EuroBasket 2017 wrapped up on Sunday in Istanbul. The VTB United League had a big presence at the continental championships, represented by 18 players on six teams, more than the NBA (15). VTB-League.com breaks down their performances at the biggest tournament of the year.
Semyon Antonov (CSKA)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 1.8 points, 1.8 rebounds in 8.8 minutes
Grade: C+
Antonov didn’t post big numbers, but Russia never would have made it to the semifinals without the unsung performances on the bench. A lot of the credit for team’s breakthrough goes to Sergei Bazarevich’s punishing defense where Antonov played a big role, using his 202 cm to spell Timofey Mozgov at center. He played in every game, doing his best against much bigger opponents. He struggled to knock down shots, and didn’t turn in Russia’s best performance off the bench, but he did the job asked of him.
Evgeny Baburin (Lokomotiv-Kuban)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 1.0 points in 3.9 minutes
“I’m ready to play whatever role coach gives me: Seven minutes or two seconds, like the game against Turkey, or wave a towel and support the team from the bench.”
That’s how Baburin described his role after playing seven big minutes against Croatia in Russia’s top performance of the tournament. The Loko guard was also effective in the 3rd-place game, knocking down a big 3-pointer and one of only three Russian players to earn a positive +/- rating. It’d be tough to find a better 12th man at the tournament.
Leo Westermann (CSKA)
National Team: France
Stats: 3.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 13.9 minutes
Grade: C
Westermann didn’t make much of a splash at EuroBasket 2017. Vincent Collet employed the CSKA guard as a backup, limiting his minutes and opportunities. He played his best games in two group stage losses (+22 in 22 minutes against Finland, 6+3+3 against Slovenia), appearing for only five minutes in France’s only playoff game. Playing for an ambitious CSKA squad should help the Frenchman move on quickly from EuroBasket disappointment.
Andrey Vorontsevich (CSKA)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 7.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.8 minutes
Grade: B
Vorontsevich is at the peak of his career and a dangerous two-way player for CSKA. Not surprisingly, he played a huge role on this Russia team, though he struggled at times to make a quick impact on offense. Once the playoff games started, however, Vorontsevich began to ratchet up the intensity. The 30-year-old forward shut down Croatia star Dario Saric in the round of 16, drilled two huge 3-pointers against Greece and scored 14 points on 63% in the semis and 13 points on 57% in the 3rd-place game. He was also one of the most vocal players on the court, encouraging and challenging everyone, including superstar Alexey Shved. He was a big part of Russia’s terrific chemistry.
“That’s the system. We have to believe in it. We trust Shved. Whatever the situation, we don’t need to re-invent the wheel. We need to keep it simple and play as a team. We’re strong when we’re united. Once we start to isolate…”
Andrejs Grazulis (Parma)
National Team: Latvia
Stats: 1.7 points in 7.4 minutes
Grazulis only played in two insignificant games for Latvia: 22 minutes vs. Belgium and 16 minutes vs. Great Britain. Ainars Bagatskis used a short rotation against stiffer competition, limiting the 24-year-old forward’s opportunities. He should have plenty of chances to shine in Perm, however, during the upcoming season.
Nando De Colo (CSKA)
National Team: France
Stats: 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 27.1 minutes
Grade: C
In Tony Parker’s absence, De Colo was the leader and the biggest star on the French national team, but simply didn’t have enough firepower to lead France deep in the tournament during a difficult rebuilding process. The round of 16 game against Germany encapsulated his tournament: six points on 3-11 shooting, 0-4 from beyond the arc, zero free throws, an efficiency rating of four and a missed 3-pointer in the final seconds trailing by three. This was France’s worst performance at EuroBasket in 20 years.
Andrei Zubkov (Khimki)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 5.8 points, 2.1 rebounds in 14.6 minutes
Grade: B-
Zubkov was one of the few bright spots for Russia at EuroBasket 2015. This time around, Zubkov helped Russia shine as a team, sacrificing his own stats for the greater good. The Chelyabinsk native, who moved to Khimki from Loko over the summer, was quietly effective in Istanbul, giving Bazarevich the option to shake up Russia’s style of play with his length and versatility. He enjoyed his best performance against Croatia, scoring 14 points on 5-8 shooting to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. He also helped spark Russia’s desperate comeback against Serbia, scoring twice on tough drives to the bucket in the 4th quarter… Zubkov showed flashes throughout the tournament, though he continues to struggle with consistency on the whole.
Vladimir Ivlev (Lokomotiv-Kuban)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 1.0 points, 0.3 rebounds in 5.9 minutes
Grade: C+
Ivlev committed more fouls in 35 minutes at EuroBasket 2017 than points, rebounds and assists combined. Ivlev was asked to slow down the opposition’s big men and he did an excellent job in limited minutes, bringing a physical edge to Russia’s frontcourt.
Mikhail Kulagin (CSKA)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 0.8 points in 3.7 minutes
The younger Kulagin brother will have plenty of time to make his mark. Khvostov got the lion’s share of minutes at point guard, with Shved and older brother Dmitry taking the rest. On that note, don’t be surprised if the currently un-signed Dmitry Kulagin finds a new club quickly after his strong performance in Istanbul.
Nikita Kurbanov (CSKA)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 5.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.0 minutes
Grade: B-
Kurbanov, like Vorontsevich, came up big for the Russian national team. An elite defender, he didn’t make as much of an impact on offense, and struggled in Russia’s elimination games vs. Greece and Serbia.
Martins Meiers (UNICS)
National Team: Latvia
Stats: 4.6 points, 2.4 rebounds in 10.7 minutes
Grade: C+
League fans were paying close attention to Latvia during the tournament. Led by former Nizhny Novgorod boss Ainars Bagatskis, Latvia had three players from the League and plenty of ex-League stars. Meiers ended up playing the biggest role among Latvia’s current League members, though he was almost always overshadowed by superstar center Kristaps Porzingis. But the newly-minted UNICS forward was still a valuable member of the rotation. He played his best game in the group stage against Russia: 10 points, 5-8 shooting, five rebounds and an active role in Latvia’s dominance on the glass and in the paint during the second half.
Matic Rebec (Enisey)
National Team: Slovenia
Stats: 1.0 points, 1.0 rebounds in 4.6 minutes
He’s the most controversial figure on the list. Rebec ended up winning gold with Slovenia, but only signed with Enisey midway through the tournament. But ultimately there was little to discuss about his performance. Rebec played in only one of the Slovenia’s group stage games and finished with five total minutes during the playoff run.
Sergio Rodriguez (CSKA)
National Team: Spain
Stats: 10.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 22.6 minutes
Grade: B-
Rodriguez’s grade, like any other member of the Spanish national team, was clouded by the nation’s 3rd-place finish. Spain came to EuroBasket as heavy favorites, but suffered a stunning defeat in the semifinals at the hands of Slovenia.
CSKA’s new playmaker showed what he can do throughout the tournament: Sparking fast breaks, running the offense, creating his own opportunities and feeding teammates. After a sluggish start to the tournament, Rodriguez starred in the round of 16 vs. Turkey and also played well in the quarterfinals against Germany, though the semifinals were another story. CSKA and League fans should be excited about his arrival. Rodriguez led the tournament in total assists and will give the Army Men yet another bona fide star.
Marko Todorovic (Khimki)
National Team: Montenegro
Stats: 2.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.3 minutes
Grade: C
Todorovic was an essential member of Khimki’s frontcourt last season, but ranked third in Montenegro’s rotation behind Nikola Vucevic and Bojan Dubljevic. He was also hampered by foul trouble, cutting short his time on the court. Todorovic’s tournament ended in the round of 16 vs. Latvia, where he and his teammates had no answers for Porzingis: 1-5 from the field, four fouls and a -20 +/- rating.
Alexey Shved (Khimki)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 24.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.8 minutes
Grade: A
The VTB United League MVP could have added a EuroBasket MVP with a spot in the finals. But Russia came up a little short against Serbia, despite Shved and co.’s best efforts. The Russian superstar missed a 3-pointer with his team trailing 75-73 in the final minutes, but without his heroic play throughout the tournament, Russia never would have been in contention for a medal, let alone a spot in the championship. Shved can be his worst own enemy, but after leading the tournament in scoring (the first non-NBA player to do so since 1999) and earning a spot on the All-Tournament team, there aren’t many critics remaining. Shved was a star.
Vitaly Fridzon (CSKA)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 steals in 18.4 minutes
Grade: C+
Fridzon was captain and an important member of the rotation, though he struggled at times individually. An excellent sniper, Fridzon was a tough-nosed competitor in Istanbul, but he didn’t drain any signature buzzer-beaters and finished with only seven 3-pointers in nine games.
Dmitry Khvostov (Lokomotiv-Kuban)
National Team: Russia
Stats: 6.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.1 minutes
Grade: B
His seemingly irrational self-confidence has been known to draw criticism, but Khvostov’s basket in the final minute against Greece sent Russia through to the semifinals and highlighted a strong Euro performance from the Loko guard. After an up-and-down season in Krasnodar, the Russia coaching staff was ecstatic to see Khvostov’s swagger return, punctuated by that memorable shot.
“The volume of work done by Dima Khvostov is a coach’s dream. That’s why he’s the leader of our team. A lot depends on him, beginning with the rhythm of the game and ending with defense,” shared assistant head coach Sergey Bykov.
Kristaps Janicenoks (VEF)
National Team: Latvia
Stats: 0.8 assists in 8.3 minutes
Grade: C-
The shooting guard played a total of 33 minutes and didn’t score a single point, missing all five field-goal attempts and two free throws for a catastrophic -24 in nine minutes against Great Britain. He finished with a -2.3 rating, despite Latvia’s run to the quarterfinals. The only thing Janicenoks had in common with teammate Porzingis at EuroBasket was the same first name, though it’s possible he played an important role as a veteran on Latvia’s young squad.
