Euroleague 2008 2009
The competition of basketball at the level of most important clubs in Europe has begun, 24 European clubs grouped into 4 groups will be measured between them to get to the Final Four in Berlin. The League more teams brings is the Spanish with five, followed by Italy with 4 and Adriatic leagues and Greek with 3 each. This year the competition changes its format and the regular season passes have 8 teams in three groups to 6 teams in four groups and qualify for the top16 four teams instead of six. The top 16 continues as previous years, 4 teams per group, qualify for the playoffs the two best. The playoffs also undergoes changes and go to compete to the best of five games instead of the best-to three parties. Barcelona, Madrid, Siena, Tau Vitoria, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, CSKA and Maccabi are the maximum Favorites to go to Berlin, a step below we find Unicaja, DKV Joventut, Zalguiris and Efes Pilsen.
Other teams will try to prove that they are worthy of achieving at least one place in the playoffs. The maximum expectation at the beginning of the competition have been the Olympiacos, thanks to its signing star from the Atlanta Hawks, Josh Childress, in addition to signing Theodoros Papaloukas of CSKA Moscow and Nicola Vujcic of Maccabi Tel Aviv, demonstrating the economic power of this club. Other signings interesting a priori have been carried out by Panathinaikos signing Nikola Pekovic, player who outperformed last year in the ranks of Partizan Belgrade, the signings of Andersen and Navarro from Memphis and CSKA Moscow respectively to Barcelona, from Massey signed to Aris by Madrid, Carlos Arroyo left Orlando to play with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Planic that changes the city of Vitoria by the Moscow. Apart from the already mentioned Josh Childress, Carlos Arroyo and Navarro, also have decided to change aires and go in the NBA to the Euroleague, the following players: Andre Barrett applicable of the Los Angeles Clippers to the Barcelona, Casey Jacobsen of the Membhis Berlin, and Primoz Brezec of the Toronto to Rome. As data curios Brandom Jennings has decided to go play with the Rome instead of playing his university stage.