PURPOSE OF THE ANALYSIS
The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the relations between assist-men and scorers for each team. We create an Assist network, a graphical representation that allows to see the most exploited connection between passer and receiver. It also allows to understand which player is the “playmaking hub” for his team. The Assist network defines a set of arrows that works as follows:
the point where the arrow starts (tail) is the assistman, the point where the arrow ends (head) is the receiver that benefits from the assist. A darker arrow, in terms of color, represents a good combination between two players; for instance the red arrow coincides with the best pair of palyers in a team. This graph is useful to set up specific plays for two players in which the interaction is significant and to create lineups that contain a combination for example of playmaker+shooter+center in which the arrows are red or dark blue. Furthermore, it can be useful for opposing teams that can build their defensive game plan, aimed to limit a connection between two specific players that emerges from the graph.
We will show below the assist network graph for each team sorted by itsposition on the standings after the first 8 games of the Euroleague regular season.
ARMANI EXCHANGE MILAN (7 win - 1 lost)
The pick and roll action between Sergio Rodriguez and Kyle Hines is one of the most effective play we have ever seen on a basketball court because it combines two of the best basketball IQs in the history of the modern EuroLeague.
That pick & roll action allows Hines to conclude at the basket from an assist by èl chaco, or to kick out the ball to an open shooter exploiting Kyle’s playmaking abilities; in fact he is the third asist man of the team.
In general every arrow that starts from Rodriguez is dark, meaning that he involves all players of the teams into a game action (in particular Hines, Shields, Mitoglou and Datome). Even if he is not a classical point guard, Shields is the second playmaker of the team along with Hines.
OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS (6 win - 2 lost)
The playmaking duties of the team are splitted in the trio Walkup, Sloukas and Dorsey who are playing an incredible season.
The most significant interactions are between Sloukas and Jaun-Charles and between Walkup and Vezenkov/Papanikolau.
FC BARCELONA (6 win - 2 lost)
Without any surprise, here the playmaking hub of the team is the 2nd all time assist leader in the history of the EuroLeague Nick Calathes. Calathes' favourite destinations for his assists are mainly Mirotic and Davies but also Sanli, the sharp shooter Kuric and Higgins.
REAL MADRID (6 win - 2 lost)
What emerges from Real Madrid’s assist network, knowing the talent of their backcourt, is somehow unexpected: you would expect more balance, but there is a clear dominance of Thomas Heurtel that has created 40 points more than any other player with his assists so far.
Heurtel is integrated perfectly in Pablo Laso style of playing and he is a great pick up for Real Madrid.
Interesting interactions are between Heurtel and Tavares/Yabusele and between Yabusele and Tavares: all arrows of the team converge to the big man Eddie.
MACCABI PLAYTIKA TEL AVIV (6 win - 2 lost)
Wilbekin is the main shot creator for Maccabi and his favourite destinations for his assists are Reynolds Nunnaly and Williams.
Differently from the previous teams, here there is a connection between two big men, Reynolds (passer) and Williams.
LDLC ASVEL VILLEURBANNE (6 win - 2 lost)
Asvel is for sure the biggest surprise of the EuroLeague so far, carried by Chris Jones and Elie Okobo who are playing an elite level of basketball.
Those two players are a perfect combo; in fact there is a kind of one-on-one relationship in terms of assists.
Most of the team assists are made by Okobo and his favourite destinations are Jones, Antetokounmpo, Osetkowski, and Gist.
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG (5 win - 3 lost)
As long as Zenit waits for Shabazz Napier to return, the team's playmaking duties are splitted between Loyd and Ponitka, who is not a point-guard but is an elite passer and a secondary ball handler.
Significant connections are between Loyd with Gudaitis/Mickey/Frankamp but also between Ponitka with all Zenit’s players except for Loyd.
Surprisingly, only a few arrows end to Billy Baron, one of the premiere shooters of the competition.
AS MONACO (4 win - 4 lost)
Monaco is Mike James’ team: most of the times he manages the ball and he is responsible for most of the team assists. In particular, the assists are directed to Hall (James-Hall is maybe the most spectacular duo of the EL), Thomas, Andjusic, Diallo. Mike James is the player that has created more points (93) with his assists in the competition. As we can see, the majority of the team's assists converge to Hall.
CSKA MOSCOW (4 win - 4 lost)
The graph for CSKA is not clear who is the designated playmaking hub, since most of the assits are splited between some point guards such as Shved, Lundberg and Hackett plus Voigtmann.
Regarding CSKA, there is a big-to-big connection between Voigtamann (passer) and Shengeila.
FENERBAHCE BEKO ISTANBUL (3 win - 5 lost)
The leading assist man of the team is surprisingly Henry and not De Colo.
Interesting is the one-on-one relationship between Decolo-Vesely that trades assists between each other.
In general most of the team’s assists converge either to Vesely or to Booker.
CRVENA ZVEZDA MTS BELGRADE (3 win - 5 lost)
As you can see in one of the latest publication that we published
( https://twitter.com/data_basket/status/1457367522970324998?s=20 )
Nate Wolters is the most efficient player of the EuroLeague in terms of OE (offensive efficiency) among high usage players.
Indeed, Wolters is the playmaking hub of the team. Specifically, he dishes assists to Kalinic but also to Dobric and Kuzmic.
FC BAYERN MUNICH (3 win - 5 lost)
The real problem for Bayern is that nobody has been filling the hole left by Baldwin so far. Last year Baldwin was a shot creator, a scorer and a tireless on ball defender.
Hillard is becoming an elite scorer but he is not the type of guy that involves his teammates. As a result, Bayern’s best connection with no more than 6 assists is between Rubit (passer, who is not even a point guard) and Walden.
ALBA BERLIN (3 win - 5 lost)
After a couple of years in the EL, it’s strange that Luka Sikma has not found a roster spot on a contender team yet. Indeed, he has an outstanding basketball IQ and he can do whatever he wants on the court: scoring in the paint, shooting, involving his teammates. He is the main playmaker of the team and he has created 87 points with his assists (3rd in the EL) till now.
Significant connections are between Sikma and DaSilva,LO and DaSilva and Smith and DaSilva. It is also necessary to highlight the one-on-one relationship between Lo and Sikma that trades assists between each other.
UNICS KAZAN (3 win - 5 lost)
After one year at Fenerbache playing below his standard, Lorenzo Brown is coming back. Brown involves most of his teammates and in particular Hezonja and the crazy shooter Canaan, but also Vorontsevich,Zaitcev and Jekiri.
Spissu is adapting his game to the highest level of European basketball and he is the second leading assist man of the team thanks to a good connection with Canaan, Vorontsevich, Jekiri, and the former Brindisi Brown.
BITCI BASKONIA VITORIA-GASTEIZ (3 win - 5 lost)
After Baskonia signed Baldwin this off-season, everybody expected a giant leap toward the premiere teams of the competition. However things are not going in this direct yet. Baldwin is not the floor general that he was at Bayern and he is not the leader of the team. Instead Granger is filling that role and he's playing a solid veteran season (2nd in points created with his assists).
The interesting connections are between Granger and Fontecchio/Nnoko/enoch and between Baldwin and Fontecchio.
ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL (2 win - 6 lost)
The most disappointing team so far, maybe because of the championship hangover. But we will see.
The connection between Larkin and Petrusev works as well as the ones with Larkin and Pleiss and Beaubois. EL 2021 mvp Micic is not establishing any significant interaction and this is quite surprising.
PANATHINAIKOS OPAP ATHENS (2 win - 6 lost)
The leading assist man of the team is Perry with 53 points created, nothing compared to the leading assist man of the other teams.
Playmaking ability of Pana’s point-guards is one of the biggest concerns of the Greens that wins games only when Macon explodes and puts on a show.
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS (0 win - 8 lost)
Zalgiris 0-8 start is strongly correlated with Mudiay's struggles.
Everybody expected him to be the “crack” for this season; instead he has already left Zalgiris.
Kalnietis is establishing connections with Nebo, Cavanough and Milaknis.
Most of the team’s assists converge either to Nebo or to the sharp shooter Milaknis.
TOP 15 PLAYERS IN TERMS OF POINT CREATED WITH THEIR ASSISTS
AUTHOR: Tommaso Del Prete
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