By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
We are all witnesses to the unified unstoppable force of Nando De Colo and Milos Teodosic, the “Splash Bros” duo of CSKA Moscow as well as the authoritative presence Kyle Hines all around the rim. Everyone is familiar with the extreme scoring prowess of Keith Lanford, the lush playmaking of Quino Colom and the low post potency of Artsiom Parakhouski, all members of Unics Kazan.
But there’s so much more sheer EuroLeague quality material in other VTB League squads as well. We are going to look for it, focusing on the teams that are heavy favorites (along with Unics) to actually compete in the first-tier European competition next year, either by winning the VTB championship or simply advancing to the title series (if CSKA is the other finalist).
Zenit St. Petersburg
Currently second in the standings with a 18/3 record, Zenit St. Petersburg owes much to the power-trio of Stefan Markovic, Sergey Karasev and Janis Timma. Players who could easily stand in any EuroLeague squad and, why not, have an important role as well.
Through his playmaking abilities Stefan Markovic is second top passer in VTB with 7.9 assists per game. Quite the number, since he stays on the floor for only 27 minutes in each match. He also averages 9.9. points and 4.1 rebounds being a sublime decision maker in a team that often produces even showtime basketball. Markovic’s skill to run the offense equally well in both transition and 5 vs 5 situations would make him an important character in EuroLeague. Especially considering the fact that true “floor generals” who act cerebrally are becoming more and more scarce.
A top notch scorer, Sergey Karasev carries firepower of EuroLeague temperature He leads Zenit with 16.4 points per game and he’s one of the guys that can throw the ball in the hoop in any way you can imagine. It’s not only his scoring though, but the general understanding of how complex and efficient offensive systems work that’d make his game click in the top level of European basketball.
There’s probably little doubt of how Janis Timma would deliver in EuroLeague. One of the most versatile and well-rounded players in VTB, Timma’s output would be highly beneficial in even the most demanding EuroLeague surroundings. He averages 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists but his influence on the floor goes way beyond what numbers suggest. Thanks to his athleticism he’s not only a player who can wreak all-out havoc on offense but also a more than solid defender. Such a powerful all-around impact is definitely EuroLeague stuff of the highest order.
Khimki Moscow
With two less games than Zenit, Khimki stands at the third place of the standings and there’s a particular Alexey Shved to thank for that.
The newly crowned EuroCup season MVP has already proven time and again that he’s primo EuroLeague material. He can provide in every single area of a team’s offense and stand out even in a EuroLeague contender outfit (like he did in CSKA Moscw in 2011-2012). Shved is second top scorer and sixth best passer in VTB with 22 points and 5.5 assists per game while he gets 3.9 in each match. More mature since his return from the NBA something that has boosted his leadership skills to a noticeable extent.
Lokomotiv Kuban
There are some players that have already shown that they have what it takes to compete in EuroLeague in the Krasnodar club. Some of them where also members of last year’s crazy run to the Final Four, a historic first for the franchise.
Ryan Broekhoff was there since the beginning of the previous season. A wing guy who can pretty much punish every weak side defensive mistake his opponents make with his sharpshooting (28/60 from the perimeter this year, 46.7%) while also aggressively driving to the basket or soar for a rebound. Dynamics he showed to great extent last year in EuroLeague.
As for Matt Janning, who arrived a bit later, well… he’s already ran miles in EuroLeague fields so it’s a track he knows quite well. Also a “killer” from beyond the arc, Janning averages 10.5 points per game (with 21/56, a 30% from downtown, but he can shoot a lot better than that) but it’s mainly his newly found ability to facilitate (3.7 assists per game) that is kinda impressive. He has developed his dime-dropping quite a lot under Sasa Obradovic and this newly found skills makes his game respond even more to the ever-growing EuroLeague standards.
And there’s also Kevin Jones. The American forward/center has never played in EuroLeague before but he has many characteristics that make him eligible for the jump. In an age where mobile big guys are quite… fashionable (and for a good reason since the game gets faster and faster), Jones’ attributes elevate him to EuroLeage floors. And elements like his mid-range shooting, ability to finish fast and strong after the pick n’ roll and defensive discipline, are much sought characteristics among EL teams.