The mental limit is almost invariably misunderstood. Ergin Ataman is a walking demonstration of this. Considering all he has won and lost, it’s remarkable how significant one single series might be. His Panathinaikos side takes on Valencia in the Euroleague playoffs with the Turkish head coach as the centrepiece of the affair.

I’ve got a friend called Kevin who I routinely have to remind that the most irrational thing he does is assuming rationality on the part of others. While accurate, by and large, it condenses the wider issue. We view the human experience through our own eyes above all else. We rationalise based on how we understand logical and illogical behaviour.

Ergin Ataman is a walking example of how foolish we are to limit our viewpoint. His explosive reactions, be they to insults from the stands or questions about his performance, get interpreted as the signs of someone near breaking point. Likewise his seemingly outlandish statements can be viewed as him grasping for excuses. That’s because, for most of us, that’s how we’ve conditioned ourselves to view such behaviour.

These actions from the Panathinaikos head coach are more likely to show him consciously present in his work than falling apart. It’s for the same reason that those that make the final big table at the World Series of Poker are often regulars. Every behaviour, even if emotionally driven, is based on a series of reliable actions that have brought him success before.

Against Valencia, in the Euroleague playoffs, we find out just how much that formula still works. His boss has gone to extremes in all directions with statements about him through their three seasons together. Ataman’s team has seemed on a similar path through this campaign. Can he bring it all together against an opponent that offers cold consistency as a counter?

The road has been ridiculous

Considering the budget, this has been an awful season for Panathinaikos. With what the Greens spend, anything less than home court in the Euroleague playoffs should come as a shock. That they had to go through the play-in feels ignominious.

Yet there’s more. Greek league defeats to Iraklis and Kolossos Rodou. Yet another year where their Euroleague losing streak to Olympiacos continued. A full season without more than two consecutive wins in the competition irrespective of the opponent.

Yet, as his side gets ready to face Valencia, Ergin Ataman can still win the treble. The one win they have over Olympiacos this season secured the Greek Cup. PAO will be favoured to make the Greek finals. The table is set for all the troubles of the season to be swept aside if they can take care of business against Valencia.

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The importance of self-deception

Ergin Ataman’s approach to coaching is, at least outwardly, one prone to tilt. The style can be perceived as one of a gambler that invites risk and needs it at the maximum in order to feel alive. Yet there is another way of looking at it.

It’s entirely possible that the Panathinaikos head coach’s approach is far more built around risk mitigation. If that is not the case then it’s certainly possible that he believes that he is mitigating. When you’ve won as much as Ataman with the road he’s taken to do so, you’ve earned the right to believe in your own rationale.

Even with the perceived mind games around this battle with Valencia in the Euroleague playoffs, there are elements at play. I have no doubt that Ergin Ataman believes he was just saying nice things about Pedro Martinez. Yet Martinez and Valencia are still wary because of the psychological game. Whether or not the compliments are sincere, Ataman’s reputation for mind games was enough to garner a reaction.

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So now it’s all about basketball

Take an emotionally expressive coach in Ergin Ataman. Add an emotionally expressive owner in Dimitrios Giannakopoulos. Throw in a fanbase that expects total domination and mix it all up with an odd season.

You get the current situation with Panathinaikos. Ataman’s job is either dependent on beating Valencia in the Euroleague playoffs or is safe irrespective of the result. Many people are confident of how to gauge the mood but even the wisest of them should feel doubt.

That Pedro Martinez has got a team that is so normal by comparison only adds to the illustration. Chaos demands a fight with convention even though the latter just wants to go about its business. Chaos needs to define the mood and tempo. Ataman is the chaos and he needs Valencia to be consumed by it.

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Increasingly‚ fans spend their money through digital entertainment pages․ Non Gamstop games dorsetexplored.co.uk have since formed part of that picture for users who wish to access outside the regulations of the native platforms․ So it’s important to understand how that fits into the bigger 2026 spending picture.

What NBA Athletes Are Doing with Their Money

Basketball had long bred rich players․ What is different is where that wealth goes․ Many NBA players have been closely involved with blockchain projects‚ which have been considered disruptive to finance․

Tristan Thompson became an investor in Basketball․fun‚ an NBA prediction webpage based on blockchain technology․ LeBron James has historically owned equity stakes in media and food companies․

Generally, the average NBA rookie salary is about $8 million. At that level‚ everything that happens afterward is determined in your twenties․ While some players may be attracted to casino non GamStop sites for entertainment‚ larger amounts are being spent on ownership stakes‚ media rights, and digital assets․

An angel investor in Google‚ Shaquille O’Neal has made several multi-million-dollar returns‚ and has also partial or franchise ownership of most of the businesses he has invested in․ As has been the case through many generations‚ athletes who treat their platform as a business asset will outlast those who treat it as income․

How Fan Spending Has Shifted in 2026

The fan side is typically quite different, though. American sports gamblers reported an average of $3‚284 spent in the past 12 months, and the main reason for starting to gamble on sports, 65% reported, is to make money․

As of April 2026‚ 27% of Americans have an account with an online sportsbook‚ up from 22% of Americans in 2025 and 19% in 2024․ The habit is mobilising faster than legislation can keep pace․
A portion of this audience plays on casino non GamStop websites that evade self-exclusion programs․ They are licensed in Malta‚ Curaçao, and Gibraltar․

For those who have access to UK sites or are looking for a way around these more strict requirements. Casino non GamStop sites have become a recognisable part of the entertainment budget․
Crypto Is Reshaping How Both Groups Transact

The financial tool connecting athletes and fans most directly is cryptocurrency․ Legal NBA betting reached $142 billion in 2024‚ and the portion that is cryptocurrency is expected to grow rapidly as fans seek fast‚ secure, and anonymous ways to bet․

Other NBA players had portions of their salaries paid in Bitcoin․ The Dallas Mavericks began accepting cryptocurrency for game tickets as early as 2019․

Casino non GamStop operators have responded by adding Bitcoin‚ Ethereum, and a range of stablecoins as standard payment options․ Bitcoin made up over 72% of all crypto gambling in 2023, and interest in crypto betting sites quadrupled between 2019 and 2021․

The infrastructure is more mature‚ transactions are faster and cheaper‚ and more places are accepting crypto as a first-class citizen rather than a palatable add-on․

What Regulation Is, and Is Not, Changing

Casino non GamStop operations may be subject to different regulatory frameworks depending on their jurisdiction․ Some mechanics were outright banned in Belgium, and the Netherlands․

GamStop itself is a voluntary self-exclusion scheme in the UK‚ and sites not affiliated with it are legal‚ but not licensed by the UK gambling regulator UKGC․ This puts more responsibility on users themselves․

In 2025‚ spending by sports betting advertisers on television was down 9% from 2024 and about half of its 2021 peak․ One indicator of success has been that these gamblers have become habitual without advertisers’ assistance․

A rising share of bettors say they have felt they bet more than they should: 42% in 2026‚ up from 37% the previous year․ At the same time that general awareness and access have increased‚ the need for individual discipline has also increased․

Conclusion

Athletes and fans are spending more intentionally in 2026‚ but what that looks like is very different depending on which side of the financial divide you’re on․ Casino non GamStop sites are one type of leisure spending going increasingly to online forms of entertainment․ So whether it’s athletes creating equity stakes or fans calculating how much they’ll spend betting during a season‚ money in sport flows faster‚ through more channels‚ with fewer barriers in the way․

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A roster cut to ribbons. Their star, Mike James, announced his departure the morning of the game. The future beyond this summer is uncertain at best. Yet AS Monaco not only refused to bow but looked commanding at times on Friday. FC Barcelona found out the hard way that there is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal as the Roca Team advanced to the Euroleague playoffs.

There on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

AS Monaco showed up with only 10 players dressed for this game. One of them, Mike James, had confirmed earlier on Friday what was already long expected. This was his last season in Fontvieille.

James and the rest of his colleagues knew that 3,700 people were counting on them. They did not disappoint. Even a mighty fightback by FC Barcelona wasn’t enough to deny them a place in the Euroleague playoffs.

The Natural came to play

Anyone questioning the commitment of Mike James had their fears put to rest quickly. His first make under pressure, 3 minutes into the game, showed that he had a point to prove. Midway through the frame, he made a three under even heavier pressure.

Yet the early going was oddly calm. The opening 5 minutes saw the teams commit just 3 fouls between them. The tension that might be expected from a Euroleague elimination game simply wasn’t there yet.

The energy truly kicked in after the first media timeout. The 3,700 fans inside knew this may be their last big one at home in Euroleague for some time. They were determined to keep the dream alive. FC Barcelona felt that on the scoreboard, trailing by 12 after 10 minutes.

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Terry and Mike

This column isn’t the first time I’ve given a game the Dylan Thomas treatment. It is the most surprised I’ve been by one of the sources of inspiration. Mike James, who turned creator for the bulk of the remainder, brought in the star of the second quarter for AS Monaco.

A steal by James led to a fast break that culminated in a well-worked team move for a Terry Tarpey three. Tarpey had been out of action of late so his explosive arrival caught people off guard.

That was especially true for the next James to Tarpey play. A steal by the Natural was hurled at Tarpey who finished off with a big dunk. Tarpey would add another tip-in score in the quarter to complete his night’s work. It was a short night’s work but a stint that went a long way towards punching his side’s Euroleague playoffs ticket.

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Surviving the surge

Considering they led 49-35 at the half, thanks to another Mike James dime (this time to Daniel Theis) at the buzzer, you’d be forgiven for thinking AS Monaco were home and hosed.

Xavi Pascual was awfully calm in his pre-restart interview and you could see why quickly. FC Barcelona went on a tear and managed to cut the deficit all the way down to 5 points before the Roca Team woke up.

Once more, it was Mike James who was on hand to remove any doubt. With his side up by 6 with 2.22 to play, he found Jaron Blossomgame in the right corner. That three was sufficient to keep the Blaugrana at bay. AS Monaco, once again, are in the Euroleague playoffs.

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It’s only a few short days since I proclaimed the Minnesota Timberwolves wouldn’t be hanging around long in the NBA Playoffs. Rudy Gobert gave me reason to rethink that in a devastatingly impressive display against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

If you’re feeling generous, I shouldn’t take the L just yet. The Denver Nuggets could well end up winning this series in 6 games. Even if they do, I was wrong about the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Rudy Gobert showed me why in Game 3. The French stud had about as balanced a performance as could have been asked for. It was pivotal towards them earning a statement win in the NBA Playoffs.

Seeing the picture in context

From the get go, Rudy Gobert was visibly calm yet hyper focused on this game. He knew how to dial it up at just the right time and was in tune throughout. The most visible example came very early in this encounter.

With 8.45 still left in the first quarter, he patiently moved in the paint with Nikola Jokic. The Minnesota Timberwolves big man bided his time. He let Jokic be the aggressor but on Gobert’s tempo. That led to a relatively straightforward block to close out a solid defensive play.

The block a few minutes later on Christian Braun had a more visible spark to it. Still, on the rewatch, you could see the same elements of calm before pulling the trigger. Gobert was about to see the whole floor in context and work out his ideal way to navigate it. It’s a form of elite vision that doesn’t appear in the box score.

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Measured intensity

A lot of my early coverage of these NBA Playoffs has been focused on how teams have failed to either get to or remain at the required level for this stage of the season. The Minnesota Timberwolves were the picture perfect definition of what should be done when the games really matter.
What they did to the Denver Nuggets was akin to what they say about slowly boiling a frog. Don’t boil frogs, just trust the apologue. There wasn’t one big move. Those blocks by Rudy Gobert weren’t triggers.

Instead the Timberwolves just kept on raising the intensity gradually. Before they knew it, Nikola Jokic’s passing game had been made irrelevant and the Nuggets were down 50-30 with time left in the first half. With each possession, the Timberwolves stepped up that little bit more.

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And about Rudy’s offensive performance

As with his defensive display, calm and focus were at the heart of what he did. Few plays describe that as much as one score in the third quarter. Nikola Jokic had him one-on-one in the paint.

There was so much motivation to rush or get caught up mentally and hesitate excessively. Instead, as was put so well on commentary there was the twist, the turn, the spin, and the hook for the bucket. Against the best player in the game today in the NBA Playoffs, Rudy Gobert reminded us who he is when he’s his best self.

As I said at the top, a few days ago I had written off the Minnesota Timberwolves because of their failure to capitalise in Game 1. The focus shown across the board in this game has me rethinking that a lot. Game 4 is obviously enormous but repeating this kind of mental performance would go a long way towards the W.

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That was a bowling shoe ugly game and an even worse performance from the Orlando Magic. Their series with the Detroit Pistons was predicted to be the toughest watch of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. After an overachieving Game 1, on the entertainment scale, Game 2 saw Franz Wagner and company bullied off the floor, writes Emmet Ryan.

The Orlando Magic don’t need to entertain to advance in the NBA Playoffs but they certainly need to execute better. Franz Wagner’s woes epitomised the problems they faced in the Game 2 defeat to the Detroit Pistons.

On the upside, they bring the series back to Orlando tied at 1-1 and have stolen home court for now. That benefit won’t matter much if they can’t find a way to stay elevated throughout this series.

Just plain bullied

The early going for Franz Wagner on D was far from pretty. He was routinely forced out of position, most notably by Jalen Duren, and struggled to adapt. This wasn’t even full on bully ball. It was the odd bump and knock that’s the norm in the regular season, never mind the NBA Playoffs.

It’s not like Franz was alone with these issues. Defensively, the Orlando Magic were a touch off the pace throughout. It was only truly exploited by the Detroit Pistons in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Those were, of course, the minutes where the Pistons effectively ended the game as a contest.

Wagner’s second stint on the floor showed improvement on the defensive end and he picked up 4 steals in the game. Unfortunately that’s the outlier. In those crucial minutes at the start of the second half, he looked like a passenger on D. Part of this is health, sure, but there was also an element of focus in play too.

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It really was the shooting

Considering his final tally of 12 points from almost 32 minutes, it’s no shock that Franz Wagner finished with a weak 36.4 per cent shooting. What was a surprise was how much shooting was the core error, both in execution and decision making.

Rewatching the tape this morning, I expected an excellent defensive performance from the Detroit Pistons and sloppy creation by the Orlando Magic. The Pistons sort of hit the first of those but the Magic were actually creating good looks while the game was competitive. It really was the shooting that hurt them above all else.

The worst example came with 9.01 left in the first half. Wendell Carter Jr had the ball at the top of the key. He was guarded and quickly passed to Anthony Black on the left elbow. Black draws in Caris LeVert and passes to Jamal Cain for an open look in the corner. That was great movement. Then Cain opted to attack the already crowded rim. His first step beat Javonte Green but he focused so much on that, he coughed up the ball meekly.

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All too familiar

Injuries played a big role in the Orlando Magic ending up in the play-in. The lack of consistency that came with those naturally compounded that problem. Yet they found a way to make the NBA Playoffs and there’s no room for excuses at this stage of the season.

That includes the battered body of Franz Wagner and all the other guys carrying knocks. This is a winnable series. It may not be all that watchable for the neutral but that doesn’t matter. The locked-in nature of the Game 1 win over the Detroit Pistons needs to be the norm every night.

That lack of focus and ease of being outfought when it came to intensity just won’t cut it. The postseason is a marathon of sprints. I fully expect Orlando to bounce back with aggression in Game 3 but the question is whether they can maintain that through Game 4, Game 5, and whatever else is needed.

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Calling AS Monaco’s future uncertain is like calling me open to an occasional beer. Never mind Euroleague, we don’t know if they’ll even play professionally next season. That makes Friday’s play-in game with FC Barcelona all the more important, writes Emmet Ryan.

Friday. On Friday there is not an AS Monaco baller that shall standalone. Not Friday. On Friday they will face the monsters that are at their door and bring the fight to them. This Friday, AS Monaco have a chance to defer the apocalypse.

With their future in basketball as a whole, not just Euroleague, hanging in the balance, Friday means more than anything. AS Monaco welcome FC Barcelona with the last place in the playoffs at stake. It might well be the last relevant home game the team plays in pan-European competition for quite some time.

Fontevielle, we have a problem

The issues at AS Monaco off the court are well-documented. With extremely limited access to capital, last season’s Euroleague finalists are in a perilous position. The government has come in to shore things up but for how long and to what extent remains a question.

Right now, on the floor, things have stabilised considerably. While they lost the opening play-in to Panathinaikos on the road, it wasn’t like the Monagesque side looked bad. They had issues dealing with the length disadvantage but the overall outlook performance wise isn’t bad.

In all competitions, they have won six of their last seven home games with a French league loss to Asvel stopping the run. That includes taking a 93-86 win over FC Barcelona less than two weeks ago. That win was the difference between getting one and two bites at the cherry in the play-in.

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This is not Banterlona

While FC Barcelona had fallen back to the banter era on the floor over the last couple of years, order has been restored since the return of Xavi Pascual. The veteran head coach has gone back to the fundamentals defensively while still creating room for offensive expression.

Much has been made of the fact that Pascual is 10 for 10 in playoff appearances in Euroleague seasons where he was a head coach. What’s far more relevant now is how the Blaugrana have improved at a steady clip since his return.

It wasn’t a big explosion followed by a let-down. They are not world-beaters right now but they have been improving clearly and have their healthiest roster of the season available for the trip on Friday. AS Monaco will be expecting a serious fight in this one.

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A matter of pride

You look at the roster that AS Monaco has and it has a lot of guys who will relish this fight. Mike James is built for thriving in this kind of madness. The same goes for Jaron Blossomgame, Daniel Theis, Elie Okobo, and Alpha Diallo.

With a shortened roster, due to all of the chaos off the floor, this is a squad that has been able to cultivate a siege mentality. FC Barcelona are coming to their gym to try to end their relevance in Euroleague, in basketball as a whole. Friday night is it. Everything beyond doesn’t matter in the moment.

Not since the run of Siena to the Italian league finals in the year of their crash has there been anything like this. A team with everything collapsing off the floor is keeping it together for one last push at glory. Few, possibly none, will be there next season if there even is a next season. As a group, this is a moment for them. Do not count them out before the final bell.

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Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets fell to a 2-0 deficit in their NBA Playoffs series with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Sengun was far from his best and that was the norm across the board for a sluggish Rockets team, writes Emmet Ryan.

All the criticisms from Houston Rockets fans throughout the season looked justified on Tuesday night. Having lost the opener in the NBA Playoffs series with the Los Angeles Lakers at the weekend, a bit of fire was expected on Tuesday night.

Instead, Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant continued to have chemistry issues while the whole Houston roster appeared a step off the pace.

A difference in sharpness

Perhaps the biggest surprise on Tuesday was how rarely the Lakers were able to make their sharpness count more on the scoreboard. The Houston Rockets looked far from ready for the intensity that everyone in black and purple brought to the floor early in this one.

The biggest surprise in this respect was how Alperen Sengun looked unaware of what he would have to face. The 23 year old moved with all the alacrity of a middle aged man on his day off in the first quarter.

That visible step off led to him being in too many situations where the shot just wasn’t there or his pass could be read. These were soft ways to waste possessions. That’s forgivable in November. By April, in the NBA Playoffs, there’s no excuse.

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The frustrating part

There were points in this game where it was clear that the Houston Rockets have the ability within them to compete. In the second quarter, they looked far more up to speed if not quite at the intensity expected come the NBA Playoffs.

Alperen Sengun had his best spell, at least in terms of using his basketball IQ, during this phase. He was getting that extra inch he needed faster to create a better shot or to find the right pass. Had we seen this from him and the rest of the cast consistently, this would be a rather different column today.

Instead it was a Los Angeles Lakers side, with no Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, that proved sharper. Luke Kennard took on the additional responsibility with ease and Houston had no real answer.

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How has this not be sorted?

Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players to ever suit up kicks. He remains capable of an extraordinarily high level of performance. Alperen Sengun is a fast emerging star with real superstar capability in a well-rounded game. Somehow, after a full season, the Houston Rockets still don’t know how to pair them.

The most visible element of the issue was when a quick step by LeBron James past KD led to an easy dunk, with Sengun completely unaware on help D. That’s just one moment but the bigger problems were at the offensive end.

Sengun and KD still don’t know how to work best off of each other. It’s like an inability to develop chemistry. Yet these are two players with skillsets that should enable easy adaptation. It was frankly irksome to observe. We likely won’t see much more of it this season. Another display like that and it will be a short stay in the NBA Playoffs for Houston.

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The end of Crvena Zvezda’s Euroleague season was limp, directionless, and left a lot of questions for next season. For all the talent on the roster, there was clearly something missing on Tuesday night against FC Barcelona. Their Euroleague season ended on a whimper and Emmet Ryan sees a need to reshape mentally.

Granted, it wasn’t exactly ideal for Crvena Zvezda that Will Clyburn made his first six three point attempts for FC Barcelona. Still, the circumstances that enabled that and, with it, their exit from Euroleague this season merit assessment. There were too few points in this game where this looked like a team aware of what exactly was at stake.

Who’s the boss?

Crvena Zvezda don’t lack leaders. There’s Nikola Kalinic, Chima Moneke, and Codi Miller-McIntyre in their starting rotation alone. All of these guys get the spirit and grit required to contend at this level. What was missing on Tuesday night was someone willing to take charge in the moment rather than defer.

You even could argue that Zvezda had the Catalans beat when it came to culture guys on the floor. What the Blaugrana didn’t lack was men willing to stand up and take charge. First it was Will Clyburn, then Toko Shengelia. Kevin Punter is never shy about showing he’s the boss. Even Willy Hernangomez had moments where he decided it was his time to push it.

The lack of individual drive from Crvena Zvezda in this was concerning. Codi Miller-McIntrye had his moments, sure, but they were fleeting. Throughout this game, and all too many of Zvezda’s Euroleague losses this season, there wasn’t anyone who roared “I got this” with their play when the going got tough.

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This was it

The final score was kind to Crvena Zvezda. It felt awfully similar to their regular season finale at Real Madrid. They kept in reasonable touch on the scoreboard for most of the game. Like that game on Thursday, there was rarely a moment it felt like they could actually win it.

That gave FC Barcelona room to breathe and relax. While the Blaugrana have improved since Xavi Pascual’s return and are only really now at full fitness, they shouldn’t have been given those moments. There was no point during the off times for the Catalans that it felt like the Belgrade club could reel them in.

That meant that when Barcelona went on their final run to close out the quarter, they were able to open up a big gap. At the half, it was 47-33. Surely, with their Euroleague season on the line, a fired up Zvezda was coming out from the locker room? Instead the hosts got two quick scores and the visitors had to spend an early timeout.

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Don’t let the final margin fool you

The final scoreline of 80-72 makes it look like there was a valiant comeback attempt by Crvena Zvezda. This was not a side that went down fighting. There were a few blows here and there but nowhere near the order or energy required to ever get back in the battle.

The nadir was in the middle of the third quarter. There was a wing three made, unguarded, by Tomas Satoransky. The ease with which he got open while facing no D showed the lack of focus from the visitors. This was an elimination game in Euroleague and nobody was hustling to their assignment while trying to mount a comeback.

So, yes, there’s some dignity for Crvena Zvezda in the final scoreline. For the season they looked capable of, that will be of cold comfort. This is a good roster, one that was capable of making the playoffs on paper. On the court, there just wasn’t what was needed to get it done.

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Liga Endesa, the ACB, Spain’s top flight. The focus is usually, and understandably, on the success stories. This season, Europe’s top domestic league might be most interesting at the bottom of the table. Emmet Ryan on the battle for survival between Gran Canaria, Andorra, and San Pablo Burgos.

Three teams, two survive. All of them with identical records with just 7 rounds to go in the season. The ACB has got itself a wild run-in ahead. From teams that have recent European triumphs in view to a principality side with a big new signing. This promises to be an exceptionally tasty run-in for Liga Endesa.

Considering Gran Canaria entered this season with dreams of winning the Basketball Champions League, this has been a disaster of a campaign. They’re the ACB/Liga Endesa equivalent of Tottenham Hotspur right now. Granca failed to even make the playoffs in the BCL after losing to Sir’Jabari Rice’s old team Nymburk in the St Patrick’s Day Miracle. Rice will feature again here as his Andorra side alongside San Pablo Burgos are battling with the islanders to avoid the drop.

The contenders

Spain’s ACB or Liga Endesa has 18 teams with 2 of them getting relegated each season. As it stands, Granada look to be toast with just 4 wins from 27 games. A bit further up the table, in 14th, sit Zaragoza with 9 wins from the same number of games. Their cases are probably settled.

That leaves one more team to go down and three teams trying to avoid being it. Right now, Andorra hold that position on tie-breakers with a 7-20 record. Just above them, and with the same record, are Gran Canaria and San Pablo Burgos.

Gran Canaria have been consistently in the top flight since the 1995/96 season. The islanders were Eurocup runners up a year ago and champions in 2023. San Pablo Burgos have been a touch rockier. While they won the 2020 and 2021 Basketball Champions League title, they spent the past three seasons in the second tier before getting promoted last summer. Then, of course, there’s Andorra.

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The principality calls upon a knight

Andorra has no major titles to its name. The only top tier recognition it can even point was Georgi Shermadini being an All-ACB player in 2017. The club from the Pyrenean principality sitting between Spain and France, has spent 12 of the past 13 seasons in the ACB/Liga Endesa.

It also looked utterly toast until just over a month ago. That was when they signed Sir’Jabari Rice from ERA Nymburk. Since then, they’ve gone 2-5 in league play. Not great but an improvement. Those losses included three competitive performances against Real Madrid (1st), Murcia (3rd), and Baskonia (4th).

Rice is scoring 15 points per game and is 39.3 per cent from deep, while also managing 4.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists. It’s a huge shot in the arm of a team that badly needs it for the run-in.

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How it’s shaping up

Gran Canaria have the worst run in but it’s a tight call. They’re home against Girona (10th) but then have Unicaja Malaga (8th, away), Barcelona (5th, A), Tenerife (6th, H), Lleida (13th, A), Manresa (12th, H), and finish away to Valencia (2nd). If everything breaks right, they go 3-4 but 1-6 is more likely.

San Pablo Burgos also have Manresa (A), Barcelona (A), Lleida (A) and Malaga (A) but they finish with Andorra (A), Joventut (7th, A), and Granada (H). They will be favoured to go at worst 2-5 and 4-3 isn’t unthinkable. Lastly Andorra have Granada away with road trips to Tenerife, Joventut, and Lleida. With home games against Manresa, Burgos, and Barcelona, the road to 3-4 or 4-3 is also there.

Calling it right now is really tough but I’d be most worried for Gran Canaria. No matter the case, if you can watch the run-in for the ACB/Liga Endesa relegation battle you should. It promises to deliver real drama in the final weeks of the regular season.

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In a way, they are a perfect match. Pat Beverley and PAOK have both been waiting a long time to feel confetti dropping on them. With the Thessaloniki club back in the FIBA Europe Cup final, PAOK and Pat Bev have a chance for something special.

One of the most vocal players in basketball has spent the guts of two seasons off the radar for most. Pat Beverley has never been shy about sharing his feelings, despite rarely getting the wins to back them up.

Yet this coming week, and the one after, he has a chance to do something he hasn’t in 15 years; win a trophy. Despite only arriving in December, Pat Bev has been embraced by PAOK fans with open arms. If he guides them to glory in the FIBA Europe Cup final, he’ll be immortalised in Thessaloniki.

Win, leave, return, try to win again

There are two major honours on Pat Beverley’s resume. In 2010, with Olympiacos, he lifted the Greek Cup. A year later with Spartak St Petersburg, he won the Russian Cup. In the same season he was named MVP of Eurocup (the second tier competition in Europe). Then he got picked up by the Houston Rockets and seemed on track to be a NBA lifer.

In the interim, the club he won the Russian Cup with was dissolved, reformed, and then dissolved permanently. That last trophy he won became one he’d be ineligible to win. Long before the sanctions that came with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Cup rules were changed to being only for Russian players.

This is all standard European madness. All the while the club he’s now with, PAOK, was lumbering along. Playing in Greece, where Olympiacos and Panathinaikos have only failed to win the league once (AEK in 2002) this century, it wasn’t like they got all that many chances at glory.

Chaos and consequences

Pat Beverley’s on-court identity has been defined by elite level defensive play, an ability to disrupt the opponent’s flow, and, most of all, his unflinching efforts to gain a psychological edge. That comes with a cost.

On the court, there were altercations with DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul that stand out but it’s what has happened off the court that has made him seem more trouble than he’s worth for NBA teams and the absolute best sides in Europe. The incident where he wouldn’t answer a reporter’s questions because she didn’t subscribe to his podcast was petty.

Then there were his comments ahead of signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2024 before, to put it succinctly, having clear disagreements with head coach Dimitris Itoudis while there. That led to a suspension and his eventual departure. Throw in his eventually dismissed case for alleged assault and there has been a lot of noise following Pat Beverley around in recent times.

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A shot at clarity

PAOK fit two very important criteria when it comes to Patrick Beverley. They can’t, or at least couldn’t, compete financially with Euroleague level clubs for talent so they were more open to players with baggage. The second is that they were bought in December by billionaire metals trader Aristotelis Mistakidis, who immediately set about trying to improve the on-court product.

That led to Pat Bev being signed shortly after the purchase. He was, fiscally speaking, a level above what PAOK or indeed the FIBA Europe Cup have been used to in recent times. Beverley took on a prominent role quickly but not an overused one. His minutes have grown as the campaign has progressed to only really now being at the heavy level.

Mistakidis wants PAOK in Euroleague, which would make them the first Greek side outside of the big two to do so since Maroussi in the 2009/10 season. Beverley has been embraced by PAOK fans, including literally, as they believe he is leading a long awaited resurgence.

PAOK have been smart with how they’ve managed the load on Pat Bev during their FIBA Europe Cup run.
Pic: FIBA

And what a place to do it

Considering the stranglehold that Panathinaikos and Olympiacos have over Greek basketball, you’d be forgiven for thinking fans of other clubs might lose interest. You couldn’t be any more wrong. PAOK fans are wild and their rivalry with fellow Thessaloniki club Aris is lit.

This is a club without a trophy of note to its name since the Greek Cup in 1999 and yet it still has one of the most intense fanbases in Europe. Pat Beverley was hired to help end that drought but he’s more than just a piece on the floor, he’s helping to reshape the club’s identity into a winner again.

Fans feel more connected to players at a club like PAOK. Pat Bev has embraced that on their run through the FIBA Europe Cup. He wasn’t there when they reached the final last year but has been instrumental in their return.

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So, the FIBA Europe Cup you say?

European basketball has no shortage of competitions. The FIBA Europe Cup is the fourth tier pan-continental trophy. At the top there is Euroleague. Then there’s a debate over whether Eurocup or the Basketball Champions League is second. Nobody doubts that the FIBA Europe Cup is fourth.

And it’s wonderful. This year’s final is a rematch of last year. Bilbao aim to become the first team to ever retain the title while PAOK and Pat Beverley will be going all out to stop them. It’s a two-legged final, with the winner determined by the aggregate score over two legs. The first is in Thessaloniki on Wednesday.

For both PAOK and Pat Bev, there’s an element of need here. PAOK will be in the Greek League playoffs but they’re not winning the championship. They might strengthen the roster next year but the gulf between them and the big two means that even the steps they take likely won’t be enough to challenge for trophies domestically.

Pat Beverley, at 37, is near the end of his time on the floor. This is a rare chance at this stage of his career to be the difference. He can end his personal wait for glory and go down as a legend in a basketball mad city. If ever there was a time for him to back up his big talk, this is it. The level may be lower but the stakes, for Pat Bev, have rarely been higher.

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