Five VTB United League games are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday, November 11
Time: 6:00 PM (6:00 MSK)
Place: Basket Hall, Kazan, Russia
TV: Match! Nash Sport, VTB-League.com
UNICS: Kazan is undefeated and will be expected to pick up another win at home on Saturday. UNICS played well in the EuroCup earlier in the week, taking down Torino. As for Avtodor, both teams like to share the ball, ranking in top four in assists per game (UNICS – 22.3; Avtodor – 20.0). UNICS also brings defensive grit, conceding only 67.5 points per game, tops in the League.
Avtodor: Saratov has struggled on the defensive end, giving up 90.8 points per game, 2nd-most in the League. Avtodor is also not a very good rebounding team, collecting only 29 per outing. Given Kazan’s outstanding frontcourt, the visitors will be hard-pressed on the glass: Avtodor’s going to need more than just Coty Clarke’s athleticism vs. his former team.
Sunday, November 12
Lokomotiv-Kuban Russia – VEF Latvia
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Basket Hall, Krasnodar, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Sasa Obradovic had nothing but good things to say about his team last week in the win over Avtodor. Russian national team guard Dmitry Kulagin made his debut in that game and on Wednesday scored 17 points to go with six assists in a win over Partizan in the EuroCup. He gives Loko another dimension on offense with the club already ranking in the top three in the League in points scored.
VEF: Last week, Riga turned heads with a 27-point win over Enisey. VEF has been competitive in almost every game, but that was the first win of the season. The result was even more impressive when you consider that VEF lost star forward Rolands Freimanis a few days before the game. Alex Perez was the new leader on the court, dishing out 16 assists. Can he repeat that performance against one of the League’s best defensive teams in recent years? Overall, Loko leads the series with VEF, 6-2.
Nizhny Novgorod Russia – Tsmoki-Minsk Belarus
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Sports Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Nizhny Novgorod: Nizhny Novgorod made news earlier this week, bringing in veteran big man Vladimir Veremeenko to shore up the frontcourt. He had an immediate impact in the Europe Cup, helping Nizhny secure a come-from-behind win over Falco. Now the Belarusian is set to make his VTB United League debut this season against Tsmoki-Minsk.
Tsmoki-Minsk: Alexander Krutikov’s club has been a pleasant surprise. Despite the League’s worst offense (63 points per game) and ranking outside the top 10 in almost every category and without a single player averaging double digits in scoring, Tsmoki has already won twice. If Minsk can slow the tempo and force the ball inside, they have a shot at stealing another win on the road in Russia.
Kalev Estonia – Astana Kazakhstan
Time: 5:00 PM (6:00 MSK)
Place: Kalevi Spordihall, Tallinn, Estonia
TV: VTB-League.com
Kalev: Tallinn is the only team in the League without a win, but don’t count out Alar Varrak’s club quite yet. The standings are extremely tight through the first month of the season and Kalev has played some close games, including a six-point loss to Zenit, five-point loss to Avtodor and two-point loss to PARMA. Kalev’s biggest struggle has been turnovers. The Estonians gave up 18 points off turnovers to Zenit, which may have made the difference in the game. The good news for Kalev fans is that newly-signed point guard Isaiah Briscoe should help the team significantly with taking care of the ball.
Astana: The Kazakhs finally got a win, defeating PARMA in overtime. After the game, Kostas Flevarakis noted that Astana is starting to develop some chemistry. Most of the credit for the win goes to Ike Udanoh and Justin Carter, who quickly got PARMA into foul trouble and converted their free throws. Outside the free-throw line, Astana’s offense stunk (36% from the field, 27% on two-point attempts). Perm wasn’t able to take advantage, but that may not be the case in Tallinn.
Time: 6:30 PM (6:30 MSK)
Place: USH CSKA, Moscow, Russia
TV: Match! Nash Sport
CSKA: The Army Men will be runaway favorites on Sunday and will likely substitute aggressively as they juggle EuroLeague and VTB United League competition. Earlier in the week, CSKA obliterated Spanish champs Valencia on the road, led by Nando De Colo’s 23 points in 20 minutes. It’s possible some of the team’s leaders might not even play against PARMA.
PARMA: This team is improved from last season’s outfit that lost by 61 to CSKA. But the visitors will still be outclassed in every facet of the game. The only area PARMA can control is effort and competitive drive. The Siberians have impressed in that regard. Each of the team’s last three games have been decided by six points or less, though it will be tough to keep it that close against the reigning VTB United League champions.
