3. Esplanade Basketball Team (SGP #13)
Plus :
- Perimeter Defense.
- Player condition & Chemistry
- Veteran leadership
Minus :
- Have a tendency to gamble on full pressing game, causing defense to flap quickly
Summary :
EBC entering S17 without any major surprises aside of acquiring speedy Pablo Garcia, but things started to climb upward after they made a great visit to Lycans BB and SLZH arena, grabbed two important wins that saw them at 4th position on crowded Big 8 division. Key of their strong play on this season were their team chemistry, which are featuring two underachiever veteran Enrique Santorum (16.2ppg) & Andrea Zampieri (11ppg 6.8rpg). Added in Pablo Garcia (16ppg 6apg) and Lovro Riznar (10 ppg, 11 rpg), EBC have strenghten their main weak area last season, ball flowing & inside presence. Diego Zago (14 ppg) and Teofil Podolski (11.2 ppg) also proved valuable come off the bench. But their latest acquisition might keep them rising, as Jorge Rosales will keep their inside area as strong as concrete, and Mehmet Emre Oguztüzün should be adding up more range firepower for EBC.
Prediction : #4
4. Lycans BB (SGP #9)
Plus :
- Fang Shuang Xiang presence destroyed a lot of opponent bigman mental.
- Able to play inside and outside offense well
Minus :
- Not that bad on defense, but they tend to lapse when the game is on the line.
- Thin bigman lineup.
Summary :
Lycans season has been in a same pattern each season : focus weighted on National Tournament, regular season is later priority, which told the good reason they are hardly in top 4 on each season. Led by SGP All Time Great player in Fang Shuang Xiang (17ppg 13rpg 29mpg), Lycans are the most feared team when FSX are on his best, especially when demolishing Cheesecake with 44pts 20/26 FG. Lycans was at their best when they brought two six-figured paid player, a floor general in Apostol Blazev (14.7ppg 5.9apg 29mpg) and Cristiano Cozzi (16.8 ppg 13rpg). However, Cozzi was dealt away yesterday and Lycans brought in a more senior player Omar Martelli. Currently, Lycans managed to hang on position #5, trailing one game behind Eric United. With top 4 big 8 team in tight competition, there is a sure chance for Lycans to sneak into playoff for the first time in 3 seasons, which, at least can make FSX happier.
Prediction : #5