By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Kyle Hines is expected to continue his career in CSKA. After all he has a contract for next season with the team since last summer. The 27 years old center had to adapt in playing also as a power forward last season and that had as a result limited minutes and limited role in CSKA’s game and coach Messina’s rotation.
Hines wouldn’t be comfortable with staying in Moscow, if the situation was the same next season. His former team, Olympiacos and Anadolu Efes, were ready to make a run in order to get him. Both those team were waiting the outcome of the Final Four in Milan and they hoped they might get a chance to lure the player in their roster.
However, the conditions in CSKA Moscow changed. Team president Andrey Vatutin things highly of Hines not only as a player on the court, but also as a person. The same applies for the new coach of the team, Dimitris Itoudis, who knows very well “Sir” Hines as an opponent from his days in Panathinaikos back in the 2011-12, when the American center was playing for Olympiacos.
So next season, expect to see Hines playing again as a center and getting much more minutes. After all he is a proven leader, he was one of the key players in Olympiacos back to back Euroleague winning run and now, after a first modest season in CSKA, it will be his time to lead again the front line.