BallinEurope is previewing all 18 Euroleague Basketball teams ahead of the start of the season. Today it’s the turn of Zeljko Obradovic and Partizan. There have been changes, lots of changes, since the last campaign.
Partizan have some of the wildest fans in Euroleague Basketball. Zeljko Obradovic wants to bring them success. In the process, they have undergone one of the biggest roster overhauls in the history of the competition.
Last season
Euroleague record: 16-18
Regular season position: 11th
Playoffs: NA
ABA League record: 20-6
Regular season position: 2nd
Playoffs: Lost finals to Crvena Zvezda (3-0)
Other: Lost Serbian Cup final (Crvena Zvezda)
Who’s gone?
Bruno Caboclo (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Ognjen Jaramaz (Baskonia), Kevin Punter (FC Barcelona), Mateusz Ponitka (Bahcesehir Koleji), PJ Dozier (Minnesota Timberwolves), Jaleen Smith (Bahcesehir Koleji), Alen Smailagic (Zalgiris Kaunas), Zach LeDay (Olimpia Milano), Aleksa Avramovic (CSKA Moscow), Danilo Andjusic (Dubai), Uros Trifunovic (Tofas), James Nunnally (free agent), Frank Kaminsky (free agent).
Who is new?
Duane Washington Jr (Westchester Knicks), Aleksej Pokusevski (Charlotte Hornets), Isiaha Mike (JL Bourg), Arijan Lakic (Zadar), Tyrique Jones (Anadolu Efes), Carlik Jones (Zheijang Golden Bulls), Brandon Davies (Valencia), Sterling Brown (Alba Berlin), Isaac Bonga (FC Bayern), Vanja Marinkovic (Baskonia), Mario Nakic (Igokea), Frank Ntilikina (Charlotte Hornets), Iffe Lundberg (Virtus Bologna).
Who stayed?
Balsa Koprovica.
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Need to know
To state the obvious, this Partizan team might need some time to gel. The biggest factor in this will, obviously, be Zeljko Obradovic. The second biggest however is on the floor. Carlik Jones has experience working with a roster that lacks familiarity and making it work fast. His time with the South Sudan national team dealing with this situation can’t be overstated. Added to that, he’s just really good. If Partizan succeed in Euroleague Basketball this season, Jones will feature strongly in that success.
What the bookies think
There’s a reasonably narrow range of prices on sportsbooks for Partizan. They only range from 20/1 to 30/1 in Euroleague Basketball betting. That’s far less fluctuation than in most of the recent previews. Zeljko Obradovic’s side is priced at either 20/1 or 25/1 on a plurality of betting sites.
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What we think
Change is tough to manage. That said, this is Zeljko Obradovic. His attitude has always been that he can manage with whatever players he is presented with. Partizan better hope he’s right because this is wild new territory in terms of roster turnover. That being said, this looks like a side far more capable of competing in Euroleague Basketball than last season’s version.
Fearless prediction
Partizan fall into an odd spot in our Euroleague Basketball predictions. That’s got little to do with the roster turnover and how Zeljko Obradovic manages it. No, instead it’s the introduction of the play-ins last season that mean gauging is a little harder. I have Partizan in what would have been a playoff spot a couple of seasons ago. Right now, instead, it’s a favourable play-in slot.
Pick: 8th in the regular season
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