If Partizan's Quartet Continues Like This, Opponents Are in for a Tough Time! Zvezda Ready for Life After McIntyre

"Calm down."

That was the word coach Joan Peñarroya repeated several times in the press conference after the game against Olimpia Milan. Translated, it means "take it easy," without getting carried away by the EuroLeague opening triumph. Because, as the Spanish expert added, "this is a marathon."

And he's absolutely right. For the first time since 2007, Partizan secured a victory (92:76) in the first round of Europe's elite competition, but caution is still warranted. The black-and-whites changed half their squad this summer, and the players need more time to gel and find their rhythm. Furthermore, Partizan now faces three consecutive away games, followed by clashes with Panathinaikos, Fenerbahçe, and Crvena Zvezda, to name a few. So, while beating Olimpia is great, the real challenges are yet to come.

However, some conclusions can – and must – be drawn even now, at the dawn of the new EuroLeague season. One such conclusion is that Partizan has assembled an exceptionally powerful and deep backcourt.

Of course, it's not on par with the depth of backcourts seen in teams like Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Fenerbahçe, or Efes; for Partizan, and much of the EuroLeague, that's the Mariana Trench. Nevertheless, considering their capabilities and circumstances (many high-profile reinforcements rejected Partizan this summer), the black-and-whites have indeed put together a very good backcourt quartet.

This was evident in the clash with Olimpia, where Peñarroya utilized four players – Carlik Jones, Alessandro Pajola, Luca Vildoza, and Kyle Allman – for offensive organization and ball handling. And in various combinations: Carlik and Pajola simultaneously, then Vildoza and Allman, then Carlik and Vildoza. In some situations, the black-and-whites even had three ball-handlers on the court, with Arijan Lakić (another natural point guard) playing at the four spot.

None of the four showed excessive fatigue, even though Carlik Jones played 26 minutes and achieved a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists. Peñarroya expertly distributed roles and rotated players effectively; for instance, when he sensed Carlik needed a rest, he used Pajola to bring the ball up, and did the same with Vildoza and Allman. The balance was evident in Pajola and Vildoza finishing the game with seven points each, while Allman contributed eight.

Beyond the fact that involving so many players in playmaking (last season, Peñarroya primarily used only Carlik and Calathes for this purpose, as Dwayne Washington was too prone to solo efforts) puts opponents in a quandary about where the greatest threat comes from, and beyond giving Peñarroya a plethora of combinations and ways to attack, this assembled backcourt also boasts immense defensive potential.

With Vildoza, Allman, and Pajola, Partizan can effectively "hide" Carlik Jones on defense and deploy one of the aforementioned trio to pressure the opposing point guard. This was indeed the case against Olimpia, where we saw excellent defensive performances from Partizan's new guards. Vildoza and Pajola, in particular, combined for six steals (the Argentinian had four, the Italian two) and constantly stifled their opponents. Moreover, both are capable of challenging physically stronger players. Just ask Marko Gudurić, if you don't believe us.

When all is said and done, it appears Partizan truly has a potent backcourt, built for play on both ends of the court (and for transition, which is especially Luca Vildoza's specialty); all four are, offensively, good at driving, playmaking, assisting, dictating tempo, and all four are dangerous from the perimeter (Pajola the least), and they also put in the effort on defense. Well, Carlik Jones doesn't quite "die" on defense as much, but he is Partizan's primary offensive weapon, so it's expected he gets some leeway on that end.

It bodes well. Let's just hope all four stay healthy.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet fans were concerned about their team's offensive play after Cody Miller-McIntyre left Mali Kalemegdan to sign with Olympiacos, but if the first round is any indication, there seems to be no need for excessive worry.

In Zvezda's game against Žalgiris (an 83:77 loss), there were more negatives than positives, but let's not paint too bleak a picture after just the first round... We won't dwell on the chaos Jonas Valančiūnas created for Zvezda in the pick-and-roll, nor Jonathan Motley's disastrous -13 index rating, nor the offensive stagnation when Nick Weiler-Babb was the primary playmaker. Instead, we'll focus on the positives. At least this weekend.

And the most positive aspect of Zvezda's loss to Žalgiris, without much deliberation, was Chris Jones. The seasoned American point guard finished the game with 15 points (5/6 on two-pointers, 1/2 on threes), eight assists, and two rebounds, demonstrating – and this is far more crucial – that he can bring much-needed stability to the red-and-whites at the point guard position.

Simply put, the difference in Zvezda's offense with Jones as the primary playmaker compared to Weiler-Babb was immense, visible from a mile away.

With Jones, everything was much more fluid and imaginative. The former Hapoel Tel Aviv player made excellent passes, sought out mismatches, found open teammates on the perimeter with outlet passes, and even delivered several highly lucid and precise long-range passes in transition. On top of all that, he still possesses one of the best and softest mid-range games in the league.

One potential drawback, at least based on this first round, is that he seemed to tire quite easily. Jones doesn't have anywhere near the stamina of Cody, who almost always played 30-plus minutes in every EuroLeague game for Zvezda.

That's why Ibon Navarro gave Weiler-Babb more playing time in the first round, and that's very likely one of the reasons Zvezda suffered a defeat.

Of course, it must also be attributed to the fact that Jones is 33 years old and came to Zvezda from Dimitris Itoudis' system, where he didn't have a significant role. In that sense, there's no doubt he'll need some time to adjust to the new circumstances. Just as Navarro will need time to establish hierarchy, feel out the situation, and figure out how to best utilize each player.

Yes, it's true, after the first round, Ibon Navarro seems to have a lot of things to worry about, many things that are creaking and need to be oiled as soon as possible... However, pondering who the starting point guard is not one of them. Just let Chris Jones regain his rhythm and refresh his memory (to actually recall his days wearing the Valencia jersey, to remember what it means to be a starting point guard), and let Weiler-Babb, as his backup, absorb Navarro's offensive philosophy.

And when that happens, Zvezda will – at least offensively – look much, much better. You can be sure of that.

It's not like anyone was surprised, but... Panathinaikos comfortably defeated Paris in the first round, with a score of 91:72.

When we say "comfortably," we mean it literally, as several prominent names in the Greens' lineup were absent due to injuries, including Kendrick Nunn, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and Kostas Sloukas. However, this didn't overly bother Željko Obradović's team; Sylvain Francisco, Mathias Lessort, and Gerson Yabusele combined for 46 points (more than half the team's total) and reaffirmed Panathinaikos' preseason status as the top favorite to win the EuroLeague.

As for PAO's actual play, there's not much to say. This is only the first round, and Obradović certainly hasn't had time to fully implement his basketball principles. Furthermore, the Paris team isn't the most reliable benchmark, and as we've already mentioned, several crucial players are missing.

Nevertheless, what's already clear is that Panathinaikos definitely has the most powerful and deepest roster in Europe, and their fans are "rightfully" hoping that Obradović will lead them back to the European throne and secure his milestone 10th title.

Finally, we should touch upon the welcome the OAKA arena, rebranded as the Telekom Center, gave to the man they call "the king." It was emotional, filled with songs, cheers, and applause, but the impression is, not quite as fervent as in the Belgrade Arena. This might partly be attributed to the unappealing opponent – as Paris is undoubtedly one of the weakest teams in the EuroLeague this season – but Obradović's connection with Partizan fans is definitely stronger than the one he built with Panathinaikos supporters. This is true despite him bringing them 23 trophies and spending only seven years on Partizan's bench, compared to the 13 he led the Athenian giant.

We'll see what happens on October 13th, when Panathinaikos faces Partizan...

VIDEO: Zvezda's Unfortunate EuroLeague Opener, Žalgiris Again