Sergey Karasev turned 26 on October 26. Despite his tender ago, the Russian swingman has already been named VTB League Young Player of the Year, won a bronze medal at the Olympics, and played three years in the NBA.
But the Zenit forward’s career is only getting started. At his new club, Sergey has taken on a new challenge: Leading a team with the big-time ambitions.
There were some skeptics to start the season, but, so far, he’s shut them up with his performance on the court. Over the weekend, Karasev had his biggest game yet vs. Avtodor.
With Ryan Toolson out with an injury and Janis Timma scoring just eight points, Karasev needed to take over in Saratov. He responded by setting a personal scoring record and dropping a league-high 34 points in the win.
So, how does Zenit take advantage of Karasev’s game?
Perimeter shooting
Sergey’s biggest weapon is still his shot. Zenit tries to use it whenever possible. A big percentage of his points come on the perimeter, after getting the ball from a teammate.
Pick-and-rolls, up-tempo offense, and defensive mistakes give Karasev room to shoot. His percentage is far from ideal, at the moment, but with time, Sergey should end up among the League’s top snipers.
Using a screen to get free
Another option is using a screen to get Karasev open. Here’s how it works.
With the help of screens, Karasev breaks free from his defender and finds an open spot to shoot.
Free of his defender, Karasev immediately attacks the basket.
Zenit has plays that get Karasev free on the perimeter and under the basket.
Karasev and pick-and-rolls
Perhaps the most interesting option is using Sergey in the pick-and-roll. Teams don’t know how to defend against a pick-and-roll featuring a small forward and center and the approach is paying off.
Karasev already looks comfortable as a point guard, but the combo could become even more dangerous in the future as he switches between distributing and scoring during the pick-and-roll.
Depending on how the defense reacts, Karasev can choose the best option. If the defense collapses on him, he passes to the big man rolling to the basket.
At that point, scoring is a matter of technique.
When the opponent’s big man doesn’t double-team Karasev and hangs back in the paint, Karasev can shoot.
In Zenit’s opening games, Karasev didn’t look very confident in these situations. But in the future, his shooting ability should take over.
In addition to the jumpshot, Sergey is dangerous attacking the rim. If he ends up in a defensive mismatch or gets a lot of space, Karasev can get to the basket.
Free throws
Karasev has always been good at getting to the free-throw line. Both at Triumph and on the national team, he’s been able to draw fouls.
It’s clear he didn’t lose his touch in the NBA. Karasev continues to draw a lot of fouls at Zenit and take plenty of free throws. Given his deadly touch, the charity stripe is a major component of his offensive game.
Karasev is among the League leaders in every free-throw category.
Playing with his back to the basket in the paint
Over the last three years, Karasev has put on a lot of muscle. He’s bigger than most shooting guards and even some small forwards. That creates the opportunity to occasionally use him in the paint as a nominal center. When Karasev’s defender isn’t that big, he’s more than capable of backing him down beneath the basket.
Zenit doesn’t use it much yet, but we’re likely to see it more and more in the future.
Sergey Karasev gave himself an excellent birthday present in the game vs. Avtodor. He’s already one of the League’s most talented players and should contend for several individual awards. Despite some skepticism during the summer, Karasev has proven himself at Zenit and could help the club to a lofty finish in the League.
