Part II of our season preview focuses on the top title contenders in 2016-17.
CSKA Moscow
Last Season
Champions (28-2)
Acquisitions
James Augustine, Semyon Antonov, Jeff Ayres
Offseason
With several players on national team duty and others recovering from injuries, CSKA opened the preseason with a very small contingent and chose to stay close to home. But the Army Men preserved last season’s championship squad, making it easy to integrate teammates back into the fold on their return.
Moscow lost only once in the preseason, falling to Panathinaikos in Athens as the Greeks threw legend Dimitris Diamantidis a memorable farewell party. In the hometown Gomelsky Cup, CSKA breezed through the competition, then headed to China, where they demolished several local teams. There doesn’t appear to be any championship hangover in Moscow.
Leader
CSKA kept its roster intact, including the backcourt duo of Nando De Colo and Milos Teodosic. The 2015-16 VTB United League MVP could have returned to the NBA, but chose to extend his contract with CSKA and build on his reputation as one of Europe’s top players. Teodosic, who led his nation to an Olympic final in August, is reportedly considering a move to America next summer. For now, however, the Army Men once again boast the deadliest backcourt in Europe.
Newcomer
James Augustine. CSKA’s frontcourt continues to struggle with injuries, making Augustine’s presence extra important. He should have a major role throughout the season: The hard-working American is very comfortable in the pick-and-roll and on fast breaks and will be a welcome addition.
Stat
6 – number of players on the roster that were available at the beginning of preseason.
Expected Starting Lineup
Aaron Jackson, Nando De Colo, Vitaly Fridzon, Viktor Khryapa, Kyle Hines
Quote
CSKA president Andrei Vatutin:
– From what I can tell, a lot of teams want to beat CSKA and kick our butts in the process. That’s a great motivator for any club, Russian or foreign. We get teams fired up and get them to chase us. I’m convinced that those ambitions make our opponents better. They increase their budgets, bring over talent, and develop their infrastructure. Khimki, Lokomotiv-Kuban, UNICS are moving forward. At the same, that progress crashes into our determination not to lose.
UNICS Kazan
Last Season
Runners-up (25-5)
Acquisitions
Evgeny Voronov, Pavel Antipov, Alexander Karpukhin, Coty Clarke, Maxim Knyazev
Offseason
UNICS made it back to the Euroleague, which will feature a 30-game regular season on top of the League’s 24-game slate. Given the daunting schedule, Kazan got busy over the summer. The team’s training camp in Turkey was “beyond grueling,” according to Evgeny Pashutin. The White-Greens had two-a-days, in addition to games against top local teams. The club focused on its play rather than wins and losses.
Not much has changed on the roster. Once again, Kazan will emphasize discipline, defense, and the offensive creativity of Keith Langford and Quino Colom. The experienced squad is getting back into shape and intends to duplicate its success from last season.
Leader
Pashutin is sometimes criticized for being too simplistic on offense, but why fix what’s not broken? Langford, the League’s leading scorer in 2015-16, is more than capable of shifting into cheat mode and winning games on his own. Colom, meanwhile, brings a spark off the bench with his savvy pick-and-roll combinations. UNICS’s offense is not particularly complex, but it is effective.
Newcomer
Coty Clarke is sometimes compared to Golden State forward Draymond Green because of his versatility. The American big man can play at both forward positions, has a reliable shot, loves working hard on defense, knows how to handle the ball and get teammates involved, and puts up plenty of double-doubles. Once he’s adjusted to life in Kazan, expect him to be a leader on the team and give the veteran roster a big boost of energy.
Stat
54 – number of games on Kazan’s schedule from October to April in the League and Euroleague.
Expected Starting Five
Anton Ponkrashov, Keith Langford, Coty Clarke, Kostas Kaimakoglou, Artsiom Parakhouski
Quote
UNICS president Evgeny Bogachev:
– It’s going to be a tough season, very tough. It’s a plus that our team is experienced. On the other hand, it’s an older team. There’s a lot of pressure: We’re going to be tested by Europe’s top 15 teams–clubs with big reputations and years of experience in the Euroleague. What do I expect from the season? A season that’s no worse than last season. Beyond that, we’ll see.
Zenit St. Petersburg
Last Season
Semifinals (23-7)
Acquisitions
Sergey Karasev, Pavel Sergeev, Evgeny Voitiuk, Aaron White, Alexander Razumov, Stefan Markovic
Offseason
Zenit built on its successful 2015-16 campaign over the summer, adding several big names to the roster. The upgraded squad is aiming for a spot in the Euroleague and got off to a flying start in the preseason, defeating Murcia, Joventud, and Lokomotiv-Kuban, while giving Barcelona a scare.
Leader
Together with Ryan Toolson, Janis Timma took charge of the team last season. Vasily Karasev doesn’t plan to shake things up in 2016-17. The 24-year-old Latvian wasn’t always consistent and battled through injuries. But he’s healthy now, married, and enjoyed a productive summer in the USA. He looked great in the preseason and can shine even brighter this season.
Newcomer
Sergey Karasev’s move from Brooklyn to Zenit was one of the most talked about deals of the summer. The talented 22-year-old is gunning for an MVP, while his critics are hoping he crashes and burns. It should be a fascinating story to watch.
Stat
8 – number of Zenit home games in the first half of the season (only 4 on the road). That will flip in the second half.
Expected Starting Lineup
Stefan Markovic, Sergey Karasev, Janis Timma, Aaron White, Kyle Landry
Quote
Zenit head coach Vasily Karasev:
– We’re going to try to win every game. I won’t say whether we will be champions or finish in 8th. Our next goal is reaching the Euroleague.
Khimki Moscow Region
Previous Season
Semifinals (22-8)
Acquisitions
Valery Likhodei, Viacheslav Zaitcev, Perry Jones III, E.J. Rowland, Justin Carter, Nobel Boungou Colo, Jacob Pullen
Offseason
Dusko Ivanovic took over at Khimki midway through last season and had a chance to make the team his own during the summer. He’s been busy, bringing in new assistant coaches and overturning the roster. An injury to Alexey Shved, as well as a drawn-out signing period, meant that several players missed the Slovenian camp where Ivanovic tried to get his men in peak condition in advance of a grueling campaign.
As a result of the roster turnover and emphasis on conditioning, Khimki lost most of its preseason games. But that shouldn’t be a big concern. Khimki is a favorite in the League this season, and not just because of its past reputation.
Leader
Alexey Shved. Khimki parted ways with Rimas Kurtinaitis stalwarts Tyrese Rice, Petteri Koponen, and Paul Davis. The Russian star took on more and more responsibility throughout the previous campaign. Now he’s expected to be the team’s unquestioned leader, though he was dealt a setback in preseason with a foot injury.
Newcomer
Perry Jones III’s arrival is reminiscent of Anthony Randolph signing with Loko in 2014. The talented forward struggled to define a role in the NBA, but could be a big star in Europe. Ivanovic expressed some dissatisfaction with the ex-Thunder at the end of preseason, but he’s got time to adapt and have an impact.
Stat
8 – Shved had an operation at the end of August and is expected to miss eight weeks.
Expected Starting Lineup
E.J. Rowland, Alexey Shved, Nobel Boungou Colo, Sergey Monia, Perry Jones III
Quote
Khimki president Dmitry Golubkov:
– Traditionally, Khimki sets extremely high goals: winning the Eurocup and leading the VTB United League. In comparison with past seasons, we had to restructure the roster, but we have no intention of seeing our results suffer. We will continue to battle for the top spots.
Lokomotiv-Kuban Krasnodar
Last Season
Quarterfinals (22-8)
Acquisitions
Dmitry Khvostov, Evgeny Baburin, Vladimir Ivlev, Denis Zakharov, Mardy Collins, Kevin Jones, Kenny Gabriel, Denis Levshin, Ian Vougioukas, Alexey Zherdev, Taylor Rochestie
Offseason
After a historic run to the Euroleague Final Four, Loko is starting the new season with a blank slate. The Railwaymen inked 11 players in the offseason and had to replace head coach Georgios Bartzokas. Kuban, of course, has high ambitions, but it’s going to take time for this team to gel. Loko went 3-5 in the preseason and has a lot of work to do.
Leader
There’s no clear-cut leader on the team (yet) and virtually anyone could lead the team in scoring on a given night. Through eight preseason games, six different players led the team in scoring, which should give opposing coaches a headache when prepping for the Railwaymen. Thus far, Taylor Rochestie, Kenny Gabriel, and Mardy Collins look like the most likely candidates to run the team, showing flashes of leadership and alpha-dog mentality.
Newcomer
Rochestie left the League for one season, playing for Maccabi Tel-Aviv, where he averaged 14 points per game in the Euroleague. But he didn’t stay away for long, giving Krasnodar a big boost by inking a deal in early September. Reunited with former Nizhny teammates Khvostov, Baburin, and Ivlev, the relentless guard will set the tone in the locker room and should be one of Krasnodar’s most dangerous options on offense.
Stat
11 – number of new players on the roster, most in the League this summer.
Expected Starting Lineup
Dmitry Khvostov, Matt Janning, Ryan Broekhoff, Kenny Gabriel, Ian Vougioukas
Quote
Lokomotiv-Kuban president Andrey Vedishchev:
– Together with Bartzokas, we reached the club’s first Euroleague Final Four, but I don’t think it will be our last. Individual players and coaches don’t win in sports, organizations do. That’s why we finished in the top three of European basketball. We’d reached an agreement that Bartzokas would stay in Krasnodar, but when Barcelona made him an offer, he announced that working at that club had been his lifelong dream. Maybe Krasnodar isn’t Barcelona, but from an organizational perspective, Loko is on equal footing with Barca. I hope that we can prove that once again a year from now, when we meet Bartzokas’s Barcelona in the Euroleague.
Avtodor Saratov
Last Season
Quarterfinals (20-10)
Acquisitions
Branden Frazier, Josh Adams, Michael Carrera, Nick Minnerath, Evgeny Kolesnikov, Maxim Kolyushkin, Anton Astapkovich, Michael Stockton, Tomislav Zubcic
Offseason
In addition to introducing a new head coach and bringing in a big group of new players, Avtodor has had to deal with a serious injury to the talented Josh Adams, continued health problems for Artem Zabelin, and Scottie Reynold’s failure to pass his med exam. Maxim Kolyushkin also spent significant time with the national team, while Artem Klimenko got injured during the EuroBasket qualifying campaign. As a result, Saratov had to keep making moves up until the end of September and struggled to a 3-4 record in the preseason. Some even said newly-minted coach Nikolai Mazurs was already on the hot seat. With the start of the season right around the corner, Saratov will have to figure things out on the fly.
Leader
Branden Frazier. Avtodor’s offense-first system is very dependent on the point guard, giving Frazier a terrific opportunity to shine. Predecessors Courtney Fortson and Paul Stoll were big-time contributors in Saratov, both finishing 4th in efficiency rating in the League. Frazier will spend a lot of time with the ball, running fast breaks, shooting from outside, and dishing out assists. He got off to a good start in the preseason, averaging 17.8 points and 6.7 assists.
Newcomer
Nick Minnerath. The heavily tattooed American with a Belarusian wife also draws a lot of attention on the court. He’s athletic, loves to push the pace, and can shoot, making him a great fit at Avtodor. The Volga club hopes the former Cavalier can replace Travis Peterson and make a big splash.
Stat
In the final preseason tuneup, Saratov scored 100 points in a loss to Barons. Avtodor is on the right track.
Expected Starting Lineup
Branden Frazier, Evgeny Kolesnikov, Michael Carrera, Nick Minnerath, Artem Klimenko
Quote
Avtodor president Vladimir Rodionov:
– We have put together a very young, dangerous team with real warriors. Even if we don’t score every time down the court, we are definitely going to give our opponents something to think about! I’m confident that we can once again be known as Europe’s quickest team with our play.
Nizhny Novgorod
Last Season
Quarterfinals (17-13)
Acquisitions
Kenny Boynton, DeAndre Kane, Ingus Jakovics, Siim-Sander Vene, Alexander Gudumak, Petr Gubanov, Nikita Zverez, Dmitry Uzinksy, Georgy Zhbanov
Offseason
Nizhny Novgorod is in rebuild mode, replacing its departed stars with young, unproven talent and a youthful coach. A new image, new roster, new coaching staff, and new philosophy: Nizhny opened the preseason on a four-game skid, before picking up five straight wins, including three against League competition. It should be an exciting campaign, but the Black-White fans will also need patience.
Leader
Nizhny Novgorod’s main threat will come from the backcourt. Newcomers Kenny Boynton and DeAndre Kane are ready to take control, demonstrating a readiness to lead the team in preseason. Ivan Strebkov also looked good in September and Maxim Grigoryev is raring to get back on the court after a nearly year-long absence due to injury.
Newcomer
Boynton and Kane are pushing for leadership roles on the team. After terrific college careers, the two players struggled to find their feet in the pros, but Nizhny is excellent at uncovering hidden gems and this partnership promises to be productive and mutually beneficial.
Stat
31 – Arturs Stalbergs is the youngest head coach in the League.
Expected Starting Lineup
Kenny Boynton, Ivan Strebkov, DeAndre Kane, Alexander Gudumak, Petr Gubanov
Quote
Nizhny Novgorod board chairman Sergey Panov:
– It’s nice to see all of these guys sign with Nizhny Novgorod. I hope that they will progress even more than the players that left our club. I can say that this generation is more talented than the previous one, which means the results should be even better. We have the same goals for the season: Winning every game. The team should have an edge and play aggressive basketball. We should never be ashamed of our performance, even when the score isn’t in our favor. Our toughness is our identity.
Valery Gitarkin