Anadolu Efes destroys AEK 101-72: The lesson from the Esenler loss and the Dario Šarić concern

Antalya, Turkey – As the game clock ticked past the fifth minute of the third quarter, Bruno Fernando's dunk sent the Anadolu Efes bench leaping to its feet while the AEK Athens defense stood frozen. The first half ended with the Istanbul club holding a comfortable lead. But when the third quarter began, Efes' rhythm-filled basketball turned the game into a one-sided showcase. I sat in front of my screen, rewinding the fast-break pass from Daron Russell to Matthew Strazel, and realized: the blowout against AEK is not the biggest story of this game. The real story lies in the loss to Esenler Erokspor 48 hours earlier – a far less decorated opponent. Euro 2026 taught me a lesson: a hot take doesn't need to be right, it just needs to be right on time. When Cristiano Ronaldo left the Euro final against France with an injury, I told my bar companion that Portugal would win without him. I got laughter in return, and then Eder scored. Since then, I've learned that in sports, a game's outcome often tells a different story than what the scoreboard shows. The 101-72 win over AEK doesn't prove Anadolu Efes is ready for the EuroLeague – it only proves they are better than an opponent going through a rebuilding phase. The loss to Esenler Erokspor is what deserves scrutiny. At the 2026 World Cup, I mispronounced Modric. That night, I learned about twists. Croatia didn't beat England because they controlled the tempo – they beat them because they exploited a weakness in England's approach. By the same logic, Efes' defeat at the hands of Esenler Erokspor says more than a dominant win over AEK. What I saw at the TÜBAD Mehmet Baturalp Tournament was an Anadolu Efes collective with roster depth that many EuroLeague teams would envy. Five players scored between 11 and 15 points: Fernando with 15 points and 9 rebounds, Strazel also with 15 points, Russell adding 13 points and 5 assists, veteran NBA big man Dario Šarić finishing with 12 points and 5 rebounds, and Jordan Loyd closing it out with 11. This even scoring distribution is a positive signal: Erdem Can – Efes head coach – is running a flexible offensive system without over-reliance on a single star. But look closer at those numbers. When a team has five players scoring between 11 and 15 points, they demonstrate excellent ball movement. When a team needs someone to score 20+ points to win a tight game in the EuroLeague, they could run into trouble. The NBA Bubble in 2026 had no fans. I could only listen to myself. Damian Lillard taught me that in high-pressure environments, individuals who can create their own shots are the ones who decide games. I started asking myself: does Anadolu Efes have such a player? Loyd was a featured scorer in the EuroLeague, but he has turned 29 and wasn't quite himself last season. Fernando is a mobile center but has never been considered a first-option offensive threat at the European level. More important than all of that is the concern named Dario Šarić. The 30-year-old veteran was the 12th overall pick of the Orlando Magic in the 2026 NBA Draft, and I've followed his career since his Maccabi Tel Aviv days. Šarić suffered an ACL injury in 2026 while with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and I well know how such injuries haunt players – some never return to peak form. Many talented players have lost that first-step explosiveness after ACL injuries, directly impacting their defense and off-ball movement. Šarić's 12 points and 5 rebounds in this game are statistically acceptable, but they don't fully reveal how well he moved – or how poorly. I need many more games before making a final judgment. Let me talk about the tactical picture of the AEK game. Efes led early and completely controlled the third quarter. They finished with a 29-point margin. But AEK Athens is in the middle of a roster rebuild, not a mature collective. Efes scoring 101 points against such an opponent feels like a basic proficiency test for a good student – it shows you've mastered the fundamentals, but doesn't prove you're ready for the entrance exam. The loss to Esenler Erokspor – a club that played in the Turkish second division before promotion – is the more worrying signal, because it shows Efes can be beaten by a team playing physical basketball, contesting every possession and capitalizing on dead-ball situations. I sharpen hot takes, but the truth is what I've sharpened the longest. Let me be direct: the 101-72 victory over AEK builds confidence, but Efes' defense hasn't been tested against teams with diverse offenses like Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, or Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague. Sports culture is an endless argument after the final whistle. And the most interesting argument I've had this week is not about whether Fernando should start or come off the bench, but rather whether Erdem Can is prioritizing results in a friendly tournament, or prioritizing personnel experiments for the long season ahead. I ask this question because if the goal is experimentation, then the Esenler Erokspor loss is fully acceptable. If the goal is winning, then it's a red flag. Let me talk about Dario Šarić once more. He is the most important piece in Efes' tactical machinery this season. With his ability to catch, survey, and pass from the forward position, Šarić can open attacking angles that Efes lacked last season. He stands high, pulling opposing centers away from the paint, creating lanes for Fernando to attack the rim. But if Šarić's legs are no longer as quick as they were before the injury, he will become a defensive liability against more mobile forwards in the EuroLeague. Teams will exploit this by attacking his side with repeated pick-and-rolls. Another angle: Matthew Strazel. The 22-year-old Frenchman has NBA experience with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in this game, Strazel showed maturity in his ball-handling role. 15 points and 4 assists from a young guard is a sign of rising talent. The question is: how many minutes will he be given once the regular season begins? If Erdem Can trusts him with the backup role behind Russell, Efes will boast a backcourt with rare depth. I've seen in the EuroLeague how teams with two capable ball-handlers on the floor simultaneously can torment opposing defenses. If Strazel and Russell share the court during certain stretches, they can form a formidable offensive flexibility. I don't write to be right; I write to explore an angle no one has seen. And the unexamined angle here is this: this 101-72 victory could be one of Efes' most important preseason games – not because of the result, but because of how they achieved it. They moved the ball quickly, hunted for the best shots rather than the prettiest ones, and defended with high intensity for three quarters. That could be a sign that Erdem Can is building a culture of discipline, not flash. If that's true, then the Esenler Erokspor loss is just a minor accident on a long road. If not, Efes will run into major trouble from the very first round of the EuroLeague. Remember Euro 2026. Portugal didn't win because they were the best team of the tournament. They won because they understood who they were and played to their identity. Anadolu Efes this season is a team with many quality pieces – Fernando defends well, Strazel creates, Loyd brings experience, Šarić has high basketball IQ, and Russell knows how to control game tempo. But they need a clear identity. Are they a defensive-first team? Or a fast-paced offensive team? The answer will shape their future in the EuroLeague – a league where transfer markets rarely forgive tactical mistakes. The 2026-25 EuroLeague season begins in October, and Anadolu Efes will enter it as an ambitious team full of question marks. They could finish in the top 4 if Šarić returns to peak form and Fernando maintains efficiency on both ends. They could also slip to the middle of the standings if defensive cracks are exposed by tougher opponents. I've watched long enough to know that success in the EuroLeague doesn't come from impressive exhibition wins – it comes from adaptability, roster depth, and composure in decisive moments. The AEK game doesn't give me the answer to whether Efes possesses all three elements. But one thing is certain: I will be watching them very closely when the season begins.