EuroLeague named six players that already are in the mix for the 2021/22 regular season MVP award.
With the regular season entering its most crucial stage, these six players are fighting tooth and nail to lead their teams to the playoffs.
Lorenzo Brown, UNICS Kazan
The American guard has been the leader of UNICS Kazan since the start of the season. Playing excellent on both ends, he is doing his best to keep the Russians within the playoff zone (13-11, 7th).
He is now leading the league in assists (6.1), ranks fourth in PIR (18.1), sixth in steals (1.5) and eighth in scoring (14.1). Brown is also averaging 4.3 two-pointers and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes
Shane Larkin has been a key member of Anadolu Efes in their quest for a back-to-back EuroLeague title run. He leads the league in minutes played (31:24) and is third in PIR (19.6).
The American star guard is fourth in assists (5.3 per game) and seventh in both points (14.8) and steals (1.4).
Shane Larkin has taken over since early December to help the defending champions maintain a playoff push.
In his last 13 appearances, Larkin is averaging 17.1 points, on 48.7% three-point shooting. He is also having 5.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and a 22.3 PIR per game. Anadolu Efes currently is ninth in the standings at 12-12.
Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona
Nikola Mirotic has been the main reason for FC Barcelona’s dominance in the regular season so far.
The superstar forward is the top scorer in the EuroLeague (16.8) and is second in PIR (20.2). He also has career-high numbers in three-point and two-point shooting, with 46.9% and 64.9%, respectively.
Thanks to Mirotic’s excellent and consistent performance, FC Barcelona is on top of the table, at 20-5.
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball
Walter Tavares, Real Madrid
A two-time Best Defender and two-time All-EuroLeague center, Walter Tavares has been dominant on both ends for Real adrid.
In just 24 minutes on th floor, he has the best PIR in the EuroLeague (20.7). He has also finished 21 of the 22 games he has played with double-digit PIRs.
Tavares is averaging a career-high 12.5 points (75.7% shooting), 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.
Real Madrid and FC Barcelona share the top spot (20-5), but the Catalans have the tie breaker.
Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus
Olympiacos is fighting for his return to the EuroLeague playoffs for the first time since 2018. The “Reds” are currently fourth, at 14-9, and Sasha Vezenkov is one of the reasons for that record.
In his seventh EuroLeague season, the 26-year-old forward is the second-best scorer (12.8) and top rebounder (5.7) of Olympiacos. Aside from his career-high numbers in scoring and rebounding, he also leads the team in minutes played (29).
His all-around performance has helped Olympiacos enter the most crucial part of the regular season as a top four contender.
Mike James, AS Monaco
Despite his ups and downs in the season so far, Mike James has been the best player of Monaco roster.
He is fifth in scoring (15.7) and second in assists in the EuroLeague (5.9). The American guard has been unstoppable since Round 15, averaging 18.2 points (40% in three-pointers) and 7.5 assists.
As a result, Monaco has got back to the playoff race and is 11th at 12-13, chasing Fenerbahce for the final playoff spot.
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball
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