Euroleague playoffs 2017: Quarterfinal preview

(1) Real Madrid vs. (8) Darussafaka Dogus

Game Days: April 19, April 21 at Real Madrid; April 26, April 28 at Darussafaka; May 2 at Real Madrid

Game Times: Games at Real Madrid start at 4 p.m. EST. Games at Darussafaka start at 1:30 p.m. EST.

5 Real Madrid players to watch: G Sergio Llull; C Gustavo Ayon; G Luka Doncic; F Anthony Randolph; G Rudy Fernandez

5 Darussafaka players to watch: G Brad Wanamaker; F Will Clyburn; C Ante Zizic; F James Anderson; F Dairis Bertans

Real Madrid enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, boasting a 23-7 record on the back of that dominant run through the second half of the season. The 2015 champions have one of Europe’s deepest rosters, with an even assortment of crafty guards and stretchy, athletic bigs that present mismatches for more traditional European rosters. Doncic has filled in right where Sergio Rodriguez left off before joining the 76ers last summer, averaging 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, and giving Madrid their potent two-ball handler lineups that help free Llull to fully utilize his versatile scoring chops. Former Warrior Anthony Randolph and former Hawk Othello Hunter add a powerful pick-and-roll finishing aspect to the offense, while shooters like former Utah State guard Jaycee Carroll and Lithuanian Jonas Maciulis dot the perimeter around the attack.

Darussafaka, meanwhile, follows the same M.O. as David Blatt’s Cavs teams. Built around isolation scoring from a versatile swing man (Iowa State alum Clyburn) and a solid scoring guard (Wanamaker), Dacka rarely turns the ball over and relies on their athleticism and one-on-one ability to generate offense and dictate tempo. Zizic offers rim protection and relentless offensive rebounding, and the team is athletic enough to hold its own on defense. But the lack of creativity burned them late in the season, and is their biggest drawback, just like the 2014-2015 Cavs.

Dacka is going to have problems with Real Madrid’s style of play in this series. A one-on-one offense is going to struggle mightily with the length and tenacity of Real Madrid’s defense, and Dacka did just that in a 101-83 loss to Madrid in February, when they shot just 39.4 percent from the field. Madrid can throw multiple defenders at Wanamaker — Llull, Dontaye Draper, or former Hornet Jeff Taylor, and their bigs defend well in space, helping Madrid switch the simple actions Dacka runs to get their scorers looks. The opposite isn’t really true for Dacka, who may struggle to defend the two-initiator lineups if Scottie Wilbekin isn’t on the floor. Defensive depth isn’t a strong suit for this team, and they’re best suited to deal with strong wing initiators like Bogdan Bogdanovic, rather than a pick-and-roll-centric offense like Real Madrid likes to run.

So how does Dacka chip at Madrid? It probably comes down to Zizic and the scorers. It’s overly simplistic, but Blatt’s squad can be infuriating to play if Wanamaker and Clyburn are hot, because your defensive pressure just doesn’t matter if they’re hitting the shots you want them taking. Zizic’s energy, meanwhile, simply has to match Randolph and Hunter, and he has to do a good job in minutes against the bruising Ayon in the post, too. If he’s not on his game, the combo of Adrian Moerman and Bertans just isn’t strong enough to have success against Madrid’s carnivores down low.

Prediction: Real Madrid in three. This is a horrible matchup for Dacka, who did us all a disservice by edging the much more dangerous Crvena Zvezda out of this spot. They’ll probably have moments against the favorites, but they don’t have enough diversity on either end to compete with Madrid’s well-rounded roster.