Panathinaikos have emerged as the top choice to win the EuroLeague title after securing 46.7 percent of the votes in a survey of general managers conducted by sports outlet BasketNews.
The survey highlighted Panathinaikos, described by the source as Zeljko Obradovic's team, as the primary candidate to reach the top this season. Olympiacos finished second in the title predictions with 26.7 percent of the vote, while Spanish giants Real Madrid placed third with 20 percent. The survey polled general managers across the league on key storylines, award candidates, and potential breakout teams for the upcoming campaign.
Final Four Predictions
When asked which teams are expected to reach the Final Four, Olympiacos received a unanimous 100 percent selection from the general managers. Panathinaikos followed in second place with 86.7 percent, while Real Madrid garnered 76.3 percent of the votes. Turkish side Fenerbahce earned 66.7 percent support, and Middle Eastern expansion team Dubai completed the top five contenders with 46.7 percent.
The EuroLeague is Europe's premier basketball competition, bringing together top clubs from across the continent. The season concludes with the Final Four, a knockout tournament held over one weekend to decide the championship winner. Greek rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, along with Spain's Real Madrid and Turkey's Fenerbahce, represent some of the most established franchises in European sports.
MVP Favorites and Surprise Teams
Individual player predictions also showed strong confidence in Greek club rosters. Olympiacos forward Sasha Vezenkov led the Most Valuable Player voting with 40 percent of executive backing. His Olympiacos teammate, guard Jean Montero, ranked second in the MVP vote after securing 26.7 percent of the selections.
The general managers were also asked to identify which clubs could exceed expectations and become the surprises of the year. Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas and Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv shared top honors in the category with 26.7 percent of the vote each, while Dubai BC followed in third place with 13.3 percent.
NBA Prospect Outlook
The survey concluded with predictions on which EuroLeague player is most likely to make the next step to the NBA. Montero dominated the category by capturing 53.3 percent of executive votes. American guard Kendrick Nunn finished second in the category, receiving 13.3 percent of the vote.
The NBA, North America's top basketball league, frequently scouts EuroLeague talent for players capable of transitioning to the American game. With training camps approaching, the survey provides an early snapshot of executive expectations ahead of another competitive European campaign.
