January on the Bosphorus: Fenerbahce’s Winter Surge in Istanbul
How Guduric and Biberovic Turned the Tide for Fenerbahce in the New Year
Since the start of 2025, Fenerbahce has been on an impressive run, maintaining a perfect record and demonstrating dominance in the EuroLeague.
This article explores the key metrics behind their success, focusing on the standout performances of Marko Guduric and Tarik Biberovic. Through statistical analysis, we will uncover how these players have elevated their team’s efficiency, shooting accuracy, and overall impact on the court.
1 - How Unstoppable Is Fenerbahce Right Now?
Since January 1st, Fenerbahce has remained undefeated, boasting a 6-0 record. During this period, they have the best net rating and offensive rating in the EuroLeague, confirming the positive trajectory of Saras Jasikevicius’ squad.
2 - Clutch Data Score per 30 Minutes
Individually, three players stand out in 2025: Sertaç Şanlı, Marko Guduric, and Tarik Biberovic. While Şanlı has been a defensive force with the best DPS of the team (8.6 per 30 minutes), Guduric and Biberovic have been offensive powerhouses, recording 22.7 and 18.7 EOP, respectively.
3 - Can Fenerbahce’s Efficiency Be Matched?
When analyzing Fenerbahce players in comparison to the entire EuroLeague in January 2025, Guduric, Biberovic, and Şanlı emerge among the most efficient players, despite having an average usage rate. Guduric, however, leads the team in usage.
Looking at three-point shooting, Guduric has the highest accuracy so far this year (among players with at least 10 attempts). Biberovic, with slightly higher volume, is also near 60% accuracy, placing him in the league’s top five for three-point shooting.
Let’s focus on these two players and analyze their January performances.
4 - Marko Guduric
Comparing Guduric’s January 2025 stats to his performance this season in 2024, the improvement is remarkable. He scores 7.7 more points and increases his PPP by 0.40.
His shooting accuracy has skyrocketed: 66.7% in two-pointers and an impressive 61.9% from three. Additionally, he contributes 1 more rebound and nearly 1 more assist per game, all while slightly increasing his usage (25.2% vs. 22.1%).
Analyzing his percentiles (percentiles indicate how a player compares to others, with higher percentiles meaning better performance relative to the league) among the 150 EuroLeague players with at least 70 minutes played in these six games:
93rd percentile in efficiency (top 7%)
100th percentile in three-point percentage
High offensive rating percentile
A comparison of these percentiles (January in yellow vs. the first 18 games in light blue) shows substantial improvement in all metrics except steals. His shooting efficiency, rebounding, and offensive/defensive ratings have all seen a significant boost.
5 - Tarik Biberovic
Biberovic has also shown significant improvement in January. He scores nearly 3 more points per game with a 0.45-point increase in PPP. His field goal accuracy has improved both in 2-pointers (+15 pp) and 3-pointers (+20 pp).
He also adds 1 more rebound and 2 more assists per game while reducing his usage to 18.8%, making his improved offensive statistics even more impressive.
Looking at his percentiles, Biberovic is also among the top performers in efficiency, particularly from long range (96th percentile). He holds the best offensive rating in the entire league (100th percentile) and is close to the top 20% in assists while ranking in the top 30% for offensive rebounding.
Similar to Guduric, comparing his early-season numbers with January reveals across-the-board improvements in efficiency, assists, and even defensive metrics like steals and blocks.
6 - What happens When Guduric and Biberovic Are On The Floor?
How does Fenerbahce perform with Guduric and Biberovic on the court?
With Guduric playing, the team improves both offensively and defensively:
Offensive efficiency increases (eFG% at 67.2% with him, 56.2% without him).
Turnovers decrease.
Opponents’ shooting accuracy drops (52.7% with him, 63.2% without him), and defensive rebounding improves.
With Biberovic, the team experiences a major offensive boost:
eFG% jumps from 55.8% (without him) to 67.8%.
Turnovers decrease (14.3% vs. 19.7%).
Offensive and defensive rebounding improves significantly.
7 - Could It Be The Most Impactful Duo in EuroLeague Right Now?
Analyzing how Fenerbahce performs when both players are on the court, the data is striking in January:
the team’s net rating with both players is +45.1.
With only Guduric: +4.1.
With only Biberovic: +0.8.
Without either player: -23.6.
A deeper dive into offensive metrics shows a major improvement when both are on the court compared to when only one or neither is playing:
Offensive rating and net rating see a substantial boost.
Fenerbahce’s effective field goal percentage rises by nearly 16 percentage points (73.2% vs. 57.4%).
Offensive rebounding improves by 10 percentage points.
Turnover control improves by over 5 percentage points.
Fenerbahce’s remarkable start to 2025 has been fueled by stellar team performance, but the contributions of Marko Guduric and Tarik Biberovic stand out. Their efficiency, shooting accuracy, and overall impact have elevated the team, as seen in both their individual statistics and the team’s performance with them on the court. If they maintain this level, Fenerbahce could be a serious contender for the EuroLeague title this season.
Will they continue their dominance and solidify their place at the top?
as a fener fan and a statistics student I really liked your takes. Good job!!