ALBA at Valencia
Date: 1/3
Time: 9:00 PM CET
Game Preview
Both ALBA and Valencia sat with just one win after seven Rounds were played, but both teams have turned things around since, with the German squad going a respectable 4-5 and the Spanish team going 6-3 to get back into the playoff conversation. ALBA will bring a well-rounded attack to the table and Valencia will counter with a unit that features one of the best big men in the league in Bojan Dubljevic. Valencia has won five straight home games at La Fonteta, which is not good news for an ALBA team that has picked up a victory just once on the road all season.
Injuries
ALBA Berlin
Tyler Cavanaugh - OUT - Ankle
11/11 8:00 PM IST - Cavanaugh was diagnosed Monday with an ankle ligament injury that could keep him sidelined for up to three months, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.com reports. Alba Berlin should provide a clearer timeline for Cavanaugh's timeline for a return after seeing how his recovery goes over his first few weeks on the sideline, but at this stage, it looks safe to rule him out from playing again until the calendar flips to 2020. The 25-year-old forward appeared in seven EuroLeague contests for Alba Berlin, averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 boards in 14.6 minutes per game.
Stefan Peno - OUT - Knee
11/12 11:23 PM IST - Peno (knee) is on track to resume practicing in early 2020, according to rbb24.de. Peno has already missed nine months since dislocating his kneecap in February, and it's going to be at least several more before he is ready to return to action. If all goes well in the coming weeks, though, Peno should be able to make it back at some point during the second half of the EuroLeague season.
Peyton Siva - OUT - Thigh
12/21 12:39 AM IST - Siva is expected to miss around three weeks due to the thigh injury he suffered in Round 14, according to ALBA's official Twitter account. Siva's injury will prevent him from taking the court in Round 15, and his recovery timeline rules him out until sometime in January. Based on how things went when Siva missed Rounds 8-10 with the same type of injury, Martin Hermannsson figures to assume the primary ball-handler duties for ALBA.
Johannes Thiemann - OUT - Concussion
12/21 12:46 AM IST - Thiemann is still dealing with concussion symptoms and will not play Friday against ASVEL, according to ALBA's official Twitter account. Thiemann played Wednesday for the first time since Round 9, but he was only on the court for four minutes, and he has apparently not put his head injury behind him just yet. It remains to be seen when he will play next, but ALBA could be even more cautious in order to prevent a similar occurrence.
Valencia Basket
Louis Labeyrie - GTD - Undisclosed
1/2 10:15 PM IST - Labeyrie is dealing with a minor injury, according to Juanma Romero of Levante TV. Labeyrie was not included among the players ruled out for Round 17 on Valencia's official website, but it's still possible he does not take the court Friday against ALBA.
Jordan Loyd - GTD - Finger
12/30 8:29 PM IST - Loyd injured his finger in a domestic-league game Sunday, according to Planetacb. Loyd did not seem concerned when commenting on his status after the game, but the injury does leave his status for Valencia's next EuroLeague game Friday uncertain.
Maurice Ndour - OUT - Thigh
1/2 9:17 PM IST - Ndour will not play Friday against ALBA due to a thigh injury, according to Valencia's official website. It's not clear how long Ndour will be sidelined, but he will miss at least one EuroLeague game because of his injury. Ndour is averaging 14 minutes per game, so his absence will open up some opportunities for Valencia's other big men.
Sam Van Rossom - GTD - Undisclosed
1/2 10:16 PM IST - Van Rossom is dealing with a minor injury, according to Juanma Romero of Levante TV. Van Rossom was not included among the players ruled out for Round 17 on Valencia's official website, but for one reason or another he is not a lock to play Friday against ALBA.
ALBA Berlin Probable Starters
G - Martin Hermannsson
G - Marcus Eriksson
F - Rokas Giedraitis
F - Luke Sikma
C - Landry Nnoko
Valencia Basket Probable Starters
G - Guillem Vives
G - Jordan Loyd
F - Fernando San Emeterio
F - Louis Labeyrie
C - Bojan Dubljevic
Top Picks
(C) Bojan Dubljevic, VAL - Dubljevic had his worst game of the season in Round 13, but he put that behind him quickly, averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in the three games since -- all while playing just 23 minutes per contest. ALBA has allowed the second-most points in the league, so it should be another big game for the big man.
Rokas Giedraitis, BER - Giedraitis has gotten the job done in all phases lately, averaging 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.0 steals over his last five games. Expect ALBA's offense to run through Giedraitis again like it usually does.
Luke Sikma, BER - Sikma burst onto the scene when he just missed a triple-double in Round 8, and he has not looked back since, putting up a well-rounded 11.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks per contest over the last nine games. His contributions in multiple categories make him a reliable pick even if he is not contributing in a specific category on a given night.
Landry Nnoko, BER - Nnoko has nearly averaged a double-double over ALBA's last four EuroLeague games, putting up 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
SG: Jordan Loyd
SF: Rokas Giedraitis, Alberto Abalde
PF: Luke Sikma, Brock Motum
C: Bojan Dubljevic (captain), Landry Nnoko
Grand League Combination
Dubljevic, Giedraitis, Sikma, Loyd
Small League Combination
Dubljevic, Giedraitis, Sikma, Nnoko
