How do leaders play?
As befits a captain, Patrick Miller led Lokomotiv by example in the first 3 games of the series: he averaged a double-double of 13.3 points and 10 assists during this stretch, complementing that with figures of 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks, which adds up to an efficiency rating of 21.3 points. This is all noticeably better than in the 6 regular season and intraseason cup games against CSKA (9.5 points, 7.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 13.7 KPI). It’s also worth noting that Miller spent more time on the court in the semifinals than anyone else–32.5 minutes, and he also shot exactly 50% of his two-pointers (12 of 24) and 25% of his three-pointers (1 of 4).
In the semifinal series, CSKA Moscow’s Melo Trimble hasn’t yet matched his numbers from 6 games against Lokomotiv in the first part of the season: he’s currently averaging 18 points, 30% of his two-point attempts, and a 16.7 efficiency rating (down from 19.7, 60.5, and 24.2). Meanwhile, Trimble‘s assists and three-point percentage are slightly higher (3.7 and 38.1% versus 3.5 and 30.1%). It’s also worth noting that he’s fouled more than any teammate in the semifinals (10 times in total), and hasn’t missed a single free throw yet—his streak currently stands at 18 straight.
Front-court giants
Lokomotiv’s center, Alen Hadzibegovic, has been showing excellent numbers during the semi-final series: he’s the best on the team in rebounds (6.3), blocks (1.7), field goals made (17 of 23); second in scoring (12.7), efficiency (18) and steals (2.3), and he’s also the only player on our team whose box plus/minus over 3 games is greater than zero (+20).
CSKA center Livio Jean-Charles has been brilliant so far in the semifinal series, averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, and a team-best 20 efficiency rating. This shouldn’t be surprising, however, as in 6 games against Lokomotiv in the first half of the season, he posted similar stats: 14.3 points, 6 rebounds, and a 19.3 efficiency rating.
Who started the series better than does now?
In the first 2 games of the semifinal series, Mike Moore averaged 11.5 points, proving Lokomotiv’s main weapon from beyond the arc, hitting 7 of 17 attempts. However, in Game 3, the forward’s performance was completely off: 3 missed shots, 0 points, and a plus/minus of –18. In Game 4, the Krasnodar team needs a Moore like the one from the Moscow portion of the semifinal series—and his baskets, which can be considered a good sign for the current playoffs.
Fun fact: the better Antonius Cleveland plays in this series, the worse things are for CSKA. Game 1 was a good one for the guard: 14 points, 3 steals, and several ESPN-class highlights. In Game 2, he scored 7 points and 6 rebounds, whereas two days ago, he failed to score anything at all, limiting himself to 5 rebounds and 3 assists. But that’s hardly a big disappointment for last year’s DPOY, considering his current team took the series lead.
Who's stats declined?
In 6 games against CSKA in the first half of the season, Anton Kvitkovskikh averaged 8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and shot 58.8% on two-pointers and 23.8% on three-pointers, for an efficiency rating of 4.8. In the semifinals, we’ve seen a decline in almost all of these areas: 4.7 points, 3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 40% on two-pointers, 11.1% on three-pointers, and a 2 efficiency rating. Clearly, if Kvitkovskikh improves, it will give Lokomotiv a major boost.
Compared to the first 6 games of the season against Lokomotiv, Anton Astapkovich‘s scoring (6.3 points vs. 3.3) and efficiency (5 vs. 2.7) shrank almost twice in the semifinals. It’s strange, however, to criticize a player who has the best combined plus/minus in the entire CSKA team in the semifinal series (+25). So, Astapkovich is still getting his 20 minutes consistently.
Good stats, but the performance still in question
Vince Hunter never scored less than 12 points in a single semifinal game, averaging 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. However, in Game 3, Lokomotiv was outscored by 33 points while our starting center was on the court, and he was ejected for an unsportsmanlike foul shortly after the technical. In the decisive semifinal games, the Krasnodar team needs a more focused and composed Hunter.
Nikita Kurbanov is 4th in CSKA’s efficiency rating in this semifinal (12.3), significantly outperforming his numbers in the first 6 games against Lokomotiv: 6.3 points + 8.3 rebounds now versus 5.2 points + 3.8 rebounds then. Despite this, the forward is the only player on his team with a negative combined plus/minus (–2), and in Game 3, Lokomotiv players blocked Kurbanov shots 3 times.
Non-obvious heroes
Compared to the first half of the season, Kirill Temirov significantly improved his statistics against CSKA: 3 points + 2.6 rebounds + 0.4 steals and 2.2 efficiency rating turned into 7.3 + 3 + 0.7 and 5. However, the scoresheet doesn’t always clearly reflect the amount of work Kirill performs on defense.
Samson Ruzhentsev showed the most improvement for CSKA in the semifinals: in 6 first games, he had 6.8 points and a performance rating of 6.0; in 3 semifinal games, he had 9.7 points and 8.0. The numbers for three-point accuracy, rebounds, and assists are staying comparable: 36.4% + 3.5% + 0.8%, compared to the current 37.5% + 2.7% + 0.7%.
But numbers are numbers, and it’s still people who play. Including, of course, the “sixth man.” We look forward to seeing you in the stands at Basket Hall today! Your support is crucial.
Go, Loko!
