The top contenders are almost finished wheeling and dealing, but the rest of the League still has plenty to do. VTB-League.com looks at the biggest moves in recent weeks.
Khimki
Arrived: Ivan Viktorov (Nizhny Novgorod)
Ivan Viktorov burst onto the scene in October 2015, when the young guard scored 14 points for Nizhny Novgorod in an upset of CSKA. He went on to win Young Player of the Month, but struggled the rest of the season to make an impact. Though a star in the United Youth League, he’s hoping to earn regular playing time at the senior level. It won’t be easy in Moscow, but that’s the life of a professional basketball player.
Lokomotiv-Kuban
Arrived: Joe Ragland (Avellino)
Joe Ragland transitioned from little-used to team leader in Italy. Last season, he carried his club to the Italian Supercup and Serie A championship games. Avellino ultimately came up just short of a title and Ragland finished second in the MVP race. He loves to push the ball in transition, drive to the basket and attack from the perimeter. Loko seems like a good fit for the ambitious Ragland, as both the player and club look to take the next step forward.
UNICS
Arrived: Andrey Koshcheev (Enisey)
Andrey Koshcheev has experience at Spartak, Zenit and Enisey and will give Kazan even more depth in the frontcourt. He could easily earn 10-15 minutes per game, especially since Dimitris Priftis is going to love his hard-working approach and willingness to do the dirty work.
Enisey
Arrived: Denis Zakharov (Lokomotiv-Kuban), Vitali Liutych (Enisey), Octavius Ellis (Mornar Bar), Tekele Cotton (Ludwigsburg)
Enisey was one of the League’s biggest surprises last season. Oleg Okulov said the team’s decision to pursue ambitious, under-the-radar domestic players together with high-value, inexpensive foreigners was the key to success. Krasnoyarsk parted ways with several of last season’s stars, but is already rebuilding with the same strategy. Denis Zakharov turned heads in 2015-16 with Enisey, drawing comparisons to Alexey Shved with his playmaking ability. After struggling to earn playing time in Krasnodar, he’s decided to come back to Krasnoyarsk. Zakharov is determined to post another breakout season, while Enisey is counting on the 23-year-old to help guide the offense. Vitali Liutych, meanwhile, is an explosive forward known for his dunking. The Belarus native hopes to build on a great campaign with Kalev in 2016-17 (15 points and 4 rebounds per game) in Siberia.
Tekele Cotton will be a threat on the perimeter, while center Octavius Ellis is expected to replace Frank Elegar. Krasnoyarsk is confident both of these newcomers will make a big impression in the League.
VEF
Arrived: Alex Perez (Maccabi Haifa), Antwan Scott (Aris), Artis Ate (Ventspils), Klavs Cavars (Genclik)
Last season, VEF was the top non-Russian team in the League and won a championship in Latvia. Riga was quick to extend head coach Janis Gailitis’s contract and retain most of the team’s key players. Martins Mejeris’s exit to UNICS was the only big loss over the summer. At the same time, VEF brought in four new players: point guard Alex Perez, guards Antwan Scott and Artis Ate and center Klavs Cavars. Most fans have probably never heard of them, but VEF has a reputation for creating stars. Perez has won championships in Mexico and Argentina, can shoot from long range and could evoke memories of fellow Mexican Francisco Cruz, who had a big impact in Riga several years ago.
Scott, meanwhile, averaged 20.6 points per game in Holland and 22.0 points per game in Finland. Cavars is part of Latvia’s rising generation and a member of the youth national team. After a solid performance at the U-20 EuroBasket 2016, DraftExpress predicted he would have a solid European career thanks to his penchant for scoring in the paint and rebounding ability.
Astana
Arrived: Anthony Clemmons (Vienna), Hordur Vilhjalmsson (Keflavik), Ike Udanoh (Hyeres-Toulon), Anatoly Kolesnikov
Ilias Papatheodorou left Astana for personal reasons after a strong debut campaign. Kostas Flevarakis was picked to replace the Greek and will be expected to carry on what Papatheodorou began. There have been major changes on the roster: Ian Miller and several other foreigners are gone, while Rob Lowery has yet to re-sign. Not surprisingly, the 2017 playoff club started in the backcourt, signing Anthony Clemmons, who will be asked to fill Miller’s shoes as top scorer. He shot 51-37-69% in his first pro season, averaging 37 minutes per game, so he should be ready for the demands of Astana’s traditionally small roster. Hordur Vilhjalmsson, who can play both guard positions, adds some depth. He won’t be the first Icelander in the League, however, having already appeared in the League with Nymburk several seasons ago.
Two other additions also have VTB United League experience: Ike Udanoh and Anatoly Kolesnikov. Udanoh, an athletic, explosive forward averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game with Bisons in 2015-16, while Kolesnikov has spent four seasons with Astana, earning Top Kazakh Player honors in 2015, before taking a brief break from the sport in 2016-17 to spend time with family.
Avtodor
Arrived: Justin Robinson (Monmouth
Josh Adams’s unexpected departure forced Saratov to find a replacement. The Russian club settled on the NBA Summer League, inking 173-cm point guard Justin Robinson, who earned praise from scouts around the world in Las Vegas. Avtodor will be his first pro stop. Saratov has a good track record with diminutive playmakers–take Courtney Fortson and Paul Stoll, for example. In inking Robinson, Andrea Mazzon emphasized his work ethic, competitive approach, deadly three-point shot and ability to make his teammates better.
Kalev
Arrived: Thomas Van der Mars (Rapla), Janari Joesaar (Tartu), Bojan Subotic (Buducnost)
Center Thomas Van der Mars and forward Janari Joesaar put up respectable numbers last season: 15.4 + 12.3 and 10.8 + 5.5, respectively. We’ll see how their production translates from the Estonian league to the VTB League stage. Power forward Bojan Subotic has more experience, playing for Crvena Zvezda and Buducnost since 2011. The four-time Montenegro’s most dangerous weapon is the three-point shot. He’s also skilled in the paint and a gritty rebounder. Alar Varrak will probably give the veteran big man plenty of playing time.
Tsmoki-Minsk
Arrived: Sekou Wiggs (Alaska), Christopher Czerapowicz (Andorra)
The Dragons were most impressed by point guard Sekou Wiggs’s versatility and leadership qualities. According to sports director Yegor Meshcharakou, the Belarusians weren’t the only ones to notice. Several other teams in the League were competing for the Seawolves guard’s services. Minsk promises to give Wiggs a smooth transition to European basketball and expects big things in return.
Swede Chris Czerapowicz is another noteworthy signing. The forward is very comfortable on the perimeter, has experience in the Spanish league and should give the Dragons extra firepower as a sniper.
Belarusians newcomers Viacheslau Korzh, Sergey Tatur, Andrey Naboichik, Anton Vashkevich and Sergey Vabishchevich should provide depth and will try to surprise fans and experts with their play on the court.
Parma
Arrived: Frank Gaines (Vechta)
According to Parma head coach Nikolajs Mazurs, newcomer Frank Gaines is equally dangerous on the perimeter and driving to the rim, plus he’s effective in the pick-and-roll and does his part on defense. “Frank has everything we’d expect from a shooting guard,” – concluded Mazurs.
It does sound like an ideal skill set. Now we need to find out whether or not the Most Improved Player in the 2014 NBA D-League is ready for his next challenge in the VTB United League.
