CSKA’s new super duo, Shved clicking with Bartzokas, Laprovitolla and Karasev, unsung Loko turning heads, Jamar Smith replacing Keith Langford in Kazan, Denis Zakharov hitting reset at Enisey, Avtodor finding stability at head coach, and Nizhny and Parma surprising everyone.
Here are the storylines that could make the 2017-18 season one to remember.
Imagine CSKA with the best backcourt in Europe
Rodriguez has always been a winner. Take 2015, for example, when the Spanish guard won the EuroLeague, ACB League and EuroBasket. Sure, he has an advantage playing on the Spanish national team, but after so much success, his attitude and expectations are on a different level. Teodosic, in that regard, is not the same.
Thanks to the NBA, Rodriguez also knows what it’s like to play on bad teams. That won’t be the case at CSKA, but knowing what to do when something, or everything, is falling apart is a valuable skill.
Once you start comparing legends like Teodosic and Rodriguez, the differences become minute. But overall, the Spaniard looks a little more well-rounded. And if the introverted De Colo sometimes lacks leadership, Rodriguez knows how to encourage and inspire the team with his magnetism.
There’s more excitement surrounding this backcourt and CSKA’s upcoming campaign than we’ve seen in years.
Imagine Shved and Bartzokas clicking immediately and taking over the League
Here’s why it could happen:
– Alexey Shved is on a tear.
– Georgios Bartzokas loves players like Shved and only struggled once: with Rice in Barcelona.
– Players like Shved love playing for Bartzokas. Just ask Malcolm Delaney, who turned down a huge contract in China to play under him and ended up in the NBA.
– Shved has the ideal point guard in Stefan Markovic. The Serb signed in the offseason (Shved could have used him last season) and he could be the key to Shved maintaining his momentum from EuroBasket.
– Khimki is genuinely deep, boasting the luxury of eight foreign players. Russian clubs in the EuroLeague need the depth. Of course, a private plane is also nice in Europe.
– The VTB United League switched to a Final Four format.
The League has never seen such a competitive CSKA – Khimki rivalry. Maybe Megasport should host the Leningradka derby this season?
Imagine Nicolas Laprovittola enjoying a career season in St. Petersburg alongside Sergey Karasev
The Argentinian is even better than these highlights suggest, but there simply weren’t enough high-quality videos. There’s a reason, too: Laprovittola spent most of his career with average clubs, playing in average environments. Top teams shied away until one of the best in the world, the San Antonio Spurs, came calling last September. Laprovittola only lasted a few months, but scouts could see the potential.
Zenit signed the potential superstar in the offseason. Cut from the same cloth as the classic Argentinian guard, Laprovittola looks like he want to change the world every time he steps on the court. Zenit lacked that type of pure life force last season… Laprovittola won’t wear down, even in a five-game series against Khimki, and leave Sergey Karasev on his own.
Imagine unsung Loko reaching the finals and qualifying for the EuroLeague
Loko’s two biggest players at the moment are Ryan Broekhoff, an elite role player in year three of his contract, and Frank Elegar, who was named to the 2016-17 VTB United League First Team and joined from Enisey over the summer. Ragland, Babb, Qvale and Antipov are each nice additions, but Krasnodar didn’t make any splashy signings in the offseason. Consistency and reliability: That seems to be the approach this season.
The team’s biggest star is probably head coach Sasa Obradovic. Being a Loko fan this season means cheering for unselfish basketball and well-coached players that don’t hog the spotlight. It’s always fun when teams like that win. If you like underdogs, Lokomotiv is the team for you.
Imagine Jamar Smith turning into the new Langford and giving fans another reason to watch UNICS
Kazan seems to be sticking to the same formula: a big-time scorer; athletic, undersized big men; plus Colom to keep everyone in line. A new non-Russian coach from Greece also has some precedent. If EuroCup champion and ex-Unicaja guard Jamar Smith turns into the next Keith Langford, watch out. Last season, whenever UNICS started to crumble, you always knew Langford could bail the team out.
Vladislav Trushkin is another player to watch. He’s one of the most interesting young players in the League and brings a unique skill set. How much playing time will he get?!
What if Zakharov is even better than he used to be with Enisey?
Bartzokas wanted Zakharov at Loko in 2015-16 and signed the Russian guard the following summer, before unexpectedly leaving for Barcelona. Bartzokas was searching for a rare quality in Russia: a shooting guard who likes to score. Obradovic, however, had only six minute per game to give. Now Denis is headed back to Siberia. Zakharov is a real Russian scorer, he’s older now, and it would be fantastic to see him as a leader on this Enisey squad.
Imagine Andrea Mazzon staying at Avtodor for an entire season or more
What if, instead of cycling through three or more coaches in a season, Avtodor didn’t make a single change? The team was very talented, but largely dysfunctional last season and missed out on the postseason. Usually the coach is a big factor in making or missing the playoffs. Well, Saratov has one now: an Italian who’s spent time in China, the D-League and Venezia, and even won Greek League coach of the year 11 seasons ago. You can bank on some sweet highlights with Micah Downs, Coty Clarke, Ian Hummer, but a trip to the postseason would be even better. And after getting dismantled 92-59 by Capo D’Orlando in Champions League qualifying, Saratov’s focus is on the VTB United League.
Imagine Nizhny Novgorod turning out to be much better than expected
There are a lot of concerns surrounding this team, perhaps even more than last season. Nizhny only brought in two foreigners over the summer: ACB League November MVP Stefan Jelovac and Hungarian league semifinalist Sterling Gibbs.
The club bounced out of the Champions League early in qualifying and will play in the Europe Cup, the continent’s 4th-tier cup.
But doggone it, this is Nizhny. Way too many skeptics have burned for doubting the club before. That’s good news for the fans. With low expectations entering the season, any success will be savored.
… and Parma living up to the level of its marketing team, if nothing else
In all seriousness, if Parma really makes a run at the postseason, the average level of basketball in the League will have risen significantly.
