Historically, the VTB League’s Russian clubs have shied away from American players fresh out of college. Foreign clubs have been more willing to sign unproven talent, even if the results are generally mixed. It’s never easy to predict how a player will adapt to the European game. The rules, the approach to practice and games… It’s all a little different.
Of course, there are always exceptions. Youngsters like Brandon Paul and DeAndre Kane began their pro careers at Nizhny Novgorod and Krasny Oktyabr, respectively. But neither lasted an entire season.
Avtodor had a little more success last season snapping up recent college grads. Three young foreign players featured on the roster in 2016-17, none with more than a year of pro experience. Yes, Michael Carrera, despite showing potential, was cut during the season, but Josh Adams and Vince Hunter both became leaders on the squad.
Number of foreign players at VTB League Russian clubs with no more than one year of pro experience
Several more Russian clubs followed suit this summer. Second-tier teams made the bulk of the signings, but finals runner-up Khimki also got in on the fun. At the beginning of the season, seven foreign players with no more than one year of pro experience were listed on Russian rosters.
Let’s find out a little more about each of these players and what kind of impact they might have this season.
Anthony Gill (Khimki)
Position: Power forward
Height: 203 cm
Age: 24
Pro experience: Yesilgiresun, Turkey (2016-17)
2016-17 stats: 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals
Khimki was the only top VTB League team to pick up such a young foreigner. He only has one year of experience in the pros, playing last season at Turkey’s Yesilgiresun, where he was 2nd on the team in scoring (14.4 points) and 1st in rebounding (6.9), efficiency rating (15.0) and 3-point field-goal percentage (46.5%, 20-43).
Gill is the perfect complement to Georgios Bartzokas’s system. You might compare him to Anthony Randolph. He’s a versatile big man who can play at the 4 and 5, moves and jumps, and can knock down a jump shot. That’s exactly who Bartzokas needed to advance his philosophy of up-tempo basketball. Not surprisingly, Gill has already won a spot in the starting lineup over stiff competition.
Tre’ McLean (Parma)
Position: Small forward
Height: 196 cm
Age: 23
Pro experience: None
2016-17 stats at Chattanooga (NCAA): 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals
McLean has a big challenge in his first pro season. Debuting in a competition like the VTB League isn’t easy and playing alongside Gaines, Moreira and Miller-McIntyre, he won’t always get a lot of touches. But Tre’ can make an impact in other aspects of the game.
Parma coach Nikolajs Mazurs has praised McLean’s versatility. He does a good job of getting open, helping out on fast breaks, defending and moving without the ball. If he accepts a secondary role, he should have plenty of playing time and earn the trust of his teammates, which could lead to more involvement in the offense over time. Despite losses to Zenit and Khimki to open the season, McLean has looked solid, scoring 12 and 7 points, respectively.
Codi Miller-McIntyre (Parma)
Position: Point guard
Height: 191 cm
Age: 23
Pro experience: Leuven Bears, Belgium (2016-17)
2016-17 stats: 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.9 steals
Miller-McIntyre was a star at Leuven Bears in Belgium in his debut season. The team finished in second-to-last place, but he led Belgium in scoring at 17.2 points per game, assists (5.8) and steals (1.9). Miller-McIntyre parlayed the numbers into a VTB League deal, signing with Parma over the summer. The competition is better, both around the league and on the team. But the 23-year-old has shown he’s ready to be a leader in Perm. He can do everything: Push the ball in transition, drive the lane and knock down 3-pointers. He’s also terrific on the glass and gets his teammates involved. Two weeks into the season, Miller-McIntyre looks like one of the primary candidates to post a triple-double in the League this season.
Earvin Morris (Avtodor)
Position: Small forward
Height: 196 cm
Age: 23
Pro experience: Tadamon, Lebanon (2016-17)
2016-17 stats: 23.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks
Saratov experienced all the ups and downs of going young last season. The team is taking a more cautious approach this year, signing Morris to a two-month contract with the option to extend.
His physical gifts (long arms, speed, explosiveness) and motivation to earn an extension should help him compete for a spot on Avtodor’s roster. But he’ll need to adjust quickly to a new style of basketball. After all, playing for a mid-level club in the Lebanese league is not quite the same as taking on the VTB United League. He’s starting from scratch in Saratov and will need to prove he belongs.
It’s been a mixed bag thus far. Morris is playing hard, but hasn’t matched the output of the club’s other foreign players. He only saw 10 minutes in the first home game, contributing two free throws, three rebounds and one steal, while missing a couple of 3-pointers. It remains to be seen if he will earn an extension.
Justin Robinson (Avtodor)
Position: Point guard
Height: 173 cm
Age: 22
Pro experience: None
2016-17 stats at Virginia Tech (NCAA): 19.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals
After Josh Adams signed with Anadolu Efes, Saratov needed to scramble to find a replacement. Several interesting options were already off the table (Parma’s Codi Miller-McIntyre, for example, would have been a good fit in Saratov), but Avtodor ultimately snagged a promising, if unconventional, replacement.
The club took a risk signing the 173-cm guard. But it’s not the first time the club has been willing to gamble. Robinson will struggle at times on defense because of his height, but the coaching staff believes his pluses outweigh the minuses. He’s incredibly quick, shoots a high percentage and has exquisite ball-handling skills, which allows him to break presses with ease. At the same time, Robinson does a great job getting teammates involved on offense.
He’ll need some time to adjust. The coaching staff has been a big help, giving the 22-year-old a team-high 27 minutes in the win over Enisey. Robinson responded with 12 points, two assists, two rebounds and two steals. That’s only the beginning.
Octavius Ellis (Enisey)
Position: Center
Height: 208 cm
Age: 24
Pro experience: Mornar Bar, Montenegro (2016-17)
2016-17 stats: 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks
It’s hard to not draw comparisons to Frank Elegar. Ellis is just as lanky and skinny and boasts a huge wingspan. He’s also got some wheels and can jump out of the gym.
But don’t expect Ellis to fill Elegar’s shoes immediately. His predecessor was one of the best players in the League last season. Even more experienced centers would struggle to replace him. Even so, expectations for Ellis are high in Krasnoyarsk.
For now, Igor Kanygin has been the starting center with Suleiman Braimoh also earning minutes in the post. Even Alexander Gudumak has looked more convincing than Ellis at times.
The club is trusting Oleg Okulov to work his magic with the young American. He’s a wizard when it comes to getting the most out of players. Who knows, Ellis could be on the verge of a breakthrough and begin living up to his potential as one of the League’s top blockers.
Sterling Gibbs (Nizhny Novgorod)
Position: Shooting guard
Height: 188 cm
Age: 24
Pro experience: Kormend, Hungary (2016-17), Indios de San Francisco, Dominican Republic (2017)
2016-17 stats: 15.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals (Kormend)
There were supposed to be two young Americans on Nizhny’s roster. Erik McCree even said he wanted to be the best player in the League upon arriving in Nizhny Novgorod. But he didn’t even last through preseason. Gibbs stuck around, playing with the team throughout preseason, including two Champions League qualifying games.
His future, however, also looks shaky. The American received little playing time against Antwerp and didn’t do much in the few minutes he did play. Against VEF, Gibbs wasn’t even on the roster or in the arena. There are rumors Gibbs might be cut, though there hasn’t been official confirmation.
