Olympic Team Profile: Russia
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Reigning European champion Russia is no longer an underdog as it returns to the Summer Olympic Games looking for its first medal as an independent nation. With a bona fide superstar in EuroBasket MVP Andrei Kirilenko, a host of players from Euroleague champion CSKA Moscow and one of the best coaches in the game roaming the sidelines, Russia has plenty of reasons to aim high. Experience, continuity and iron-tight defense are chief among the reasons for Russia’s success. Head coach David Blatt can count on eight players back from the squad that lifted the EuroBasket crown in Madrid in September, but perhaps even more important is that fact that three players – Kirilenko, Zakhar Pashutin and Nikita Morgunov – have been playing for Russia since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, when Russia placed eighth. And center Aleksei Savrasenko and point guard Petr Samoylenko have been Team Russia players since 2001.
Blatt can look to guard J.R. Holden for on court leadership. Holden, who hit the championship-winning jumper in the EuroBasket final, makes his presence felt on both sides of the floor and can serve as both a scorer and a point guard depending upon the lineup playing. # | Name | Pos. | H. | 5 | J.R. Holden | G | 185 | 6 | Sergey Bykov | G | 191 | 7 | Andrei Kirilenko | F | 208 | 8 | Nikita Morgunov | C | 211 | 9 | Petr Samoylenko | G | 188 | 10 | Viktor Khryapa | F | 206 | 11 | Zakhar Pashutin | G | 196 | 12 | Sergei Monya | F | 203 | 14 | Aleksey Savrasenko | C | 216 | 15 | Viktor Keyru | F | 201 | 17 | Vitaly Fridzon | G | 196 | 20 | Andrey Vorontsevich | F | 203 | | Head Coach: David Blatt |
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Samoylenko is the only natural playmaker on the squad, though Sergei Bykov also has the skills to fill in at the spot. The veteran Pashutin and Vitaly Fridzon are dependable shot-makers, while Viktor Keyru brings great athleticism off the bench. Each of them can be counted upon to make an impact on defense, where Blatt’s game planning gives his charges the tools to shut down any team.
Kirilenko is the team’s biggest star, who can dominate a game with a variety of skills, whether it be scoring, creating for others, locking down his own opponent or intimidating others with his shot blocking. Sergei Monya is an ideal compliment for Kirilenko and he may be asked to take on a bigger role since the team’s other top forward, Victor Khryapa, will likely miss the games with an ankle injury. A big question will be at center, where Savrasenko is returning after missing half a season with a shoulder injury. The veteran Morgunov is a crafty backup and first-timer Sasha Kaun can also make a difference with his interior defense. The team spirit that Blatt has instilled where every player will sacrifice for another combined with a few star scorers gives Russia what it needs to win on any night. And if the team can get on a roll like it did in Madrid, the sky is the limit.
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Euroleague.net
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