Teams around the League have started preseason activities and executives are busy putting the final touches on their rosters. VTB-League.com reviews the most recent moves with the beginning of the regular season a little more than a month away.
CSKA
Arrived: Alan Makiev (Avtodor)
Avtodor released Alan Makiev at the beginning of July. Club president Vladimir Rodionov explained that he hadn’t seen as much progress as expected in the young center’s game and wished him luck. As it turned out, Makiev landed an excellent opportunity several weeks later, signing with CSKA to replace backup center Ivan Lazarev. In Moscow, the 210-cm Ossetian will learn from the best coaches and players in the League and will have every opportunity to improve his game and reach the next level.
Khimki
Arrived: Vladislav Staratelev (Ryazan)
After a solid season in the Superleague, Vladislav Staratelev will have another chance to prove himself in the VTB United League. He signed a one-year contract with the option to extend for two years. Khimki believes in the talented guard, who was named one of the League’s top five young players as a 19-year-old with Vita in 2015-16.
Lokomotiv-Kuban
Arrived: Ivan Nelyubov (Parma)
CSKA product Ivan Nelyubov spent the last two seasons with Parma, playing in both the Superleague and the VTB United League, and becoming a leader on the team. Now he’s earned another promotion, joining a club in Krasnodar that boasts a deep roster and competition at every position. The young center will need to fight for every minute on the court, but Sasa Obradovic promises he’ll have a fair chance.
Enisey
Arrived: Alexander Gudumak (Avtodor), Gled Goldyrev (Novosibirsk), Artem Komissarov (Ural)
Oleg Okulov, who coached four seasons in the Superleague before getting the call to the VTB United League, knows how to unearth gems in Russia’s second division. Take Vladislav Trushkin, for example. Joining Enisey from Spartak-Primorye last season, Trushkin earned a contract with UNICS this summer and could earn a spot on the Russian national team. Enisey’s final three signings–Alexander Gudumak, Gled Goldyrev and Artem Komissarov–all made their mark in the Superleague. The first two, like Trushkin, played on the Russia U-19 squad that won bronze at the 2011 World Championships and defeated the USA team. Under Okulov, expect all three players to get plenty of chances to prove themselves.
Astana
Arrived: Justin Carter (Maccabi Kiryat Gat)
Two seasons ago, Justin Carter averaged 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game in the EuroLeague with Karsiyaka, earning a deal with Khimki the following summer. Despite his versatility on the wings, he didn’t last long in Moscow Region and spent the rest of the season with Maccabi Kiryat Gat in Israel, where he once again put up big numbers. His second stab at the League promises to be more successful. Carter’s game is reminiscent of Loko swingman Mardy Collins–both are skilled shooters, ballhandlers, passers and plenty athletic–qualities that will be in high demand in the Kazakh capital.
Nizhny Novgorod
Arrived: Vadim Panin (UNICS), Erik McCree (Louisiana Tech), Sterling Gibbs (Kormend)
According to Nizhny coach Zoran Lukic, the team doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice and force Maxim Grigoryev’s return to the lineup. “We’ve got two Max’s on our team now… Maxim Kolyushkin, who just returned from the Russian national team, can cover for Grigoryev,” Lukic notes.
Kolyushkin is the ideal client for Lukic, who’s earned a reputation for reviving Russian players’ careers. The young guard is hungry to prove he’s more than a backup after sitting on the bench at Lokomotiv and struggling to contribute at Avtodor last season. He’s got plenty of tools, finishing second at last year’s Slam Dunk Contest. Developing consistency in Nizhny Novgorod and earning regular minutes will be his biggest challenge.
Sterling Gibbs arrives to replace the hole left by Kenny Boynton’s departure. He’s an aggressive combo guard with experience in Europe who’s looking to continue progressing at the pro level.
Lukic is building his new team with an eye on the future, gambling primarily on young players. But it’s important to have some experience and veteran leadership in the locker room, which is exactly what forward Vadim Panin brings to the club. He was a key player in Nizhny’s improbable VTB United League Finals and EuroLeague appearances and returns after three seasons in Kazan.
Avtodor
Arrived: Ian Hummer (Ankara), Earvin Morris (Tadamon)
According to Avtodor head coach Andrea Mazzon, former Bisons forward Ian Hummer will “help the team in many areas and is ready to do a lot of dirty work that doesn’t show up in the box score.” Expect him to contribute in other ways, too. The American big man averaged 15.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 assists in Finland before moving to Turkey last season, where he up up similar numbers. Avtodor’s run-and-gun style guarantees plenty of production and it wouldn’t be a huge shock if Hummer led the League in efficiency rating this season like ex-Saratov forward Nick Minnerath did a year ago.
Forward Earvin Morris inked a 1+1 contract, though it includes a two-month trial period. After spending his first season in Lebanon, the American hopes his athleticism, speed and scoring will help him earn a regular roster spot.
Tsmoki-Minsk
Arrived: David Kravish (Slupsk)
Tsmoki needed a young, hungry center to provide depth at the center position. David Kravish arrives from Poland, where Tsmoki coach Alexander Krutikov has spent much of his career. After graduating from the University of California, Kravish has spent two seasons in Europe and is ready to bolster Tsmoki’s interior defense.
