EuroLeague power rankings, season preview and predictions for the 2023-24 season

EuroLeague Power Rankings and EuroLeague Betting Odds — D Tier (Play-in would be surprising): Alba Berlin, Virtus Bologna, LDLC ASVEL Villerbeuane, Baskonia

ALBA Berlin

Odds to Win Championship (via DraftKings): 25,000/1

Prediction: 18th

ALBA Berlin made some good moves this summer. Bringing in Sterling Brown from the NBA, Matt Thomas from Panathinaikos, Matteo Spagnolo from Trento, and Justin Bean from the G-League were all good moves. 

But, it’s not enough. This team finished 16th last season and has not done much besides replacing players they lost, such as Luke Sikma and Maodo Lo. They simply do not have the top-end talent to compete with the teams who are making a clear push toward the Final Four. This team does not have an elite point guard who can get the most out of Thomas, Brown, Johannes Thiemann, and others. 

Instead, through their two opening games in the Bundesliga in Germany, they have relied on Brown and Thomas to run pick and rolls themselves. It has worked domestically, but in the EuroLeague, we are doubtful of this offense leading to wins. Himar Ojeda has done a great job over the years setting the organization up for long-term success, but he’s yet to find a EuroLeague breakthrough.

Virtus Bologna

Odds to Win Championship (via DraftKings): 6,500/1

Prediction: 17th

Maybe we’ll regret this one, but odds are we’ll regret a lot of our predictions here so who cares? Look, changing coaches less than a month before the season begins is not going to set you up for success. No disrespect to Luca Banchi, he’s a fantastic coach, but the run he led Latvia on at this summer’s FIBA World Cup was the culmination of over two years of groundwork he laid with the program. Rome was not built in a day, and Bologna’s return to the top of EuroLeague basketball will certainly take more than one month. 

This roster has issues, too. A reminder that Banchi was brought in because previous head coach Sergio Scariolo publicly voiced frustration with the team's budget twice during the summer. Milos Teodosic, Nico Mannion, Semi Ojeleye, and others departed. They have made good signings — Ognjen Dobric and Jaleen Smith provide much-needed floor spacing, Bryant Dunston brings rim protection and championship pedigree, and Achille Polonara is Italian and a versatile forward. It makes sense and could be enough to win the Lega A championship in Italy, but it’s hard to see a world where they play .500 basketball (good enough for 10th, the final play-in spot, last season) against the best of the best in Europe. 

Their best player is Tornike Shengelia, and he will be their primary option on offense. Shengelia is good, no denying that. But he has never been the best player on a clearly above-average EuroLeague team. He needs someone else, and Bologna doesn’t have it. There’s not a consistent perimeter breakdown player on this team, meaning they’ll likely get killed in crunch time. 

Banchi will need time, and eventually more resources, to build a real continental contender in Bologna. If they were expecting anything else, they’ll likely be disappointed. 

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

Odds to Win Championship (via DraftKings): 20,000/1

Prediction: 16th

The Tony Parker-owned club coached by his brother, TJ Parker, will likely be bad but they will be fun. Even at 36 years old, Nando De Colo is still one of the best guards in EuroLeague. He’s a master of the pick-and-roll, an incredibly gifted shooter, and an excellent passer. When he is on the floor, this team looks good enough for the playoffs at times. When he’s not, they look like a EuroCup team at best. And at 36, De Colo can’t carry a EuroLeague offense the way they need him to. 

But, this squad is going to be fun. They added Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Jackson, Paris Lee, former Philadelphia 76er Mike Scott, and others this off-season. They are trying to build a team capable of competing for the EuroLeague playoffs, but still coming up short. 

Baskonia

Odds to Win Championship (via DraftKings): 5,000/1

Prediction: 15th

This is probably the hottest take so far, but let’s look at the reality of head coach Joan Peñarroya’s club. They were near the top of EuroLeague in late January of last season, led by their three point guards: Markus Howard, Pierria Henry, and Darius Thompson. Henry then had doping issues and had his contract terminated, they went 7-7 in their last 14 EuroLeague games after that. They had some bad losses in there too, including to Milano and Bologna who were both a mess last season. 

This summer, Thompson left for Anadolu Efes Istanbul. They also let Daulton Hommes and Rokas Giedraitis depart. New faces have arrived such as Nico Mannion, Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Chima Moneke, and Codi Miller-McIntyre. 

Mannion is not a replacement for Thompson — or Henry for that matter — not even close. He is, to be blunt, not good enough to be the number-one point guard for a EuroLeague/Liga ACB team. He was only in the 61st percentile as a pick-and-roll ballhandler for Bologna last season per Synergy Sports. Thompson was in the 70th.  

In Baskonia’s loss to UCAM Murcia in Liga ACB play in their second game of the season, Mannion looked overwhelmed and unprepared for the level of play. In 14 minutes he shot 1-of-5 from the field and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1-3. Sure, it could’ve been a bad day, but he didn’t have a lot of good days for Bologna last season. That would make us feel okay shrugging this one off, but he got played off the court. 

Additionally, while we are excited about Rogkavopoulos’ future as a EuroLeague scoring wing after he scored 15.5 points per game for Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli Basket last season he’s not going to walk in and replicate what Hommes AND Giedraitis did for this team last season. Baskonia’s replacements were cheap this summer, and they are going to pay the price for it.