CSKA Moscow

The Euroleague defending champs have done it up big this summer. Even if they lost some of their main men, they managed to sign excellent value without going for the “star” names. Terence Morris will be more than a improvement over van den Spiegel, and Erazem Lorbek will take over the scoring role of David Anderson.

The question is, of course, how well can Zoran Planinic replace Theo Papaloukas? But when you examine this switch closely, you see a player on the decline replaced by a similar type of player in his prime. Planinic may not have the “clutch” reputation of Theo, but he is certainly the best available choice for a tall point guard.

The BallinEurope grade:

Partizan Belgrade

On the arrivals side, Partizan has for the moment only two names: Aleksandar Rasic and Vukasin Aleksic. While the former returns after a trip through Europe and most likely takes over the main PG position, the latter looks more like a role-player addition. The transfer of Czech prospect Jan Vesely looks like another Dragic case, so Partizan management is still seeking a replacement to Nikola Pekovic in the middle.

When you look at the list of the departed, you see, I would say once again, all the players that made the success of the team last season. Partizan will very probably go for some more local recruiting as the money in Serbia is not as beautiful as that available in Russia or Ukraine. Another problem they may encounter is the current policy of local rival FMP, who wishes to build a competitive team in order to qualify for the Euroleague within a few years.

The BallinEurope grade:

Real Madrid

For the moment, the Royals’ transfers have been pretty well equilibrated with the return of Marko Tomas to replace the loss of Pelekanos, while Jeremiah Massey looks like a big-time improvement on Blagota Sekulic. On the other hand, I’m unsure that Quinton Hosley can replace the scoring skills of Charles Smith. Pepe Sanchez, though, should have no difficulties becoming the new man instead of Tunceri.

Reading this, it sounds as though Real will improve, but personally I have some doubts. In my eyes, Smith may have had a crucial role that no other player on the roster can fill; Smith’s departure gives even more of the responsibility for scoring to Louis Bullock, which may become a problem late in the season. And Massey really needs to adapt to a new system in which he is no longer the go-to guy.

The BallinEurope grade:

Efes Pilsen Istanbul

In Istanbul, the new team looks extremely promising in my eyes. While Blatt was going for an All-American team last year, new head coach Ergin Ataman brings some Turkish blood back into the arena. Around the team’s core has Istanbul management added some excellent players in Charles Smith and Bootsy Thornton, while the PG spot will be shared by Milos Vujanic and Ender Arslan, two players that finally have the chance to show their worth.

The return of Cenk Akyol and the improvement of some youngsters like Baris Hersek may give the coaching staff the necessary alternatives coming off the bench while giving the stars some hard work to do during practices. Even if the huge names aren’t present anymore, this team looks much more balanced and thought out than last year.

The BallinEurope grade:

AJ Milano

With the loss of Danilo Gallinari to the New York Knicks, Giorgio Armani’s team will script a whole new episode this season. By bringing in the fighting spirit of Mason Rocca and talented players like Jobey Thomas, Luca Vitali and Yohann Sangaré, the new management shows that they want to do a little better this season.

The signing of some local Italian talent is, of course, a necessity, but Vitali and Massimo Bulleri are more than benchwarmers at the European level. Now, the team just needs to bring back its fans and we could see here one of the surprises of the upcoming season.

The BallinEurope grade:

Panionios Athens

Compared to the other two Greek teams, Panionios is on another level in terms of recruiting. While its local opponents can spend millions on NBA or Euroleague stars, Panionios head coach Alexander Trifunovic must settle for the best value for his money. The problem is that, for the moment, the team cannot add any new players.

The case of Ibrahim Jaaber is still not settled and the promising Vladimir Jankovic will firstly go get some playing time in Serbia. So management extended the contracts that were worthy of doing so, new additions must be made. It looks as though the value of the targeted players is far from being within Panionios’ reach, however, so we’ll have to wait some time before this roster is complete.

The BallinEurope grade:

So once again, money is supposed to be the reason? NO! If Sasha is treated like this by his favorite MVP, his American idol (let’s just call him Sasha’s GOD), he has to leave. Watch this:

Oh well, Sasha, Kobe doesn’t love you like you love him … but it looks like a few more people don’t like you that much, either. Like Manu Ginobili, Andrew Bynum, Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis and even the entire Cleveland Cavaliers team. He can’t even join the New York Knicks anymore! Would you want to stay in this league when nobody likes you and you get hurt all the time? I don’t know.

Does Europe want a guy like that? I guess not - well, hold on - the Euroleague might need a substitute for that guy who made us all laugh last season, even though he knew what he was saying to make us laugh: Sasha probably doesn’t know.

If everything fails, Sasha, why don’t you look into coaching and teach some people “how to look like a hero on the court” as well as “how to fly like a mosquito bite next to you”? Nope - no typo - watch this:

A few hours ago, the club and the Eurocup website announced that Jorge Garbajosa has signed a two-year contract with Russian club BC Khimki.

It also looks like another American player is leaving his home country: Carl Landry from the Houston Rockets is rumored to be signing with Spanish club Tau Ceramica - We will keep you updated.

TAU Ceramica

The Spanish Euroleague Final Four team has changed its coach and will be trained by former FC Barcelona head coach Dusko Ivanovic from this summer. For the moment, the team is not quite set, and only Stanko Barac and Fernando San Emeterio have been officially added. A lot depends on the Goran Dragic case.

If the Slovenian guard can join the team, Ivanovic has a very interesting guard rotation with Prigioni and Dragic. But the story is not set and done. This explains why the name of Marko Popovic is still alive in the thoughts of Vitoria management. On the other hand, in guarding the main players from last year’s rotation and adding some youngsters, TAU once again looks like one of the strongest teams in Euroleague.

The BallinEurope grade:

Fenerbahce Ülker

The young Fenerbahce squad is currently absolutely undefined for next season. Only the guard combo of Avellino Marques Green and Devin Smith have joined Istanbul. On the rumor side, it’s also pretty quiet for the moment, but a lot depends on whether Will “King” Solomon will stay in Fenerbahce. The coaching staff will probably build the team around the return or departure of one of the best guards in the entire Euroleague.

Aside from Solomon, the most important moves to know about are whether Tarence Kinsey and/or James White will stay, which is apparently not that likely to happen. On the Turkish side, though, the young inside sector around Oguz Savas, Omer Asik and Semih Erden will probably remain together, as none of these guys seems close to joining the NBA this summer.

The BallinEurope grade:

Virtus Roma

Virtus Roma management is making a lot of efforts to sign big names these days. And the least one could say is that they went for the really big ones: Sani Becirovic, Primoz Brezec and Brandon Jennings. While the first two are common names in European basketball, the last is considered by US fans as “the” signing of the year. We will see how the young point guard adapts to the European lifestyle.

The main thing, however, will be how all these “stars” play together. Roma did play some interesting basketball last season as time went on, but big changes to the roster, especially Lorbek and Ukic leaving, will probably force Virtus fans to again remain calm for a few weeks before their team is playing at the highest possible level.

The BallinEurope grade:

Union Olimpija

For the Slovenes, it seems like the same story every year: The best players leave and some young players come in. This year, the addition of Damjan Rudez and Jaka Klobucar brings two that are hungry and want to show that they have the Euroleague level. Team officials are currently still hunting for an impact big man, particularly because the Mirza Begic case was not the success that they had awaited.

The other perpetual question for Olimpija is the US roster spots. When other teams are signing NBA veterans or high school stars, the Slovenes are more or less looking to find the best value for little money. So it should not be too difficult to find players on the market that can have more impact than Ronnie Taylor or Chris Booker. And when nothing goes, there is of course fan favorite Marko Milic.

The BallinEurope grade:

DKV Joventut

Big changes have come to last year’s ULEB Cup winner from Badalona, as Rudy has left the building for Portland and Aito has given the reigns to his former assistant Sito Alonso. So it looks like this is going to be Ricky’s team completely from next season on. So far, the management has added a lot of outside firepower in sharpshooters Luka Bogdanovic and Simas Jasaitis. Good additions in my opinion, as somebody has to take the responsibility of shooting that was on Rudy’s shoulders.

The loss of Lubos Barton and particularly of Jerome Moiso will hurt the team a lot, as both are a bit underrated and their impact on the team was immense. Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who will probably take over the role from Moiso, might fill that hole by the way.

The BallinEurope grade:

ALBA Berlin

The German team, having finally reached the Euroleague again, is currently building a proper team due to their financial opportunities. As they move into a new arena, ALBA needs to set up a strong and spectacular squad in order to fill the ranks and give something of a glimpse of a chance to reach the Final Four to be played at the team’s home.

The key player could be Bobby Brown, who seems 99% certain not return to Berlin. The US guard that played an outstanding season will be replaced by the German national team point guard Steffen Hamann, who knows the Euroleague business from his time in Bamberg. Hamann will get some support from Rashad Wright, who joined the team recently. The addition of Adam Chubb in the paint is a big improvement to last season in which Patrick Femerling did the dirty work a little bit alone. All that remains is to fill a shooting forward spot and this team is set.

The BallinEurope grade:

If you are an expert in the European lifestyle - I repeat, lifestyle - and not a basketball expert, you can be almost certain that Panathinaikos needs a signing like that, too (BIG rivalry between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos). Too bad Panathiniakos needs a shooting forward. What was that guy’s name from Chicago again? The guy who was looking for a deal? Wasn’t that Luol Deng…?

Don’t be surprised, if that’s the next thing reported on US web sites…

Side note: To make your day even worse (as a US basketball fan) or even better (as a European basketball fan), Pat Riley would rather spend his time in EUROPE in France watching the Tour de France..

Montepaschi Siena

The Italian roster is at the moment mostly undefined. Coach Pianigiani could only announce the signing of Morris Finley officially, but Henry Domercant is apparently very close to coming to Tuscany. The story of the summer is, of course, Terrel McIntyre, who still has not extended his contract with the team.

Romain Sato and Shaun Stonerook are two key guys in the Siena game and have thus far been in some transfer talk already; seeing them leave would be a hard hit for the Mens Sana players. The team’s financial situation may also be a reason why no additional signings have been announced to this point, as management wants to watch how the market evolves.

The BallinEurope grade:

FC Barcelona

Barcelona is adding huge firepower to its team during this offseason. As it stands, they’ve replaced Denis Marconato with David Andersen, and Juan Carlos Navarro has joined the team in place of Gary Neal: sounds like a big improvement. But for the moment, the team is still looking to find their starting point guard, as Pepe Sanchez has left Catalunya for Real Madrid.

Another story is the case of Mario Kasun, who. according to rumors, is no longer wanted by management but wants to stay in Barcelona. This is why the team is seeking Kasun’s eventual replacement already, but the main recruiting option for Xavi Pascual’s team remains the point guard position.

The BallinEurope grade:

Panathinaikos Athens

As every year I want to say that Panathinaikos adds big big names to its roster and looks like a champion before the season even starts. The main additions this season are Nikola Pekovic, Antonis Fotsis and Drew Nicholas. So far. The eventual addition of Josh Childress to Piraeus may open up the owners’ cash box a bit wider, and why not look at Luol Deng flying in at the SF position, as he is currently seeking a new deal in the free agent market?

For the moment, Dusan Kecman is one of the only players able to play this position together with young Greek Stratos Perperoglou, who played himself onto the team during the course of last season. The backcourt, however, still looks like one of the best in Europe with Diamantidis, Jasikevicius and Spanoulis.

The BallinEurope grade:

Zalgiris Kaunas

The Lithuanians have been very quiet in the market so far, but will probably sign some last-minute additions in the coming weeks. Already the main structure of the team is set with Willie Deane at the point and Loren Woods in the paint. Around the two Americans, you’ll see the traditional Jonas Maciulis and Marcus Brown, as well as some younger guys that may see some minutes with the pros this year.

At present, Zalgiris management is actively searching for backups at center and shooting guard. With the case of Marko Popovic still unsettled, the backcourt may see some important changes in coming days. For the backup, the addition of a Lithuanian big man would not be a surprise.

The BallinEurope grade:

Prokom Trefl Sopot

In Poland, a whole new team will be built by the head coach Tomas Pacesas. So far, Prokom has only seen the arrival of David Logan and Ronnie Burrell, but head cases like Gurovic have left and will no longer make a problem for the team. Burrell played Euroleague ball with Cologne two years ago and he should be a nice addition for the team with his athletic play.

Of course, the team will look less flashy than at the beginning of last season, but with the new structure taken on, Polish fans will probably see more wins this season than in the previous edition of the top European competition. A lot of additions have to be made in order to create a team that has a chance to qualify for the Top 16 in this monster group, however.

The BallinEurope grade:

SLUC Nancy

The French team that will play in the Euroleague for the first time will feature some players from last season like the Greer brothers and Cyril “Wild Thing” Julian. But to survive in this tough group, the already-signed players look a bit weak. Of course, the financial possibilities are different here than in Russia or in Greece, and management is trying to sign the best players available from their local league.

The signing of Michael Morandais is one of the additions from which the coaching staff hopes the most will come. The French forward that has never played professionally in France will give SLUC the necessary offensive power on the wing where he will get support from Lamayn Wilson. The big gap is of course the center position, where Julian is getting older every day and the budget does not offer the team an opportunity to sign a great big man.

The BallinEurope grade:

If you keep reading his article, you will find out that the Knicks in fact don’t have any doubt about Gallinari’s impact on the team.

“The thing I really liked what I saw from Danilo, he looked to make other players better,” the Knicks president said during a guest stint on the MSG Network telecast yesterday. “When he’s out on the floor, he has a sense of the game already to make his team better. I would’ve liked to seen him play for the entire length but I saw enough to feel good about.”

Oh right, I get it - the Knicks have doubts that Gallinari will play one-on-five like their “old” superstars of the past. They fear that he’ll actually play team basketball.

Since Marc himself did not find a real basketball reason for the Knicks to have Gallinari doubts, he talks about Gallinari’s physical condition.

Gallinari’s summer league raises questions on whether he’ll be durable enough to withstand the NBA’s physical pounding, at 6′10″, 227, as a rookie.

I really wonder if Marc thinks basketball just comes as a god-given gift in Europe, and that you don’t need to practice at all overseas. Yes, the NBA season is something like 80+ games. Now in Europe, Gallinari and every other player plays once a week for their domestic league, once a week for Euroleague games and once a week for domestic cup games. On top of that, each team practices twice a day for eight months. Add up the games and you end up with at least 8 or 9 games a month, times eight months equals … just abut 70 games a season.

Do you think Mr. Gallinari knows what physical pounding means…?

Maccabi Tel Aviv

The Israeli powerhouse and Euroleague finalist has already made some significant changes to its roster, with the most important perhaps the signing of new coach Effi Birenboim. The team has also lost some of its icons in Nikola Vujcic and Will Bynum, while big names leaving the team are David Bluthenthal and of course Terrence Morris.

On the recruiting side, the big names are still missing but the signings could be defined as thought-out moves. The backcourt will see some local names added in Dror Haggag, Jason Williams and especially Tre Simmons. In the paint, Yaniv Green, D’Or Fisher and the highly spectacular Rodney White will try to make Nikola Vujcic history. Still, the team is missing some quality starting point guards and much of the Yellows’ Euroleague future will be linked to such a signing.

The BallinEurope grade:

Olympiacos Piraeus

The Reds have made some tremendous signings so far. And for the moment, the new players look like the management together with coach has done some research beyond just checking out the names. Vujcic may be ageing, but he is still a great inside player on the European level. He will get some support from young Zoran Erceg in the paint.

But the addition of Theo Papaloukas was the deal thus far for the team from Piraeus. With his return to Greece, Theo gives the fans high hopes of a Final Four qualification after so many years. And the possible signing of NBA player Josh Childress would give Piraeus one of the most amazing backcourts in Europe.

The BallinEurope grade:

Unicaja Malaga

The team from Southern Spain is currently signing players, but they still don’t have a coach — something that has already caused Sergio Scariolo, who saw players arrive on his team that were not his choice, much trouble. And it doesn’t look like this will change for the new head coach.

Omar Cook and Robert Archibald are the two only players that will come to Malaga so far, but the management should seriously try to find a coach within the next few days in order to prepare the new season. Rumors say that Aito could be the new name on the bench, but this won’t be official until after the Beijing Olympics.

The BallinEurope grade:

Cibona Zagreb

The Croats have been extremely quiet on the transfer market so far, but this is not at all a surprise. With the limited financial possibilities in Zagreb, big names cannot be expected to come to Croatia and play in the Euroleague. At least with Velimir Perasovic the team has found a good successor to Ivan Sunara, who has left the team.

Robert Troha and Branimir Longin are the only names officially added to the roster to this point, but rumors that Cibona could sign some European veterans later in the market when the prices have dropped are circulating. With the current race to see who can write the most zeros on a paycheck underway, Cibona management naturally cannot keep up. Additionally, we may see also top talent Tomislav Zubcic with the professional team this season.

The BallinEurope grade:

Le Mans-Sarthe Basket

The French team is recruiting heavily for their final year of the three-year deal to enter the Euroleague after winning the French Championship in 2006. With new head coach J.D. Jackson, the club’s philosophy goes away from giving playing time to young French prospects, as guys like Nicolas Batum or Yannick Bokolo will leave the club to be replaced by Euroleague-experienced players.

Dee Spencer and David Bluthenthal will be the expected scoring leaders for the French team and should be good choices for a team that will compete to move to the next round. On the other hand, with Maleye N’Doye and Pape Badiane, Le Mans has two good defenders to help the aforementioned scorers in doing the dirty work. Another good signing in the paint and the core of the team is set.

The BallinEurope grade:

Air Avellino

The Italians are the Chorale de Roannes of this year’s Euroleague as they even struggle to find an adequate place to play home games. Except the signing of Chris Warren, new head coach Zare Markovski could only announce the addition of the Italian backup PG Daniele Cinciarini from Biella.

Market rumors tell of possible additions with more well-known Euroleague names, but management knows it cannot to offer the salaries that these players are currently asking for. So I think that Air Avellino won’t announce any spectacular moves in the future and will probably try some rookies coming out of college.

The BallinEurope grade:

Just to get it right: Dinamo is not part of the Euroleague, participating instead in the Eurocup.