The regular season has come to an end, and we have every reason to consider it the most interesting in the VTB League history. Here’s a look at the memorable moments of the 7-month regular season.
PARMA and Enisey Rise
The success of PARMA and Enisey in the first part of the season might have caused some skepticism, but it quickly became clear that these coached teams are indeed capable of causing major problems for the Top 4 and staying competitive even when they are alone with the rivals in the Top 6. Evgeny Pashutin defense, spectacular B.J. Johnson and Richard Solomon, and the Krasnoyarsk team Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Jeremiah Martin with Joivica Arsic, have produced milestones and sensations.
Enisey managed to beat absolutely all opponents at least once during the regular season for the first time, PARMA wasn’t able to defeat Zenit only. The 2 unique teams made the regular season unpredictable and diverse.
Unstoppable Rathan-Mayes
The signing of the Canadian guard by Enisey was a major transfer not only for the Krasnoyarsk team, but for the entire League. Xavier Rathan-Mayes immediately took things seriously – his performances from the Week 1 of the regular season brought more and more personal fans, and also allowed the Siberian team to win. Records accompanied the success of the team that doesn’t spoil its fans with outstanding results – that’s what defines a true leader.
Just over a month into the season, Xavier scored 42 points against PARMA – his career-high and the third-high in VTB League history (all-time high is 49). Last season, in 229 games (including Playoffs), no player scored 35 points in a single game. Rathan-Mayes has done it twice in just 8 games since the start of the regular season.
The charismatic scorer kept up the pace until the very end, updating Keith Langford all-time high in points scored in a season – 941. Needless to say, the Canadian guard averaged 25.7 points per game this season (1st amonth the entire League).
Avtodor avoided coaching resignation
The Saratov team head coach position has been considered the most dangerous – no one has ever managed to stay for long. Avtodor has never been without at least one coaching change during the season.
At the first stage, the Saratov team didn’t have stability and results, so it seemed that Milenko Bogicevic wouldn’t be able to pull off a miracle. This time the team decided to be patient and trusted the 47-year-old Serbian coach. As it turned out, not for nothing: the Volga team gained momentum, dealing with the rivals and having a 7-game winning streak at the second stage that put the team in the play-in.
Uralmash successful debut
Uralmash had not the worst start for a newcomer – 8-8, but in December the team parted ways with Milos Pavicevic unexpectedly. The team was soon led by Rostislav Vergun, who had no wins with MINSK before the season. But the most interesting things were just beginning.
The Belarusian coach was able to build an effective offense around a well-chose strong performers led by the dominant Octavius Ellis. The team had only 1 loss in the entire second stage and was the best in Group B. In the play-in Uralmash confirmed the level and became the Playoff team from the very first year in the League.
Possibly the best All-Star Game ever
The exciting regular season was highlighted by the same level All-Star Game. It’s not always a basketball event, but this time the VTB Arena was hot not only during the performances and contests, but also during the game itself. Team Rajkovic versus Team Pascual format was especially good in the last 5 minutes, when the opponents were maximally engaged and enjoyed the game, and ended with Jeremiah Hill making an epic shot. Conceptually, the All-Star Weekend was added to remind that basketball is an art form, which was a great idea. The entertainmentand organization were top – the All-Star Game 2024 was definitely a success!
Winning streak and MBA revival
MBA became the main surprise of the last season, making many people fall in love with the team. The Moscow team had participated with top teams at the SuperCup 2023, but from the very beginning of the new season faced the second season syndrome. For a long time, the Moscow team has not been able to repeat the success of the debut season. The opponents began to take the team more seriously, MBA regularly lost in endings and seemed to lost confidence. On March 6, the team lost at home to Avtodor with a 21-point difference – it seemed that the season could not be saved.
The revival came after the win over MINSK, which followed immediately after the game with the Saratov team and marked a 10-game winning streak – it put the team in the play-in. MBA progressed with each game: the defense started working again, allowing the team to demonstrate its special style, the shooters started making shots, Vladislav Trushkin had the best stretch of his career, and at the same time the players regained their self-confidence.
The team made up of Russian players clearly demonstrated the validity of the two-round format and the play-in, which leaves hope of saving the season in the most critical situation.
High competition and intrigue until the last round
There were 2 new champions in the VTB League over the past 2 years. It seems that the overall level decreased due to the departure of top players, but it turned out to be the most exciting and competitive regular season in history. The intrigue took place in almost all games and lasted until the very end – starting with the persistence of MINSK, which got 1 win after several good attempts, and ending with the fierce competition at the second stage in both groups. In Group B, Uralmash and MINSK was able to watch the outcomes calmly, but all the others claimed to continue the season and fought until the last games.
Group A was even more interesting. Receiving resistance from PARMA and Enisey, the favorites fought for Top 3 spots, repeatedly changing places (Zenit was especially good and finished the second stage with a 9 wins and 1 loss and 2nd place). The game between UNICS and CSKA in Kazan was the logical conclusion of this process. In the final game of the regular season, the top teams determined the winner of regular season. The Playoffs 2023 MVP Nenad Dimitrijevic helped the Kazan team to win. In the battle for 1st place, the guard scored a career-high 40 points and became one of the top players of the regular season along with Rathan-Mayes.
After this loss, the Moscow team decided to take measures and fired Emil Rajkovic. He was replaced by Andreas Pistiolis. This regular season kept us in suspense until the very end!
