Zalgiris Kaunas - Panathinaikos

I think that Barca, who are in excellent shape, will finally be able to fulfill their potential as they say. Fener also looks great and I believe that they will dominate in the Turkish league. Their loss was just a fluke, as they have been displaying championship form for some time now, winning 7 out of their last 8 games, with only one loss against PAO. Barca will not only be without Shengelia, but also without Clyburn, who will be missing from their lineup. I believe it will be difficult for them to face Fener's defense, especially without their second leader on the court. However, playing away, Fener always has an advantage.

It seems that Zalgiris had a conversation after a tragic game at home and made changes that were clearly felt in their offense. A faster basketball, creating more opportunities for creativity, may have been the problem that hindered some players' individual performances. But two games in a row with high scoring results. An opponent is coming who focuses more on offense than defense, so as long as Zalgiris sticks to their offensive style, it should not change even against the Greeks.

It seems that Zalgiris had a conversation after the tragic game at home and made changes that were clearly felt in their offense. A faster basketball, allowing for more creativity, may have been the problem that caused some players to focus on their individual performances. But two high-scoring games in a row. The opponent coming in is more focused on offense than defense, so as long as Zalgiris can keep up their offensive momentum, their style shouldn't change even against the Greeks. In my opinion, it's a 50/50 game, but in recent seasons, even with a weaker team, Zalgiris would win at home against PAO.

It seems that Faried is struggling here, at least by looking at his career in PAO where he has been consistently averaging almost 10 points per Euroleague game this season. Out of the 8 games played, he has scored 6 points total. Against Zalgiris, I think he will be utilized, as a significant part of Pao's tall players have been injured this season, causing trouble for Zalgiris. I believe that in pick and roll situations, PAO will try to fully utilize this player, and against weaker opposing centers, I think Faried will score at least 8 points.

Every scorer is a little scratch, played quite well against the partisans, Masiulis always gives him a chance to play and I expect him to score over, so the motivation fire will not take long if he plays 15-20 minutes, 7 points is an easy target for him.

It's a big challenge for Žalgiris today, but although Pao had some good games, I don't believe in Nunn's consistency this season. I think today's game will be poor again, maybe with some points and interceptions, but there will be a lot of mistakes and missed shots trying to play against Francisco, who is currently a better player and knows it. The home court advantage should work in favor today, and with Nunn's poor form, which also damages the team's atmosphere, I believe Žalgiris should take home a Christmas present.

Green Peru has been playing very effectively in the last couple of games, which is not natural for them, but they were lucky with their weaker opponents. Here the opponent is in good form, so it would not be wise to rush headlessly. Both teams have ball-dominant leaders, and without them, the score does not increase quickly. Green team should have a defensive plan, and with the return of their key players, they should add more physicality. Pao also has pit bulls in all positions, who will replace Sloukas in the bigger minutes. I am expecting a more physical game.

Slouka should not be replaced, but rather bigger players such as Grant or Kalaitzakis who are focused on defense should be. We will need to slow down the green defenders, as TJ is not oriented towards them. I think that we can eliminate Green by attacking him or risking it with him. Ataman doesn't have a lot of patience with him yet and can easily bench him.

The Žalgiris team is very unstable and weakened. Poor form and gameplay make it appear that Pao is much stronger than the team. Despite the good form of the Greeks, and even though Sloukas will not be playing, Pao's playing style is similar to Žalgiris, but it must be acknowledged that it will be almost impossible to beat Pao.

It's just illogical handicap between two Spanish teams who know each other well. Basques fit for Valencia team's playing style, they love fast basketball and lots of 3 points, and with players like Howard or Cabarrot in their roster, they have the opportunity to compete against anyone. Valencia, after a solid start, experienced two consecutive losses. Even though the team usually achieved a advantage, most of the time it was only up to a double-digit lead. Basques haven't been having much success lately either.

Young, tall center, plays quite a lot, ~23 minutes per game, average 4 points, so I think the total will be Peru, in my opinion it will be productive and the fact that it's a fast-paced game, the limit of 3.5 should be easily overcome.

Radzevičius plays many minutes and will definitely get a lot here. The Baskai need a player like him, especially when Sedekerskis is out. There aren't many shots when the Baskai have so many dominant players, but he will certainly find his own shot or free himself from the corner.

Baskai are in good form, but there are not enough people, the trauma situation is unclear and the schedule is very intense. Valencia has had 2 losses, with a wide rotation that can wash away any significant difference. The Baskai may not be able to withstand the intensity, as Valencia has answers even to periods that are equivalent to the LCS and Howard's dominance.