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2017 Eurocup Playoff Preview: Who gets in to Euroleague?

By Trevor Magnotti

Dec 10, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Sergey Karasev (10) goes to the basket against Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) during the first half of their NBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Sergey Karasev (10) goes to the basket against Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) during the first half of their NBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Amare' Stoudemire (1) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thomspon (13) at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Amare’ Stoudemire (1) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thomspon (13) at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

Hapoel Jerusalem vs. Herbalife Gran Canaria – NBA Past vs. Future

Game Times: Feb. 28: 1:15PM; Mar. 3: 1:30PM; Mar. 8: 1:15PM

Best Ways to Follow: Much like Bayern/Malaga, Twitter, particularly the #VamosGranca tag, is probably your best bet for updates, as live streams are hard to come by.

This matchup is going to be the toughest on the players travel-wise, as they’ll move between Jerusalem and some island time in Las Palmas, Spain. It should be entertaining, though, regardless. Gran Canaria looked like the de facto title favorite in the regular season, blitzing Group A for a 7-1 record. But they ran into injuries in the Top 16, and ended up losing the group to Lokomotiv. Meanwhile, Jerusalem, led by Amar’e Stoudemire, rebounded from an inconsistent showing in Group D to win Group G with a 5-1 Top 16 record, the lone loss coming at Zenit St. Petersburg.

The main matchup to watch here comes in the low post, with the most interesting one-on-one battle of the quarterfinals for NBA fans. Stoudemire will have his hands full, as we will get to see 2017 NBA Draft prospect Anzejs Pasecniks throw down with him under the basket. This matchup will be an excellent gauge of where Pasecniks is at from an NBA perspective. Amar’e is still a borderline NBA-level player on offense, and he’s proven to be an excellent offensive rebounder and post player for Jerusalem. How the lighter and more mobile Pasecniks is able to hold up strength-wise against Amar’e in these possessions will be very interesting. Richard Hendrix and former NBA player Ryan Hollins are available as more traditional bigs, so it’s not doomsday if Pasecniks can’t handle Stoudemire or Lior Eliyahu. Regardless, he should find offensive success against Amar’e, because Stoudemire hasn’t exactly gotten more mobile since leaving the NBA.

This is also a star-studded matchup in the backcourt, and at least one game will swing on an explosion from three, as Jerusalem shoots 38.7 percent from deep in Euroleague, and Gran Canaria is right behind at 37.7 percent. Gran Canaria’s Kyle Kuric is the primary flamethrower, hitting 52.9 percent from three, while former Baylor guard Curtis Jerrells can sling at a 45 percent clip for Hapoel. Both teams also feature excellent attacking guards, as Bo McCalebb and Jerrells can each provide some excellent penetration to create opportunities for their teammates. Canaria’s been the better defensive team this year, with Pasecniks and Hendrix protecting the rim, and defensive ace Pablo Aguilar sitting on the wing. We will see if that defensive help is enough to corral Jerrells.

Prediction: Gran Canaria in three. Both teams have solid home court atmospheres, which could give Jerusalem an advantage in a deciding game. But Canaria’s depth and athleticism is stronger, and Jerusalem’s defense has too many holes to consistently thwart a strong Canaria attack.

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