Exit Report — Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Place: 19 | EuroLeague Season
The Roster
This was supposed to be the season Efes began rebuilding toward relevance. Two-time champions in 2021 and 2022, they had spent three years since struggling to recapture their peak. The 2025-26 roster arrived with legitimate pieces: Shane Larkin, Jordan Loyd, Nick Weiler-Babb, Isaia Cordinier, Ercan Osmani, Cole Swider, Rolands Smits, Giorgos Papagiannis, Kai Jones — a deep, experienced group under new head coach Igor Kokoškov.
Official numbers: 80.1 points per game, 31.4 rebounds, 17.5 assists, 6.4 steals, PIR of 85.2. Point differential of -160. 12-26, 19th place. Road record: 5-14. The worst season in the club's modern history.
The Coach
Igor Kokoškov lasted until November 27, 2025 — with Efes sitting 15th at 5-8. The résumé was serious: first European-born head coach in NBA history with Phoenix, EuroBasket champion with Slovenia in 2017, former assistant at Detroit where he won an NBA championship, former Fenerbahçe head coach. He was not a gamble. He was a serious appointment who inherited a broken situation.
Radovan Trifunovic served as interim before Pablo Laso — dismissed from Real Madrid in 2022, two-time EuroLeague champion — replaced him in December. Laso steadied the ship but couldn't reverse the structural damage. A nine-game losing streak had already defined the season before his arrival. Under Laso, Efes went 7-18 — better than the pace under Kokoškov but still nowhere near playoff territory.
Two coaches. One broken season. The coaching carousel didn't cause the problems — it reflected them.
The System
Efes attempted to play the transition-oriented, guard-heavy basketball that had made them champions in 2021-22. The problem was execution: Shane Larkin's groin injury — which kept him out for over three months — removed the team's heartbeat before the season found its shape. Without Larkin, Efes had scoring but no architecture. Jordan Loyd (11.4 Pts, 34 games) and Weiler-Babb (7.7 Pts, 37 games) were competent but not capable of replacing what Larkin provides in terms of composure, late-game decision-making, and defensive communication.
The team's 12.6 turnovers per game — one of the highest rates in the competition — captures the offensive disorganization. Ercan Osmani (10.9 Pts, 57.2% 2P) and Cordinier (9.4 Pts, 54.3% 2P) were the most efficient contributors, both shooting at high rates from inside. The efficiency was there in stretches. The consistency was never present.
The Players
Shane Larkin (15.2 Pts, 4.2 Ast, PIR 15.1 in just 12 games) — the numbers from his limited appearances show exactly what Efes lost when he went down. In 12 games, he was the best player on the court for the team. His injury absence of over three months was not the only reason for the season's failure, but it was the moment from which recovery became impossible. His public dispute with a Turkish legend who claimed he had refused to play added noise to an already difficult situation.
Jordan Loyd (11.4 Pts, PIR 10.8) was consistent but not a primary creator. Ercan Osmani (10.9 Pts, 36 games started) was the most durable contributor — a forward who gave the team reliable scoring from the interior without demanding a leading role. Cordinier (9.4 Pts, 30 games) showed defensive quality alongside decent scoring. PJ Dozier (9.7 Pts, 26 games) was a functional rotation wing.
Vincent Poirier (8.0 Pts, 4.6 Reb in 14 games) provided moments of quality before his own injury interrupted his season. Kai Jones (3.6 Pts, 92.1% 2P) — remarkable efficiency in limited minutes but never given the platform to impact games. Brice Dessert (5.3 Pts, 68.3% 2P) was efficient in a backup role.
The Outlook
The coaching situation is settled for now. Laso has the job, the authority, and a track record that commands respect in any EuroLeague locker room. His presence going into next season removes the instability that defined the first half. The roster question is more complex.
The first priority is keeping Shane Larkin — healthy. At 34, managing his workload across a full EuroLeague season while maintaining his effectiveness is the medical and coaching challenge that underpins everything. When Larkin plays, Efes are a functional team. When he doesn't, they are one of the worst in the competition. The summer must include a genuine backup point guard capable of carrying the offense for extended periods — not a third-string option, but a player who can run a Laso system with authority when Larkin rests or is unavailable.
The second priority is interior dominance. Papagiannis, Jones, and Poirier is a center rotation built for depth, not for anchoring a defense. Efes gave up 31.4 rebounds per game at the other end — below-average protection. One commanding center, physical and capable in drop coverage, changes the defensive profile significantly.
Offensively, the creation problem is structural. With Larkin at full fitness, the system has an architect. Without him, Efes have volume scorers without a conductor. The summer needs to address that redundancy — either by adding a second genuine playmaker or by ensuring the backup guard position is held by someone with genuine creation ability rather than a role player.
Laso with a healthy Larkin and one additional dominant center is a different team than 2025-26. That is the baseline for next season. The ambition should be Play-In. The trajectory from 12 wins suggests it is achievable — if the medical room cooperates.
