Ergin Ataman is the architect of the Anadolu Efes success in the last four seasons. After winning the first title last year, Ataman will hope to lead his star-studded roster to the second consecutive EuroLeague title.
Ataman joined the team for his third stint in 2018 and led Efes to its first championship game in the history of the club, after the Turkish giants finished dead-last in the standings the previous year.
That was the beginning of Anadolu Efes dominance in the EuroLeague. The team has recorded 96 wins during those four years and appeared in two Final-Fours, including the 2019-2020 season, where Ataman led his team to the best record in the league.
In any case, this team was the most dominant version of Ataman’s squad, in my opinion. However, the roster remained intact for the last three seasons as Efes finished 5th in the EuroLeague standings this season.
Sticking to a fast-paced style with swift ball movement and trusting that it can outscore any opponent, Efes is a guard-heavy squad with Vasilije Micic, Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois and Krunoslav Simon.
The Turkish giants are coming to Belgrade as the top-scoring team out of the four finalists averaging 81.7 points per game. They are shooting 57 percent on two-pointers, and they are ranked 3rd in the EuroLeague.
Ataman aims to repeat as EuroLeague champion, something no coach has done in 17 years and just two have accomplished in the Final Four era dating to 1988, per EuroLeague.net. After an up and down regular season, Efes cruised past Olimpia Milano in the playoffs.
In four tough matchups, the Turkish side kept Milan under 80 points, grinding out its way to three wins. Ataman became the only head coach from Turkey to make three consecutive Final-Four appearances.
Next week, he hopes to become the first Turkish coach to win two consecutive titles and join a small club of head coaches to win the title back-to-back in the Final-Four era.
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