Zalgiris Kaunas: Leading in Much More Than Just the Standings 

Valencia Basket men’s team will visit the home court of the current EuroLeague leaders, Zalgiris Kaunas, on Friday, November 7, at 19:00 in the Zalgirio Arena. With a 6–2 record and a +89 in overall point differential, the Lithuanian side currently tops the standings of Europe’s premier competition. But it’s not just their record, it’s the combination of many other factors in which they excel that explains the superb form of the EuroLeague’s top-ranked team.

Zalgiris Kaunas has blended a well-crafted, efficient offense with the tournament’s best defense, making them the most balanced team on both ends of the floor. They lead the league in three-point shooting while also holding their opponents to the lowest accuracy. Moreover, they’ve managed to overcome the injury of one of their key players, Nigel Williams-Goss, thanks to the outstanding performances of Sylvain Francisco, who was named the MVP for October.

The Best Offense in the EuroLeague

Valencia Basket enters this ninth round as the team that scores the most points (92.4), has the highest performance index rating (103), and makes the most three-pointers (12.1). However, when it comes to offensive efficiency, Pedro Martínez’s men rank second (with an OER of 1.20), just behind their Friday opponents.

Zalgiris Kaunas boasts the best offensive efficiency in the competition (1.21). They are the most accurate three-point shooting team (42.9%), rank fourth in made three-pointers (10.5), and lead the league in overall field goal percentage (59%), with the second-best True Shooting percentage (62.5%). Despite playing at one of the slowest paces in the league, they capitalize on their defensive strength to rank second in points scored off opponents’ turnovers (17.9).

The Best Defense in the EuroLeague

If their offensive efficiency is impressive, their defensive dominance is even more remarkable. Zalgiris Kaunas allows the fewest points per game (76.1), the lowest performance index rating for opponents (79.4), and concedes the fewest assists (15.4), resulting in the best defensive efficiency in the EuroLeague (1.08).

Coach Masiulis’s players also hold their opponents to the lowest three-point shooting percentage (30.6%) and significantly limit overall field goal efficiency, keeping rival teams barely above 50% shooting when facing the Lithuanians.

The Most Balanced Team in the EuroLeague

Leading both in offensive and defensive efficiency, the math is simple: the numbers don’t lie. Unsurprisingly, the Lithuanians also top the charts in net efficiency (0.14). Adding to that, they lead the league in average margin of victory (11.1), confirming their status as the most balanced team in the tournament.

Their dominance extends beyond these metrics. Zalgiris ranks third in steals (7.4), second in percentage of possessions recovered (10.6), and sixth in blocks (2.9). They also take good care of the ball, boasting the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6).

A major challenge awaits Valencia Basket’s offensive machinery and their current good form in a matchup that kicks off a demanding stretch of five games in ten days.