The VTB United League tips off on Thursday. Before the games begin, VTB-League.com recaps what went down over the summer, assessing each club’s chances in the upcoming campaign.
Up Next: The Favorites. These are the teams dreaming of a championship in 2018.
Zenit St. Petersburg
Last Season
Semifinals (21-3 in the regular season)
Acquisitions
Marko Simonovic, Evgeny Voronov, Kyle Kuric, Nicolas Laprovittola, Scottie Reynolds, Drew Gordon, Shayne Whittington, Nikita Barinov.
Offseason
Zenit has adhered to Brazil’s national motto Ordem e progresso (“Order and Progress”) ever since joining the League three years ago. At the same time, the club is known to take a romantic approach to the game, preaching up-tempo basketball and high-octane offense with plenty of fast breaks. But after several years of relative stability, reform swept through the club this summer, beginning with a shakeup in club structure and ending with a nearly complete roster makeover. Not surprisingly, St. Petersburg needed a little longer to wrap up free agency, issuing a flurry of contracts in July. The goal was to bring in experienced, savvy talent that could win a make-or-break game to reach the EuroLeague… The intent was admirable, but such big changes almost always include a few roadblocks along the way.
To begin with, St. Petersburg has had to overcome several preseason injuries. Over the past month, Zenit has been practicing and scrimmaging almost without a frontcourt, exacerbated by Anton Pushkov’s season-ending knee injury. No question, this has not been an ideal offseason and raises questions about whether or not the Blue-White-Sky Blues can continue the momentum they have been building in St. Petersburg in recent years.
Leader
Sergey Karasev. He’s one of five returning players on the team, but the only one that played big minutes. Named team MVP by the fans last season, Karasev is a bonafide star. Instead of playing at EuroBasket 2017 with the Russian national team, Karasev spent the summer rehabbing a shoulder injury. He’s healthy just in time for the start of the season and ready to renew the rivalry with Khimki star Alexey Shved.
Stat
1 – the League’s first Argentinian, Nicolas Laprovittola, signed with Zenit in July and hopes to make a big splash.
Starters
Scottie Reynolds, Kyle Kuric, Sergey Karasev, Evgeny Valiev, Drew Gordon.
Quote
Head coach Vasily Karasev:
– There won’t be a revolution. We don’t want to mess with the approach that has produced results and been our trademark for so long. We brought in players that fit our vision of the game. We couldn’t keep everyone, but I hope we were able to assemble a competitive squad. Yes, doing an almost complete rebuild does pose problems. If there’s a solid core, it’s easier to introduce new players and explain the team philosophy. But we only have 3-4 players left from the old roster and new leaders have arrived. Our efforts are directed at creating something positive from a challenging situation.
Last Season
Semifinals (19-5 in the regular season)
Acquisitions
Stanislav Ilnitsky, Frank Elegar, Chris Babb, Pavel Antipov, Trevor Lacey, Brian Qvale, Joe Raggland, Ivan Nelyubov.
Offseason
Lokomotiv had a quiet summer. That’s good news for a club that the previous year was forced to say goodbye to its coach, missed the mark with Fotios Katsikaris, suffered a catastrophic start to the season and was forced to bring in yet another coach to turn things around. With Sasa Obradovic returning, the Serb was able to put his own stamp on the roster, focusing on acquiring players best-suited to his style of play.
As Andrey Vedishchev said this summer: “No one comes to Loko as a star, but many leave that way.” It’s no secret teams in Europe, especially those outside of the EuroLeague, can have a hard time assembling a roster. Despite challenges, Krasnodar was able to secure an intriguing collection of talented, though mostly unheralded free agents. Loko’s success this season will depend in large part on whether or not the newcomers can live up to Vedishchev’s statement.
Leader
The new Big Three of Ragland, Babb and Qvale carried Loko in the preseason. Point guard Ragland, who guided Avellino to the Italian Supercup and Serie A finals last season and finished second in MVP voting, could end up as the leader on the team. Loko typically boasts talented playmakers and the versatile Ragland could become one of the season’s biggest stars.
Stat
10 – even though Loko made a lot of changes over the summer, there are 10 players on the roster that competed in the VTB United League last season.
Starters
Joe Ragland, Chris Babb, Ryan Broekhoff, Pavel Antipov, Brian Qvale
Quote
President Andrey Vedishchev:
– Our main goals are to win the Eurocup, make the VTB United League Final Four and advance to the championship, as well as return to the EuroLeague.
UNICS Kazan
Last Season
Quarterfinals (15-9 in the regular season)
Acquisitions
Dimitris Priftis (head coach), Alexander Bille, Ilnur Sharipov, Evgeny Kolesnikov, Vladislav Trushkin, Trent Lockett, Pavel Sergeev, Grigory Shukhovtsev, Melvin Ejim, Stephane Lasme, Jamar Smith, Andrey Koshcheev.
Offseason
UNICS’s summer turned on signing a new head coach, which the club took very seriously. Evgeny Pashutin departed in May and his replacement wasn’t signed until July. Soon after bringing in Dimitris Priftis, the club also parted ways with Keith Langford. If it hadn’t been clear already, the departure of the League’s most explosive scorer signaled a shift both in personnel as well as team philosophy.
Kazan didn’t waste time bringing in new talent and everyone, even the head coach, signed one-year contracts. The 2017-18 season is going to be an experiment. There aren’t any more stars like Langford or Parakhouski, but a team-first approach, following a mostly disappointing 2016-17 campaign, looks like a step in the right direction.
Leader
Based on the above, Kazan’s new head coach holds the key to the team’s success this season. A year ago, UNICS reminded many of the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant’s final season, with a similar reliance on one player’s shotmaking, in this case Keith Langford. This time around, opponents should expect a well-coached squad that can make life miserable for anyone. Quino Colom, who was impressive a year ago, will run the offense. With Langford gone, his role on the club will continue to grow.
Stat
7 – Russia, Greece, Canada, Latvia, USA, Spain, Gabon–UNICS has the League’s most international team.
Starters
Quino Colom, Jamar Smith, Melvin Ejim, Vladislav Trushkin, Stephane Lasme
Quote
UNICS point guard Anton Ponkrashov:
– Everything about the team has been fantastic. Our new coach is motivating us the right way and teaching us to be united. We’ve got a good squad: No one slacks off and everyone’s committed to doing the dirty work. I didn’t play for Andrea Trinchieri, but many say this team is similar to the one he had. We aren’t geared toward one player. It’s about the team. Most importantly, everyone understands that our primary goal is winning. It’s not about points or minutes, but winning.
Khimki Moscow Region
Last Season
Finals (19-5 in the regular season)
Acquisitions
Georgios Bartzokas (head coach), Stefan Markovic, Andrey Zubkov, Charles Jenkins, Anthony Gill, Tyler Honeycutt, James Anderson, Malcolm Thomas, Ivan Viktorov, Vladislav Staratelev, Thomas Robinson.
Offseason
Khimki had a big summer and is ready to take on CSKA. Stop, stop, stop. That’s what people say every year. But there may actually be some basis to the claim this time around.
As in years past, Khimki has built an impressive roster to go with a motivated, elite coach, capable of delivering results at the highest level. The difference is that Moscow Region, which has looked overpowered in recent playoff series against CSKA, will only need to deliver one blow this season, much like they did in the 2011 League Final Four.
Khimki took the first baby step in the Gomelsky Cup, defeating CSKA in the championship game. No one’s losing their heads in Moscow Region, though, over an preseason trophy. Khimki still needs to adjust to a brand-new roster, build chemistry on and off the court and survive the EuroLeague gauntlet. Assuming the club does reach the VTB United League Final Four, coming out on top won’t be easy there, either. But the inevitable ups and downs of the regular season should help unite the Yellow-Blues in advance of the spring and summer’s knockout games. Thanks to Khimki’s reloaded roster, this should be the most interesting, and perhaps most competitive, season in League history.
Leader
Alexey Shved burnished his status as a European superstar during EuroBasket 2017. At the same time, Khimki will try to be less reliant on the Russian guard in the upcoming campaign. The acquisition of talented playmakers in Markovic and Anderson should relieve the pressure on EuroBasket’s leading scorer and make Khimki even stronger.
Stat
4 – Khimki has managed to sign four former Sixers players: Shved, Robinson, Anderson and Thomas. Trust The Process.
Starters
Stefan Markovic, Alexey Shved, James Anderson, Anthony Gill, Marko Todorovic.
Quote
Khimki general director Pavel Astakhov:
– The board of trustees will set the vision for the team. It’s not easy to discuss goals right now, but they will probably be set as high as possible. You always need to challenge yourself to the max.
CSKA Russia
Last Season
Champion (22-2 in the regular season)
Acquisitions
Sergio Rodriguez, Will Clyburn, Leo Westermann, Othello Hunter, Alan Makiev.
Offseason
CSKA parted ways with two key players over the summer: Milos Teodosic was the face of CSKA basketball for years, while Aaron Jackson was the informal leader on the team and the biggest jokester, in addition to his valuable role on the court. The Red-Blues were prepared, however, signing Spanish star and ex-76er Sergio Rodriguez along with French national team guard Leo Westermann. In addition, CSKA added depth with two EuroLeague-level starters in Will Clyburn and Othello Hunter.
Preseason preparations featured experimental lineups, par for the course in Moscow. Despite four defeats, the Red-Blues clearly have more than enough talent to compensate for the loss of Milos Teodosic and help the new players adjust. With most of last season’s championship roster intact to go with added depth, athleticism and energy, CSKA is ready for the challenges ahead: adapting to life without a franchise player, tackling a new playoff format and responding to the increased threat in Khimki.
Leader
Despite Teodosic’s departure to the NBA, CSKA still has two EuroLeague MVPs in the backcourt. Nando De Colo and Rodriguez each played well at EuroBasket 2017, though they didn’t enjoy as much team success as they might have liked. That should keep them motivated entering the club season. CSKA’s new backcourt tandem promises to be just as dangerous and effective as in seasons past.
Stat
8 – Eight CSKA players took part in EuroBasket. That’s the most of any club in the League.
Starters
Sergio Rodriguez, Nando De Colo, Nikita Kurbanov, Andrey Vorontsevich, Kyle Hines.
Quote
CSKA president Andrey Vatutin:
– In both leagues in which we compete, the winner will be decided by a Final Four. That’s where we need to be. It’s impossible to set a goal of winning a lottery, but our approach won’t change. We will try to win it all.
