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On October 16, 2013, the Euroleague 2013/2014 starts. Game 1 will start on Wednesday but in the following ones the games will be generally played on Thursday and Friday like in the last season.
Technically the Euroleague started at the end of Semptember with the qualifying rounds but only eight teams were involved for one berth in the regular season so inevitably the intererest was reduced.
The format was the same one introduced last year. The regular season is still a round-robin with 24 teams divided in 4 groups each playing 10 games. The best 4 teams of each group advance to the Top 16, where the best 16 teams are divided in 2 groups of 8 teams each and each team plays 14 games. The best 4 teams of each group advance to the quarter-finals which are played in best of 5 games series. The winners will play the Final Four.
Group A
Budivelnik Kiev
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul
JSF Nanterre
CSKA Moscow
FC Barcelona
Partizan NIS Belgrade
CSKA Moscow and FC Barcelona are two teams that aspire to win the Euroleague title so going to the Top 16 should be a formality. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul had two seasons of Euroleague good but not extraordinary so now players and staff want to do better, also thanks to the experience of coach Zeljko Obradovic, one of the most successful in the history of European basketball. There may be a struggle until the end of the regular season for the fourth Top 16 berth but I think Budivelnik Kiev, which signed the expert Darjus Lavrinovic, can beat its competitors.
Group B
Brose Baskets Bamberg
Strasbourg
Anadolu Efes Istanbul
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Zalgiris Kaunas
Real Madrid
Real Madrid seems to be the strongest team in the group, followed by Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Zalgiris Kaunas is an experienced team and should be able to reach the Top 16 despite the injury of Ksistof Lavrinovic that should keep him out for about half of the regular season. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is back from a disappointing season and, after a number changes in its roster and coaching staff, will want to make up for that: it won’t be easy but it could be the last team in the group to go to the Top 16.
Group C
Montepaschi Siena
Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul
Stelmet Zielona Gora
FC Bayern Munich
Olympiacos Piraeus
Unicaja Malaga
Olympiacos Piraeus aims to win the Euroleague for the third consecutive time so going to the Top 16 should be a formality. Unicaja Malaga had some disappointments last season and so players and staff have the motivation to go forward in the Euroleague. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul has ambitions to improve and should be among the teams that will go to the Top 16. Montepaschi Siena is continuing its rebuilding so it’s no longer the big team of a few years ago but with its experience I think it will be the fourth team in the group to go to the Top 16.
Group D
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Panathinaikos Athens
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv
Panathinaikos Athens, Laboral Kutxa Vitoria and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv give the impression of being much stronger than the other teams so they should easily reach the Top 16. There could be a big struggle for fourth berth and in my opinion for Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius signing the expert forward Darius Songaila after having conquered the berth in the Euroleague in the qualifying rounds could make a difference.
As always, may the best win! 🙂
