November in the United League was full of exciting games and notable events. Before the regular season resumes in December, let’s look back at the most important trends of the past month.
Loko and Enisey winning streaks
For Loko, the month began with a crushing loss in Moscow against CSKA – 64:104. This moment became a turning point. Instead of falling, the team transformed. In November, Loko did not lose again, putting together a 5-game winning streak. Only Zenit managed to avoid a blowout in these games (80:89). In the other games, the Krasnodar team won by double digits. The winning streak continued despite injuries of key players. In the absence of Patrick Miller and Kassius Robertson, Andrey Yudin team won in Yekaterinburg and Samara.
Loko is currently has the longest winning streak and it has allowed to significantly improve the place iin the standings. The team is at third place, just one step behind CSKA and UNICS.
Enisey has also had its ups and downs this season. The Siberian team started the season with 6 losses. The return of Dmitry Sonko, the adaptation of international players, progress of young players and the home court advantage allowed the Krasnoyarsk team to turn things around. In November, Eniesy won 4 out of 5 games. The tean has been undefeated at home since October 25, winning 4 games in a row.
A successful November also allowed Enisey to significantly improve the place in the standings. The Siberian team moved up from second-to-last place and secured a spot in the Playoffs. They are now only 2 wins away from ninth-place Pari NN.
UNICS’ towers
The magnificent play of UNICS’ bigmen was a separate phenomenon in November. While the Kazan team backcourt suffered from injuries, the responsibility for the result fell on the shoulders of Jalen Reynolds and Marcus Bingham. And they coped with this task almost flawlessly. The only setback for the Kazan team happened in Perm.
Overall, throughout the month, the bigmen demonstrated a high level of basketball. Neither CSKA nor the gaining momentum of Enisey could stop them. This is confirmed by the statistics. In November, Bingham and Reynolds scored almost half of the team’s total points between them, averaging 42.6 points per game. UNICS centers were also among the five most effective players of the month. If it weren’t for the loss to BETCITY PARMA, one of this pair could have given CSKA’s Melo Trimble serious competition for the MVP title for the last month of fall.
New transfers
The impressive shape of UNICS’ bigmen seems to have influenced the selection of the direct rivals. In November, all of the top four teams became active in the transfer market. The main focus for most clubs was to strengthen frontcourt.
CSKA gained momentum and returned to first place in November and recently strengthened its roster with Luka Mitrovic. The Serbian bigman should fit perfectly into the Moscow team’s concept. The experienced player is capable of covering the forward and center positions and will definitely add depth to the rotation.
Zenit also got 2 big men. Luka Samanic has already played his first games in the League and shown a very decent level (15 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on average). Noah Vonleh is another newcomer in St. Petersburg with the NBA background is expected to make his VTB League debut in the near future.
Loko is strengthening its front line with forwards. The first newcomer is B.J. Johnson, already familiar to Krasnodar team fans. The American forward missed most of last season due to injury. Now he will get his second chance with Loko. Mike Moore has also moved to Krasnodar from Karsiyaka. The American mainly plays in the power forward position, where he is expected to compete with Anton Kvitkovskikh.
The Kazan team, meanwhile, is looking to strengthen its backcourt. Alexey Shved, who had a strong showing in his first games for the title contender, has already signed a temporary contract with UNICS. But the Volga team is unlikely to stop there. The club has entered the transfer market, where it is looking for a replacement for the seriously injured C.J. Bryce.
Among the teams outside the top four, Avtodor and Uralmash have been active in the transfer market recently. Saratov signed a full contract with Grigory Motovilov and released Alex Hamilton. The Yekaterinburg team brought Isaiah Reese back to Russia. The guard made a big impression playing for PARMA. So, Uralmash expects him to play just as well.
The good and bad of Zenit, Uralmash and Pari NN
Isiah Reese invitation did not come out of nowhere. Uralmash has been struggling throughout the current season. November was no exception. At the beginning of the month, the team took the win in Perm and became the only team so far to defeat BETCITY PARMA in UDS Molot. But then Rostislav Vergun team lost to Enisey and struggled to beat Pari NN at home. Uralmash is currently at 7th place, and the team has some tough games ahead against Zenit, CSKA, and PARMA.
It was a very contrasting month for Pari NN as well. The Volga team entered November as a team that regularly lost to its opponents by 20-point differential. The team managed to reverse this trend in Moscow. Road wins over MBA-MAI and Avtodor, as well as the good game against Uralmash, brightened the situation. Pari NN returned to the fight for the Playoffs, gained confidence.
The past month has also been difficult for Zenit. The St. Petersburg team suffered from an epidemic of injuries. Without several key players, the team managed to beat PARMA, but was unable to cope with Enisey and Lokomotiv Kuban. The signing of Samanic and the return of injured players allowed to improve position by the end of November. However, the St. Petersburg team is quite far behind the leading group and will have to make a lot of effort to catch up with their direct rivals.
Avtodor’s crisis
After a brilliant previous championship, Saratov fans had high expectations for the new season. And Avtodor had a good start to the tournament. Two wins in the first three games set a positive tone. But then the Volga team hit a rough patch. Milenko Bogicevic’s players have not tasted victory since October 9, and the team’s losing streak has reached a record 10 games.
The reasons for the Volga team’s failures were injuries and an unsuccessful summer selection. At the same time, even with a weakened lineup, Avtodor is demonstrating a decent level of basketball. The Saratov team often loses in the final minutes. By all indications, sooner or later the black and whites will find their game. The main thing is that by that time their competitors have not pulled so far ahead that they cannot be caught.
BETCITY PARMA – the lightning rod for tops
From the very first games of the season, the Perm team has shown itself from its best side. The bright offensive play, the rapid progress of the young players, the balanced roster, the depth of rotation and the great attitude make the team a dangerous opponent for anyone in the tournament. Especially on the inhospitable court of Molot.
By the beginning of November, the team already had home wins in the VTB League over CSKA and over Loko in the WINLINE Basket Cup. Last month, PARMA stopped another leader UNICS. And the Perm team did it in their usual reckless manner. The team overwhelmed the opponent with energy right from the start. The hosts pulled away to a 30-point lead in the first half. After the halftime, the Kazan team tried to make a comeback, but was unable to get ahead.
With this win, BETCITY PARMA once again confirmed its status as a force. This season, Evgeny Pashutin team is not only contending for Playoffs, but also showing that it is ready to beat the leaders
