In order to win in the VTB League, it’s not enough to sign a bunch of talented players. The coach is the one that makes these players into a disciplined, mentally-tough group, besides implementing the defense and offense. Head coaches are often undervalued, with individual players taking the credit for the team’s success. But the team’s style of play and the results over the course of a season depend on the coach.
As we enter the final week of the regular season, here are the top contenders for Coach of the Year.
Dimitris Priftis, UNICS
Record: 20-5
Up until a week ago, the Greek boss was the top candidate for Coach of the Year. UNICS was the only team to beat CSKA twice and was on the cusp of clinching 1st place. Kazan remains the best defensive team in the League, even after traveling to Saratov, where Avtodor dropped 95 points on the visitors. UNICS has been consistent throughout the season, never losing more than once in a month. At the same time, only one of Kazan’s five losses came against another top-four team (Khimki).
Dimitris Priftis did not have to rebuild his team from scratch this summer. UNICS only made a few signings in the offseason, leaving it up to Priftis to help them adjust to the club. At this stage of the season, Kazan is dangerous not only for defense, but also boasting multiple options on offense: Five players average double digits and anyone is capable of taking over a game. The recent win over CSKA is a good example. Despite playing without Pierria Henry and Errick McCollum and struggling early on, Pavel Sergeev came off the bench to hit two clutch 3-pointers and force a turnover, giving the team a much-needed boost.
Achievement: 2 wins over CSKA
UNICS failed to win the regular season because of a disappointing setback vs. PARMA, but Kazan flexed its muscles by inflicting two losses on the reigning champions. CSKA was last swept by an opponent in the 2014-15 season, losing twice to Lokomotiv-Kuban.
Emil Rajkovic, Astana
Record: 15-10
Astana is enjoying its best season in the League. The Kazakhs broke their record for regular-season wins in March (13), while the victory over Enisey gave Astana a club-record .600 winning percentage. Emil Rajkovic is the main reason for Astana’s breakout campaign.
The Kazakhs have earned a reputation for thrilling wins. Already in the third game of the season, Astana completed an unbelievable comeback vs. Zenit, despite trailing by 19. Astana often starts slow, but thanks to the adjustments made by the coaching staff, the team has secured multiple comeback wins.
Rajkovic’s ability to innovate has been evident throughout the course of the season. Anthony Clemmons was on fire in December, winning the monthly MVP award, before going into a slump. After a brief skid, Astana got back on track as several other players–J.J. O’Brien and Ken Horton–stepped up as leaders.
Achievement: Leading Astana to a historic season
Astana clinched a playoff spot weeks ago, but the team has higher ambitions. Emil Rajkovic’s men could finish in 5th place, dropping Zenit to 6th (or even 7th) place. Fittingly, the final game of the season will be played in St. Petersburg. If Astana wins, they will face Lokomotiv in the first round, whom they already beat once on the road.
Donaldas Kairys, Kalev
Record: 13-12
Donaldas Kairys took over at Kalev mid-season a year ago, but even when he had no chance to bring in players to fit his system, the club only missed the postseason by two games. Over the summer, the Lithuanian, who has previously worked as a scout for CSKA, Khimki and Loko, overhauled the roster before adding some serious athleticism during the course of the season in Arnett Moultrie and Tony Wroten.
Kalev took advantage of the All-Star Game and international break: The Estonians have gone 6-2 this spring to become one of the League’s most dangerous teams. Donaldas Kairys knows how to use his players’ strengths. Arnett Moultrie is not effective from outside, but he’s unbelievably efficient close to the basket (64% from the field, 4th in the League). The experienced Branko Mirkovic is a starter, while Tony Wroten adds explosiveness coming off the bench.
Kairys isn’t solely dependent on his foreign players. Kristjan Kangur has started almost every game; Kristjan Kitsing leads the League in three-point percentage (52.8%), while Janari Joesaar was poached by Tenerife after the 2019 All-Star Game and will be playing in the Champions League Final Four next weekend.
Achievement: First playoff appearance in club history
Kalev has been on a roll, beating out Avtodor and Enisey for the final playoff berth. The Estonians are ranked in the top-eight for the first time in 10 seasons and could even finish as high as 6th with some help and a win over Lokomotiv-Kuban.
Zoran Lukic, Nizhny Novgorod
Record: 13-12
Nizhny Novgorod got off to a slow start. Due to competing in the Champions League, the Volga club’s attention was divided, while an exhausting schedule resulted in numerous injuries.
Zoran Lukic’s teams are known for competing until the final seconds and working on their mistakes. The Serb is not afraid to criticize players at post-game press conferences and can be very expressive on the court. It works. Lukic knows how to fire his team up and help them overachieve, with wins this season already vs. Khimki, UNICS, Astana and Zenit.
Achievement: Squeezing the most out of limited resources
Zoran Lukic tries to get the maximum out of the roster available for each game. The game vs. CSKA is a great example. Kendrick Perry and Ivan Strebkov were both unavailable, but he found players to step up. One of them, 21-year-old Georgy Zhbanov, even took over point guard duties despite typically playing as a forward, and finished with 18 points and nine assists. The team instantaneously adjusted as Zhbanov continued to star in the next two games, despite having only played more than 20 minutes in a game twice prior this season.
