Koloko Out of Partizan-Red Star Derby, Izundu Back

After a two-hour practice, in which Vanja Marinkovic worked with the squad for the first time since his serious Achilles tendon injury, all of Partizan headed for the Sava embankment. According to Meridian Sport, lunch was waiting for them on a floating restaurant in New Belgrade, hosted for the first team, the coaching staff and the sports department by club president Ostoja Mijailovic. The get-together on the Sava was a kind of team-building exercise ahead of the Belgrade derby.

Partizan and Red Star meet on Thursday, October 22, at 8:45 p.m. at Belgrade Arena, in Round 7 of the EuroLeague. It is the first meeting between them this season, Partizan is the home side, and Ibon Navarro will lead Red Star in a Belgrade derby for the first time. Across from him is Joan Penarroya.

Who is missing from the Belgrade derby on Thursday?

On Red Star’s side, it is the new center. Kristijan Koloko (26 years old, 211 cm, from Cameroon) signed his contract over the weekend of October 17 and 18, after four years in the NBA with occasional appearances in the G League. He arrives in Belgrade during the week, and Mozzart Sport reports that Thursday is the most likely day. Mandatory medical exams come first, so he will certainly not be in the lineup for the derby. Telesport adds that the exact day of his arrival is not yet known.

Sources differ on Koloko’s debut. Mozzart Sport writes that he could play his first game in the red and white against Igokea in Laktasi, in Round 4 of the ABA League, while Telesport lists the same game as Round 5 of the AdmiralBet ABA League.

That means Navarro will rely at center on Ebuka Izundu, who is back from injury and played 15 minutes in Novo Mesto against Krka on Sunday, and on Semi Ojeleye. Last week Red Star won both games of a double round, and Patrick Baldwin also helped in the paint. There is no fresh news on Jonathan Motley’s recovery.

Partizan is in an even tougher spot under the basket. Tonye Jekiri strained an adductor against Fenerbahce and will miss the derby. Over the first six rounds he averaged 10.2 points and shot 65.8 percent on twos. Derek Willis has been out for some time. Penarroya will therefore have to watch the minutes of Kevarrius Hayes and his foul trouble, while Joffrey Lauvergne and Nikola Tanaskovic have to give more help.

How did Partizan and Red Star end up on opposite streaks?

Partizan won the first three games of the season, then lost three in a row. Red Star lost its first two games, then won four straight under Navarro. Both teams have some of the best defenses in the EuroLeague, and the difference in streaks comes from Partizan’s shooting, which dropped sharply.

Against Armani, Paris and Bayern, the black and whites averaged 90 points and hit 28 of 70 three-pointers, or 40 percent. Against Real, Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce, the average fell to 65.3 points and the threes to 13 of 66, or 19.7 percent. The drop of almost 25 points per game did not come from the defense, which allowed even fewer in the second stretch (77.3 against 79.7 points). Two-point shooting fell from 59 to 46.8 percent, and free throws from 75 to 60.9 percent.

The worst showing was the loss to Panathinaikos (55-72): only four threes on 26 attempts and 17 makes on 37 shots from two. Carlik Jones, the top scorer and main playmaker, finished with eight points and two field goals. In Istanbul, Partizan opened with four threes on four attempts and led 18-7, then missed its next 15 shots from distance. It still held the lead at halftime (28-25), but Fenerbahce took the third quarter 34-16 and recorded 14 blocks, a new EuroLeague record.

Red Star’s turnaround has a different cause. In the first two rounds, against Zalgiris and Hapoel, it scored 78.5 points and allowed 82. Over the next four games the offense rose to 82, but the points allowed fell to 73.3. In Dubai it gave up just 58 points, and in Villeurbanne Chris Jones won the game with a buzzer-beater. Against Paris it led by as many as 19 points for three quarters, scored only 13 in the last ten minutes and let its rival close to within five. Paris also won the rebounding battle (42-36), and Jared Butler pulled Red Star through the finish.

With 41.3 rebounds per game, Red Star leads the EuroLeague, while Partizan has 33.8. The red and whites grab 32.8 percent of available balls after their own misses, the black and whites 27.1 percent, and that is with a center line weakened by the injuries to Motley and Izundu. Partizan has a different weapon: with 10 steals per game, it is the best in the league.

After six rounds, Partizan scores 77.7 points and allows 78.5, while Red Star scores 80.8 and allows 76.2. Six games is not a big sample, and Red Star has meanwhile brought in Koloko and expects more reinforcements, so the picture could change considerably by the end of the season.

What do former players expect?

On the Kole.Point podcast, hosted by Nenad Kostic, two former players from opposite clubs discussed the derby. Vladimir Dragutinovic, a former Partizan player, said Red Star has the edge:

“It seems to me that Red Star has the edge at this moment, not only because it has the better team, but because they have found a positive rhythm, they are winning, they have a streak of wins behind them. Partizan had two tough opponents, and it seems to me that Jekiri is hurt now as well. Against an already weakened team like this, it seems to me that for this derby Red Star is, sadly for me, the favorite.”

Zlatko Bolic, a former Red Star player, agreed, but with a reservation. He first reminded listeners what the derby means:

“You know, Vlado, when a derby comes, you always find some way to dig out another atom of strength and some motivation. And of course, when you beat Red Star or when you beat Partizan, you have some peace at home. That means a lot to the people in the club and to the fans, these are the most important games of the season.”

Then he added:

“I agree that Red Star is a slight favorite, but that still doesn’t mean anything. Partizan plays on its own court, in front of its own crowd, so to speak on its own court. Of course, I expect Red Star to win, but I think Partizan has just as much of a chance to win. It will be a really good, high-quality game.”

Former Partizan guard Danilo Andjusic told Meridian Sport that the black and whites need reinforcements:

“They opened the season well and I believe they have a good team, but it will be hard. A tough schedule is coming, the derby and games that won’t be easy to win. In my opinion, they need one or two more players to build a compact team that could go after the playoffs. That is what I can say as someone who follows Partizan from the outside.”

As for the derby itself, Andjusic does not expect a one-sided game:

“Both teams are still not at peak form and are still looking for their game. The first derby of the season always has a special charm. For everyone around the clubs it is perhaps the most important game, whenever it comes and in whatever part of the season. Honestly, I expect a game decided on one ball. I don’t believe anyone will dominate.”

The answer arrives Thursday at 8:45 p.m. at Belgrade Arena. After that, Red Star faces Igokea in Laktasi, where Koloko could make his debut.