as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, typically uses a starting five with Larkin at point guard and two physical and athletic guards in Nick Weiler-Babb, formerly of Bayern Munich, and Isaiah Cordinier. Weiler-Babb is an all-around player who defends strongly (averaging 1.4 steals), grabs 3.9 rebounds per game, knows how to pass the ball (3.5 assists per game) and is now also a reliable shooter (41.2% from three for an average of 8.5 points). Cordinier, a French national team silver medalist at the last Olympics, plays nearly 29 minutes per game averaging 11.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. The rotation of the guards is very deep: Jordan Loyd, a veteran of the competition, who spent the year in Monaco, comes off the bench and averages 11.0 points and 36.6% from three; PJ Dozier, who played for Partizan two years ago, is another effective all-around player on both ends of the floor (6.0 points per game). In addition to Beaubois, Turkish international Sehmaus Hazer, a great athlete who also played for Fenerbahce, could also have a spot. The starting power forward is another Turkish international, Ercan Osmani, a player who has made a name for himself in recent seasons, currently averaging 12.4 points per game on 63.6% two-point shooting. Osmani also averages 4.2 rebounds. The only alternatives are the American Cole Swider (4.3 points per game, 46.2% from three), in his first European experience after trying to find a stable place in the NBA, and the Latvian veteran Rolands Smits (7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game). The centers are Kai Jones, another European rookie, who is currently averaging 3.4 points and 3.6 rebounds, and Brice Dessert, but he’s only been used once. Vincent Poirier and Georgios Papagiannis are both out long term with injuries.
LA ANADOLU EFES CONNECTION – Bryant Dunston built much of his career at Anadolu Efes where he played for eight seasons from 2015 to 2023, winning the EuroLeague title twice, in 2021 and 2022, alongside some of the current Efes players such as Shane Larkin and Rodrigue Beaubois.
GAME NOTES – Pippo Ricci set his EuroLeague rebounding record with 10 against Paris Basketball in the last round. This season, he also set personal bests for points (15) and three-pointers in a game (5). Shavon Shields broke the 500-rebound barrier in the EuroLeague with Olimpia Milano. Shavon Shields has a streak of 27 out of 28 games with at least one three-pointer made and scored in double digit in 17 of his last 18 appearances, including all the games he played this season. Marko Guduric has made his 400th career three-pointer last week. He is the 20th player to cross the threshold. The next time he steps on the floor, Leandro Bolmaro will make his 100th EuroLeague appearance. The next time he steps on the floor, Zach LeDay will make his 200th EuroLeague appearance.
