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Varese still missing Sakota

Though Varese have already played two games, it is hard to believe that much could change in the way they are playing. It is not looking good so far and Sakota's injury isn't helping either. Reggiana have their chances today

Varese played great in the regular season last year, but Siena did better in the semifinal. It is hard to expect another season to be as brilliant, but they do have the weaponry. They brought Fabrizio Frates from Milan in order to incorporate them into a whole, as they do not look good at the start of the season.

Coleman's arrival was a great move, as it mitigated Banks' absence. The departure of Mike Green and Bryan Dunston left a gaping hole in their roster, as they were their best two players. Them leaving weakened the team both on offense and on defense, and those two were also leaders in the court.

They were not given much of a chance last year, and yet they were the top ranked at the end of the regular season. The team was excellently put together and tuned in, they played as one, and it is precisely that chemistry that is problematic this season. The departure of Vitucci must be the cause of that, as there are no coaches of such caliber in Italy.

Clark was brought in from Venezia, and proved he can be relied on, while Sakota was joined in the paint by Scekic and Hasell, but that line does not look good so far. They lost to Siena in the Supercup, having started the game badly, made a comeback and then completely collapsed to be defeated decisively in the finish of the game. The first two quarters give rise to hope, and if they manage to play that way in continuity, the playoff should be a reality.

-We are eagerly awaiting the first game. Reggio Emilia are coming to meet us after a great season. They are skilled, play with their heart and have also brought in the excellent White, who makes them a team worthy of attention. This will be a difficult game for us, especially in the paint. Brunner is a very quick and agile center who can widen the paint and hit a three pointer. We will have to take over a lot, and play a tactically smart game, especially as Scekic is having trouble as well as Sakota, but he will have to play- said coach Frates about the game.

Sakota is still in question, and as the Hasell-Scekic duo is not doing great, it is possible we will see Ere play the number four position too. Polonara might struggle against White and Karl in this game, as they will certainly not allow him easy shots.

Reggio Emilia had a fantastic season last year. First they surprised everyone by even making it to the playoff, and then took Roma to the seventh game in the quarterfinal. Their best scorer Donell Taylor (19.1 pts) left in summer, and they lost the remainder of the perimeter as well, with guard Jeremic and point guard James leaving as well. They failed in their goal to bring Gigli, but they managed to put together another great team regardless of that, quite similar to the last season's one, all things considered. This is no surprise as Menetti is still coaching them, and we will see even better defenses from them this year.

Their main reinforcement is definitely James White, former NBA player and a court leader that gives this team enormous potential. His physique is excellent, as proven by his participation in the NBA Slam Dunk contest. They completed the outer line with Karl, who is a strong defensive presence, and Frassinet, a good shooter. Cervi and Silins give them two talents in the paint, and Brunner and Antonutti will be the starting center pair.

-Looking at Varese, I think they are a well constructed team, but it will take time for the coach to get them in sync. They like playing fast transitions, and Coleman and Ere are very dangerous players. It will be difficult, as they already have two games under their belt- said sports director Frossini.

Varese were an offensively potent team last season, scoring 81 points per game on average. Three important players have left the team, Green, Dunston and Banks. They were averaging half of those points, 41 to be precise. Their replacements are good individually, but the qualifications for Euroleague and Supercup have shown that they haven't adapted to the team yet. At times they looked lost on the court, playing one-on-five without any ball movement. Sakota's injury is another problem, since Scekic and Hassell haven't proved to be a threat under the rim. In the aforementioned games they scored 66 and 73 points, and, in my opinion, they are now facing a team with much better defense. Reggio Emilia were the top defending team last season, allowing 72.6 points per game. Varese like fast-paced basketball, but lack of team chemistry and injuries prevent them from playing the way they want. Reggio Emilia's defense has been strengthened by Karlo, Frassineti and White. At 203 cm, White is a former NBA small forward who won't have any problems guarding Polonara and Ebi, the main threats in Varese. Karl has fit in well in the team's defending system and, if he stops Coleman, Varese are highly unlikely to go over the point limit. Reggio Emilia allowed over 79 points just once during the preseason (80 against Cremona in overtime), while the mighty CSKA were left at 64. I don't see how out-of-form Varese can possibly go over this limit.