Demolition derby: the sequel

May 19, 2013

Euroleague.net's editor, Javier Gancedo, has worked for Euroleague Basketball since 2003, writing, interviewing players and doing all kinds of features about his favorite sport. Among several initiatives, he created every Euroleague fan's favorite on-line game, bwin Euroleague Fantasy Challenge. As the Euroleague season unfolds, Javier blog about Fantasy Challenge, giving you tips and valuable advice about the game, but most of all, sharing his basketball devotion with all of you, the Turkish Airlines Euroleague fans!

Basketball fans, do you remember a better Turkish Airlines Euroleague's opening week? Because I don't, honestly. Great games all over the continent on four different days(!), powerhouses leaving no doubt about their power, up-and-coming squads proving they are ready to challenge for a Top 16 spots, great individual performances, sellout crowds, action, emotion... and devotion, of course. From CSKA's big win in Kaunas to Bizkaia Bilbao Basket's dream-come-true Euroleague debut – and everything in the middle – Week 1 has been one to remember. The best part is that it is just the beginning and we have a long, exciting Euroleague season ahead of us.

If Week 1 was one to remember, fantasy-wise – for me at least – it was one to forget. It happened again. I made seven bwin Euroleague Fantasy Challenge teams, some doing fairly well – my best team has 161 points – but Meet The Boss has failed in regular season Week 1. My team scored 88.4 points and ranks 23,818th overall. To make things even worse, most of my players are now overrated and I lost 20 credits, which turns the team into a dangerous, tough challenge. Keep in mind, fantasy fans, that there is an EARLY DEADLINE this week. It is on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 at 19:45 CET, as Unicaja takes on Zalgiris an hour later. Remember to make all your trades before Tuesday! You have been warned!

I know a lot of people wonder about overvalued and undervalue players. A player's value can only rise or drop up to 15% during one week in bwin Fantasy Challenge. The way to know if a player in overvalued is to multiply his points by 4 and compare that total to his price. If the first number is larger than the second, then this player is undervalued. The bigger the difference, the more undervalued the player is. An example of an undervalued player is Week 1 bwin MVP Andrei Kirilenko. His total last week was 40.7 (a 37 performance index rating plus 10% for CSKA having won). Multiply that by 4 and you get 162.8, but his cost at the moment is 86.3, so he is heavily undervalued. Sofoklis Schortanitis of Maccabi Electra had a performance index rating of 7 in Week 1, times 4 is 28, compared with the 74 credits he costs makes Big Sofo overvalued right now.

So, my wish in the next three weeks is to accumulate as many credits as I can, because players will balance both figures soon and making money will be very difficult. Problem is, I have six overrated players - John Linehan, Pau Ribas, Pietro Aradori, Vladimir Lucic, Mike Wilkinson and Aleks Maric - and only three trades available. I am in a tough position, as I need to discard three players and keep three others, knowing they need to play very well to avoid losing money. My first trade has to be Lucic. Because Partizan mt:s Belgrade signed Milan Macvan last week, Lucic will see more limited playing time from now on. I am also trading Aradori because he is not playing as much as I thought he would after his great pre-season. The question now is whom to keep, rather than whom to trade. I will keep Ribas, Linehan and Wilkinson based on playing time and will cut Maric even when he is one of my favorite players.

So, time to find out who to get. I am going to go for three heavily undervalued players, as I am all about accumulating credits now, nothing else. The first one will be center Giorgi Shermadini of Bennet Cantu. Caja Laboral has had problems playing defense against big men so far this season, Shermadini is cheap (29.9 credits), undervalued and has the experience to do a good job in Vitoria. As for shooting guards and small forwards, there is no better choice than Malik Hairston of EA7 Emporio Armani, who had an incredible game against Maccabi Electra. He is heavily undervalued in the game and I am sure he has to keep his momentum going after his incredible exhibition in Week 1. That doesn't leave me with a lot of money for my final trade, but enough to pick up Furkan Aldemir of Galatasaray Medical Park. Great rebounder, seeing solid playing time and ready to keep growing as a player. Oh, and he costs just 25.3 credits.

So Meet The Boss, already under re-construction after a demolishing Week 1, will hopefully start its comeback with this lineup:

John Linehan - Aggressive, ready and ambitious to shine in front of his fans in Week 2.
Nick Calathes - More and more important for Panathinaikos every year. Played 33 minutes in Week 1, too.

Nicolas Batum - Faces an intriguing matchup against Alex Mumbru. A silent leader, he is ready to keep impressing.
Pau Ribas - Still have faith in him, as he is having his best start since he got to Vitoria.
Malik Hairston - My main signing this week. A mismatch at small forward due to his strength and physical game.
Tarence Kinsey - Had a huge all-around game in Belgrade. Should help in many ways, as usual, against Spirou

Furkan Aldemir - A star in the making. Coach Oktay Mahmuti knows him and is playing him right away.
Mike Wilkinson - Solid choice to play against Galatasaray, experienced and ready. Three trades only, too...
Donatas Motiejunas - I have a rule of never having anyone against FCB Regal at Palau Blaugrana, but I have no choice.
Giorgi Shermadini - Had a very solid game against Nancy. Faces a bigger challenge against Caja Laboral, though.

That is all from me this week! Keep in mind that Week 2 has an early game. Once again, the deadline is on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 at 19:45 CET!. I just hope that my blog will be more optimistic next week, meaning that I will have done better this week. Good results will come, of course! Enjoy a great Turkish Airlines Euroleague week and keeping having fun with the bwin Euroleague Fantasy Challenge!

POSTED BY

Javier Gancedo - Euroleague.net

DATE:

Monday, October 24, 2011