Eight games are on the schedule for October 5-9. We’ve got everything you need to know in our mini-preview.
Wednesday, October 5
Astana (Kazakhstan) – UNICS (Russia)
Time: 8:00 PM (5:00 MSK)
Place: SC Velotrek, Astana, Kazakhstan
Astana: Both teams opened the season with a win. Kazan cruised at home, while Astana scraped out an exciting, come-from-behind victory. Head coach Ilias Papatheodorou enjoyed an auspicious debut in the VTB United League, getting a huge game from Ian Miller (instead of Rob Lowery, who was more hyped entering the season). It remains to be seen who will replace Jerry Johnson as leader on this team.
UNICS: Given the Euroleague, Kazan faces a brutal schedule, almost on par with an NBA slate. Last season’s runners-up are taking the court only three days after Sunday’s game, with a flight to Kazakhstan in between. But UNICS should be up to the challenge. The team looked sharp against Nizhny Novgorod and will be favored on the road.
Thursday, October 6
Enisey (Russia) – CSKA (Russia)
Time: 7:10 PM (3:10 MSK)
Place: Sports Palace, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Enisey: The roster underwent a complete makeover in the off-season and you can believe that Oleg Okulov is excited to finally see his men in action. Enisey couldn’t ask for a better challenge to start the season, with the reigning VTB League and Euroleague champions coming to town.
History does not favor the home team. Enisey is 0-8 all time against CSKA, but the Siberians will try to keep things interesting. Double-double machine Frank Elegar signed over the summer and could cause problems for Moscow’s depleted frontcourt.
CSKA: The Army men face a daunting challenge to open the season: Playing in Krasnoyarsk on October 6, then flying to Astana for Saturday’s game. At the same time, CSKA doesn’t compete again in the VTB United League until October 30, so Dimitris Itoudis’s men don’t need to worry about conserving energy over the next three days. They will have plenty of time to recover before facing Galatasaray in the Euroleague. Despite some frontcourt concerns, Moscow’s deadly Serb-French backcourt of Teodosic and De Colo is more than capable of taking control.
Friday, October 7
Avtodor (Russia) – Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)
Time: 7:30 PM (7:30 MSK)
Place: Sports Palace Kristall, Saratov, Russia
Avtodor: Both of these teams lost On Sunday. Avtodor was especially disappointed, giving up a double-digit lead. Playing at home under new head coach Sergei Mokin, who replaced Nikolai Mazurs, Saratov will try to give the fans their first win. Avtodor was in a similar situation last season. After a heartbreaking defeat to Khimki, the team picked up a victory in the first home game vs. none other than Nizhny Novgorod. Will history repeat itself.
Nizhny Novgorod: Of course, Nizhny made a lot of changes in the offseason. Even by European standards, the Volga club engaged in a massive rebuild. The young roster and super young coach (31 years old) failed to upset UNICS on Sunday. Friday’s contest should be a more realistic challenge.
Saturday, October 8
Astana (Kazakhstan) – CSKA (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (1:00 MSK)
Place: SC Velotrek
Astana: This will be Astana’s third home game in seven days. But it may not help against CSKA. Once one of the league’s best home teams, Astana only won five times at home last season, failing to claim a single upset. But could a new coach and new roster bring different results? Astana has never defeated CSKA (0-9 all-time).
CSKA: This is Moscow’s final test before beginning play in the Euroleague on October 13 in Istanbul. From that perspective, the game against Astana could be an excellent opportunity to test out the team newcomers. That’s not necessarily a good thing for the Kazakhs: League veterans like Semyon Antonov and James Augustine won’t need much time to get comfortable.
Parma (Russia) – Kalev (Estonia)
Time: 6:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Universal Sports Palace Molot, Perm, Russia
Parma: The wait is finally over in Perm: big-time basketball is back in the Molot! Even though the team has a different name now, fans will be able to wax nostalgic about the times of Bashminov, Chikalkin, and Karasev, while cheering on Parma as it battles Eastern Europe’s top teams. Parma faces three of the league’s top clubs in the first five games of the season, a true baptism by fire.
Kalev: The Estonians were busy over the summer, bringing in intriguing international talent. Center Robert Upshaw was the splashiest signing. He’s got huge potential, but just as many question marks. Perhaps the move to Estonia will help him settle down and make NBA executives regret ignoring him at the 2015 draft. In any case, Upshaw’s transition at Kalev is one of the most interesting storylines to begin the season.
Khimki (Russia) – VEF (Latvia)
Time: 7:00 PM (7:00 MSK)
Place: BCMO, Khimki, Russia
Khimki: Taking over midseason, Dusko Ivanovic didn’t have much time to implement his system. After a busy off-season in which he was able to make the necessary changes (and sign talent like EJ Rowland), Ivanovic will have no excuses. That’s perfectly okay with him. A few days ago, Khimki played an exhibition game against Zenit. The game had the feel of a regular season contest and Khimki came out on top with the team’s summer signings playing well. The coaching staff had to be pleased with the performance entering the season.
VEF: The Latvians have a depressing history against Khimki. Through 15 games, VEF has yet to defeat Moscow Region. Some of the games have been close, but the Latvians simply can’t find a way to break through. With Khimki in the midst of a rebuild, this could be the perfect opportunity for an upset. The only problem is that Janis Gailitis’s men are experiencing an even bigger transition (VEF signed 11 new players during the summer).
Sunday, October 9
Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus) – Zenit (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Falcon Club, Minsk, Belarus
Tsmoki-Minsk: the Dragons are determined to make this the Year of the Dragon. Minsk had its ups and downs last season, but it was clear the team had not reached its full potential. Looking to solve Tsmoki’s struggles at point guard, the front office signed Bundesliga legend Dru Joyce, hoping he can help the team improve on last season’s 12th-place finish and reach the postseason. A first-ever win against Zenit would be a positive sign.
Zenit: St. Petersburg enjoyed a terrific off-season, re-signing all of its stars, while adding Sergey Karasev. His NBA career may have stalled, but the young Russian is still supremely talented. It’s hard to say whether or not he will compete for an MVP, but Zenit is clearly stronger and hopes to improve on last season’s semifinal appearance.
UNICS (Russia) – Enisey (Russia)
Time: 5:00 PM (5:00 MSK)
Place: Basket Hall, Kazan, Russia
UNICS: Kazan hosts Enisey Krasnoyarsk on Sunday. This will be UNICS’s third game in seven days, proof of the team’s hectic schedule in 2016-17. Despite the fatigue, Kazan is known for its pragmatic, efficient style of play and will be difficult to surprise. Enisey last defeated UNICS in March 2015.
Enisey: That victory remains Enisey’s only one against the Tatar club. Of course, UNICS didn’t have Keith Langford or Quino Colom at that time, one of the League’s most feared backcourt duos. While the home team has other threats, if Krasnoyarsk cannot stop those two guards, securing a win will be quite difficult.
