So here are Sportingbet’s Final Four Ones to Watch, 2011:
Panathinaikos have a fearsome secret weapon in the form of 30 year old point guard Dimitris Diamantidis. His impressive, all-round skills teamed with his intimidating track record make him one of the favourites to take the Sportingbet MVP Award during this year’s Final Four competition.
Diamantidis has become a legend of European basketball, thanks in part to his adaptability; his strength, size and shooting ability allow him to play shooting guard, point forward and small forward positions, and his large wingspan has earned him the nickname “The Octopus”. On top of all this, he’s an excellent catch and shoot 3-point shooter, running an average Free Throw rate of 87.4% this season.
The list of titles and awards to his name is extensive; in his six years at Panathinaikos, he has helped the team land two Euroleague Championship titles, six consecutive Greek League titles and five consecutive Greek Cup titles, leading him to be named the Greek League MVP no less than four times. He has recently been named the Euroleague Defensive Player of the Year, an award he received for the sixth time this season.
Having been voted into the Euroleague 2001-2010 All-Decade team, winning the Final Four MVP title in 2007, Diamantidis currently ranks at number 2 after the play offs, and is surely in with a very good chance of coming away with the Sportingbet MVP award once again – outstanding favourite at 2.10.
Maccabi’s Jeremey Pargo has proven to be on fine form this season, already the top scorer of the Euroleague so far with a 260 points total and a 13 PPG average. He’s managed an imposing 70.7% average FT success rate this season, a stat that rose to 80% during the Playoffs.
His impressive track record gives Maccabi a definite edge and makes them a pretty good bet in this year’s Final Four. Pargo could certainly be in with a shot at MVP – current odds stand at 3.50, meaning he’s definitely worth a look.
Regarded as one of the best centres in European basketball, American-born Mike Batiste has been part of an incredibly successful Panathinaikos team since 2003. With his help, the team has won seven consecutive Greek League championships, five consecutive Greek Cups and taken the Euroleague title twice, most recently in 2009.
With a 12.8 PPG average this season, and having won the Greek League MVP last year, Batiste could definitely have a chance at this year’s Final Four Sportingbet MVP – current odds stand at 4.50, and Batiste is ranked at number 3 after the Playoffs.
Half-Greek and half-Cameroonian, Sofoklis Schortsanitis cuts an impressive figure on the court at 2.05m, 156.5kg and with a 2.18m wingspan. The big man plays at centre for Maccabi Electra with an “old school” style, having joined the team from Olympiacos last year.
Schortsanitis was part of the Greek national team who won an historic 101-95 victory against Team USA to take second place in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, and has been awarded the MVP in the Greek All Star Game on two occasions, the most recent in 2010. At just 25, and with a PPG average of 12.3 so far this season, Schortsanitis stands a decent chance of being named the Final Four’s Sportingbet MVP this year, with current odds standing at 8.00.
Spaniard Sergio Llull has played as shooting guard for Real Madrid since 2009, becoming renowned for his explosive speed and spectacular dunks. The team recently extended Llull’s contract until 2014, cementing him as a key player in the squad. Llull recently helped his national team to take the title in the 2009 FIBA European Championship.
At just 23, this young player holds a lot of promise, and may well be in with a chance at the Final Four Sportingbet MVP title this year. He is currently Real Madrid’s top scorer in the Euroleague, averaging 11.5 PPG, and current odds are 10.00 for him to take the prize.