The most important game of the season has finally arrived!
With the removal of the third-place game, there is only matchup on Sunday's schedule. Even though this is the desired and logical decision, for us EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge fans it slightly limits our options, because it means that only Olympiacos and Real Madrid players can be selected for the final period.
If we evaluate the matchups, the most obvious aspect that stands out is Real Madrid being down nearly all its centers due to injury. The form of the guards on both sides does not inspire much confidence, but the forwards of both teams are performing at an elite level. Because of this, our main recommendation is to go with lower-profile options at the guard spots and focus your selections on the forwards.
If you have any questions or comments about strategy or the picks below, feel free to reach out on X via @RotoWireEuro.
Enjoy the final step of your EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge journey!
Guard
Tyler Dorsey, Olympiacos Piraeus (9.9 credits)
Dorsey was the most important piece behind Olympiacos' 12-0 start against Fenerbahce in the semifinal, giving his team confidence right from the opening moments and allowing them to continue the game without much pressure. Even though he did not stand out as much for the rest of the game, there was not much need for him to do so. Another reason for that was Evan Fournier, with whom he shares minutes at the shooting guard position, also having a solid game. In fact, just as Dorsey was the key figure in the first quarter, Fournier became the leading name during the run Olympiacos caught at the beginning of the second period. Dorsey did not do much against Monaco in the Playoffs, but it looks like he has fixed things during the Final Four. In order to avoid a repeat of the heartbreaking loss in the 2023 Final, Dorsey getting going is absolutely essential.
Andres Feliz, Real Madrid (5.9 credits)
Real's extra factor is no longer just someone labeled with that title, he has now clearly become the team's most reliable guard after Facundo Campazzo. Theo Maledon also did everything he could to compensate for Campazzo's poor performance against Valencia and managed to produce 15 PIR in just 16 minutes, but Feliz's current form is much more vital for Real, especially because he is also the team's most reliable name in frontcourt defense. In the semi-final against Valencia, he stayed on the floor for 20 minutes and produced 17 PIR with 15 points and eight assists, finishing as the guard with the highest PIR on the team. It is certain that his job against Olympiacos in the final will not be easy at all, but among Real Madrid's guards, Feliz is still the name that should be prioritized first.
Forward
Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus (17.0 credits)
"The Scoring Champion and the MVP of the season, the only missing award is the Final Four MVP, and for him to win that, Olympiacos first needs to win the EuroLeague title." This is what we indicated before the game against Fenerbahce and both his team and Sasha accomplished the first part of that mission. Even after returning from the NBA, Vezenkov has continued to dominate the EuroLeague and if he manages to win this final, it will only be a matter of time before his name is mentioned among the greatest power forwards in EuroLeague history. Vezenkov struggled badly in the first half of the semifinal against Fenerbahce, but he found his rhythm in the third period and especially carried his team on the scoring side of the game. The Bulgarian forward finished with 16 points and a 16 PIR, and depending on the flow of the Real Madrid game, he could stay on the floor much longer than the 22 minutes he played against Fenerbahce. Sasha, this is the most important game of your career -- it's your time to take the stage!
Mario Hezonja, Real Madrid (11.1 credits)
The undisputed hero of the semi-final! In our article before the Final Four, we had already mentioned that our expectations for him were high and that he had also delivered a very high PIR performance against Valencia in the domestic league, but putting up 25 points, seven rebounds, and a 33 PIR was a complete show. The only question mark surrounding Super Mario was the last meeting between these two teams on April 7th in Piraeus, where he looked completely unrecognizable on the court and finished the game with a 0 PIR despite playing 21 minutes. Of course, one and a half months have passed since then and Hezonja's performances have reached a completely different level. As they say, he who laughs last laughs best and now he has a huge opportunity in his hands to make things right.
Trey Lyles, Real Madrid (11.4 credits)
Speaking of the dominance of Real Madrid's forwards, it would be impossible not to mention Lyles. It would not be wrong to say that Lyles who has delivered a certain level of consistency in almost every game has met expectations quite well in his rookie season. Even though he did not particularly stand out during the playoff series against Hapoel, he was one of the key contributors in the Final Four semi-final against Valencia by producing 17 points, seven rebounds and a 19 PIR in the 24 minutes he spent on the floor which is making him the player with the second-highest PIR on the team after Hezonja. Apart from Valencia, Olympiacos' dominance in the painted area is by far at the best level in the EuroLeague and their bench depth is also unquestionably in elite level. That means if Nikola Milutinov struggles defensively against Lyles, Olympiacos has the option to try Tyrique Jones and if that does not work either, they can throw Donta Hall into the matchup, which makes Lyles the player who will probably have the toughest job on the court. Still, it looks almost impossible for Real Madrid to stay in the game without getting extra contributions from the Hezonja & Lyles duo.
Chuma Okeke, Real Madrid (6.8 credits)
Other than the first game of the playoff series against Hapoel, including the semi-final against Valencia, Okeke has performed below expectations in all of them and we are all aware of that. However, after Usman Garuba's injury in the Valencia game, alongside Lyles, Okeke became one of the only two remaining players capable of playing at the center position for Real Madrid, who are already without Tavares and Alex Len. He should not be evaluated as a player who will directly be written into the top six, but in finals like these there are always a few extra factors who step up unexpectedly and Okeke is a player who has the potential to become one of them.
Center
Nikola Milutinov, Olympiacos Piraeus (13.9 credits)
Even though he had a below-expectations start in the semi-final against Fenerbahce, he imposed himself on the game in the second half and finished the game with an 18 PIR. Milutinov who does not usually stand out as a scoring option, completely dominated the painted area with the 13 rebounds he collected. Olympiacos' system which knows very well how to attack Fenerbahce through their weakness in center defense will likely rely on the same approach in the final in order to dominate the paint against Real Madrid who will be without Tavares, Len, and Garuba. Because of that, there is a high possibility that we will watch a final where Milutinov plays significantly more minutes than the other Olympiacos centers. Even though he recorded neither an assist nor a block in the 26 minutes he played against Fenerbahce, producing 18 PIR can still be considered a positive sign, because anything he adds on top of that against Real Madrid will be seen as extra contribution.
Head Coach
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus (8.3 credits)
"A historic opportunity has landed right in front of Olympiacos, which is winning the EuroLeague championship in the home arena of their eternal rival Panathinaikos, OAKA. Even though they are far behind PAO in terms of championship count, a title won at OAKA would probably be worth several championships for Olympiacos fans." That's what we said before the semi-final against Fenerbahce and we witnessed exactly that dominating Fenerbahce from start to finish and never allowing their opponent to get into the game with their aggressive defense, they sent a very serious message to everyone. Now it's time to break the top-seed curse and this time they have an opportunity to get their revenge as well; exactly three years ago, Olympiacos came within inches of breaking the 1st seed curse before Sergio Llull's buzzer beater denied them and this time they will try to finish the job without leaving it to the final possession.
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