Euroleague 2015/16 season
Posted 13. octoober 2015
For the first time in nine years, the reigning Euroleague and Eurocup champions are part of the same regular season group. And for the first time ever, they meet in opening week. Real Madrid is the reigning Euroleague champion and hopes to become only the third club in the past 24 years to defend its title, even though the past two winners –
Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013, and Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2014 – failed to get past the playoffs the next year. Madrid returns eight players who lifted the trophy at Barclaycard Center last May, including Final Four MVP Andres Nocioni, All-Euroleague selections Felipe Reyes and Rudy Fernandez, and former Euroleague MVP Sergio Rodriguez - all led by
Pablo Laso, last year's Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year. Khimki Moscow Region aims to become the first reigning Eurocup champion in four years to get to the Euroleague playoffs. Since their introduction in 2005, just three reigning Eurocup champions advanced to the Euroleague playoffs the next season. First was Dynamo Moscow in 2007 season, then Valencia in 2011 and Unics Kazan in 2012. No Eurocup champion has ever reached Euroleague Final Four. Khimki looks like the team with all the tools to try, including a backcourt that features former Final Four MVP Tyrese Rice, Alexey Shved, Petteri Koponen and Zoran Dragic.
