2019/20 VTB United League regular season – one of the most dramatic in League’s history – is at its final stage. The teams have 6-8 games ahead to meet their goals. Konstantin Kucher sums up their aims and objectives.
Khimki
Current ranking: 1st (17 won – 1 lost)
Goal: maintain 1st place
Khimki took the leading position from the very beginning and are still keeping it. They were defeated only once in this regular season, at home game vs Loko. Rimas Kurtinaitis’ side is 3 victories ahed of the followers. It’s hard to lose that advantage in 6 games, but still they’ll have their challenges. Moscow region players have tough schedule at the final stage of the regular season. They’ll face CSKA, Zenit and Loko. Trip to Perm is going to be intense as well.
CSKA
Current ranking: 2nd (14 won – 4 lost)
Goal: chase Khimki
Since 2014/15 season (1st edition without groups), CSKA have always been ranked 1st after the regular season. Last year, they were close to lose it, but UNICS couldn’t keep up with the tempo and sufferred a surprising loss from PARMA. This time it looks like CSKA’s streak will be broken. Khimki’s lead is way too big. However, CSKA are definetely not a team to disregard. The leaders’ faceoff on March 16 will be decisive for the 1st place. Itoudis’ side need a home win over their rivals with margin more than 16 points (in order to win the tie-break).
Lokomotiv-Kuban
Current ranking: 3rd (13 won – 4 lost)
Goal: compete CSKA and Khimki
Kuban had a rough start. They’d lost not only CSKA, but also Astana, Enisey and Avtodor by mid-December. Anyway, Krasnodar managed to recover. After signing new coach Evgeny Pashutin, they made an 8-game winning streak and currently are the ‘hottest’ team of the League. They already have the same number of losses as CSKA. Therefore, the Red-greens have the chance to enter into contenders’ competition. The only challege is the schedule. In the end of the regular season, Kuban plays CSKA, UNICS and Khimki, plus hard road games in Nizhny Novgorod and Perm.
UNICS
Current ranking: 4th (10 won – 6 lost)
Goal: reserve homecourt advantage
Within the last two seasons, Kazan were competing for the first place in the regular season. But this year, UNICS are not as confident. Currently, Dimitris Priftis’ side fills the space between the leaders and those who fight for playoff. With a 10-6 record, they are 3 wins away from both groups. At the same time, having found their rhythm, Kazan could try to chase CSKA and Loko, but maintinig current position sounds more realistic. The fourth place would ensure homecourt advantage in the first playoff round (and probably help avoid CSKA in the semifinals).
Enisey
Current ranking: 5 место (7 won – 9 lost)
Goal: find they way to play after Davion Berry left
Currently, Krasnoyarsk leads the group of 7 tied teams. The Siberians have a little advantage (extra game to play), plus their schedule is not that harsh: 6 of 8 games with direct competitors. But what’s the most dangerous is within the team. Last week, they parted ways with team’s first star Davion Berry who signed with Euroleague’s Villeurbanne.
Krasnoyarsk will most likely try to ink new player, but it’s a question whether this will be a positive change. Enisey’s fans already have their bad memories of these changes: Chavaughn Lewis (came instead Darius Morris) is not that confident in VTB League. The American averages 6.6 points per game (31.5% FG, 20% 3-pointers, 47.4% FT).
Zenit
Current ranking: 6 место (7 won – 10 lost)
Goal: survive two leagues’ calendar and qualify to playoff
Petersburg are way too low in the table. Plus, it was only last round when Zenit broke their 4-games losing streak and climbed back to playoff. Now they’ll tray to reserve that spot. And Zenit have good chances to do that given the class of the players, relatively simple schedule and new head coach Xavier Pascual.
Their main challenge is to survive the rhyghm of two leagues which has been a problem so far. And it’s not going to be easy: double round in Euroleague (March 3 and 5), plus road game in Krasnoyarsk (March 8). Trip to Nizhny Novgorod (March 16) will be right after Lyon (March 13). This is what the rest of the regular season will be like for Zenit.
PARMA
Current ranking: 7th (7 won – 10 lost)
Goal: win the next three games
PARMA had a challenging start, but found their rhythm in January. Four wins over direct competitiors – and Ural is the main contentder for the playoff spot. They are in good shape and neep to prove it. The end of the regular season will not be easy. Khimki, Loko, UNICS and Astana (on the road) are not the teams where you get straight wins. Therefore, the closest games against Zielona Gora, Tsmoki and Kalev are PARMA’s key to secure playoff spot.
Kalev
Current ranking: 8th (7 won – 10 lost)
Goal: take the chance
The Estonians are not the most stable team this season. They can be downed by Zielona Gora at home with a huge deficit, and a couple of weeks later get a road win over Zenit. Roberts Stelmahers’ team can be a surprise of every round which makes it hard to predict. Kalev’s roster is not the most prominent in the League, plus the schedule is tough. But still, they have the chance for the playoff. Kalev can hope to beat PARMA, Nizhny, Zielona Gora and Tsmoki-Minsk in the end of the regular season, but they are the ones to decide their own fate.
Zielona Gora
Current ranking: 9th (7 won – 10 lost)
Goal: improve home games
Zielona Gora are one of the teams – along with Khimki and Zenit – who play better away. Road games mean 50% success rate for them (4 of 8), while the efficiency drops at home court (3 of 9, 33.3% victories). That can be their momentum. April’s streak of home games: Kalev (April 5), Enisey (April 9) and Khimki (April 13) will be crucial for playoff spot.
Nizhny Novgorod
Current ranking: 10th (6 won – 10 lost)
Goal: survive the leaders
In February, Nizhny started a series of games against League’s contenders. They were stopped by Khimki (94:88), and now are getting ready for Loko, UNICS and Zenit. Meanwhile, Nizhny will play the Champions League playoff against Dijon. This is the time when Zoran Lukic’s team have to stay stable emotionally, endure physical pressure and avoid injuries. The latter is the Black-whites traditional problem. End of February and mid-March games require the best shape.
Astana
Current ranking: 11th (6 won – 10 lost)
Goal: winsить в оставшихся домашних матчах
This season, Astana is the best ‘home’ team of the League. They have only one road win (over Zielona Gora). It’s going to be challenging to do it again in the end of the regular season. Astana will go to Krasnoyarsk, Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar and Nizhny Novgorod which makes home games even more important. In Nur-Sultan, they’ll host Kalev, Avtodor, UNICS and PARMA. Astana are capable of those opponents. Given the density of the standings, even these 4 wins can secure the playoff spot.
Avtodor
Current ranking: 12th (4 won – 12 lost)
Goal: to surprise
In the beginning of the season, Saratov looked like a major playoff contende and they were living up until mid-February (4W – 5L). But later the nosedive happened. 7 consecutive losses dropped Avtodor to the bottom of the standings. The trail by only 3 wins, however, poor shape and hard schedule give little hope.
Anyways, the miracles happen. It will be great to see Donaldas Kairys and the boys surprise the fans in the end of the regular season. Their recently signed Senegal star Mouhammad Faye can be an X factor. The experienced forward will bring extra power to Avtodor’s frontcourt.
Tsmoki-Minsk
Current ranking: 13th (4 won – 13 lost)
Goal: avoid the last place
Within the last 5 seasons Tsmoki-Minsk took the last place only once, last season. And now the Dragons again are trying to climb higher from the 13th place. The calendar will favor the Belarus team in the end of the regular season. Minsk will have more home games facing teams below top 4. Nonetheless, Tsmoki are hardly a playoff contender. They can get some victories to climb a couple of places higher. But most likely they will not erase the 3-wins deficit.
