Thinking about the Euroleague Final Four
Hi everybody. You know it's been a very busy season for me as a member of the Turkish national team and Fenerbahce Ulker. It started with a busy summer getting ready for and playing at the European Championship in Spain. So it’s good to have a little rest before the start of the Turkish League playoffs, where we will face Antalya Buyuksehir Belediyesi this weekend.
I want to use this opportunity to send my condolences to Willie Solomon, whose grandmother passed away. Willie traveled to the USA for the funeral and I hope he returns in good mental spirits because we need him very much.
While we are preparing for our playoffs, we are also thinking about what's going to happen at the Euroleague Final Four in Madrid. My teammates and I are mostly in agreement about with out predictions. I expect CSKA Moscow and Montepaschi Siena to win the semifinal games. I see CSKA Moscow as the favorite against Tau Ceramica because of the lone time that those players have been together and their collective experience in these kinds of stressful games. CSKA has many players that have been together for a number of years like Theodoros Papaloukas, Matjaz Smodis, J.R. Holden and Trajan Langdon, under the coaching of a very experienced and skillful coach in Ettore Messina. Tau Ceramica is a good team of many extraordinary talents, but my favorite is absolutely CSKA in this match up.
In the other match up, Montepaschi Siena is a step ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv. When you look at Maccabi, they started the season poorly, but recovered immediately after they brought Zvi Sherf as the new head coach of the team. They are in form now. But honestly, Montepaschi Siena is the most successful team of this whole season. They have great harmony both in defense and offence and share the ball very well. Their defensive pressure causes opponents to turn the ball over much more than their normal average. They have a great, tough defense. If Maccabi can handle this pressure, they have a chance at winning, if not, no chance.
I don’t have the latest information about things like injuries. But if everybody is healthy on CSKA Moscow, they are my favorites in the final too. Of course, there are surprises in all sports. But if everything goes right, CSKA Moscow can win the Euroleague crown. That is what I think.
And if anybody is wondering what will happen in Turkish League playoffs, my recommendation for them is to sit, relax and to watch the games. They will see Fenerbahce Ulker winning the title again for sure.
Bye for now
POSTED BY
Ömer Onan - Istanbul
DATE:
Friday, May 02, 2008