The last of the four groups in the 2008-2009 edition of the Euroleague features some high-quality teams, including defending champion CSKA Moscow and Spain’s biggest name in Real Madrid.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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