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Former EuroLeague champion Jonas Maciulis announced that his days of playing professional basketball have come to an end. Maciulis, 36, was born in Kaunas and started his career with Zalgiris, which he helped win the original EuroLeague Junior Tournament in 2003. After a season with Nevezis, Maciulis made his EuroLeague debut with Zalgiris in the 2005-06 campaign. He took part in 12 EuroLeague seasons with Zalgiris, AX Armani Exchange Milan, Panathinaikos Athens and Real Madrid, with which he lifted the EuroLeague title in 2015. In 239 EuroLeague career games, Maciulis accumulated 1,809 points (7.6 ppg.) and 748 rebounds (3.1 rpg.).



<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Zalgiris is happy to have had you in a green-and-white jersey. Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/JonasMaciulis8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonasMaciulis8</a>, and good luck in your next chapter! 👏 <a href="https://t.co/s15SdbnKV8">pic.twitter.com/s15SdbnKV8</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1435957110005592068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Maciulis won domestic league titles in four different countries - with Zalgiris in 2006, 2007, 2008, Montepaschi Siena in 2012, Panathinaikos in 2013 and 2014, and Real in 2015 and 2016. He also lifted three consecutive Spanish Copa del Reys with Real from 2015 to 2017, Greek Cup crowns with Panathinaikos in 2013 and 2014, and with AEK Athens in 2020, and back-to-back Lithuanian Cups with Zalgiris in 2007 and 2008. Maciulis also won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup twice - with Real in 2015 and AEK in 2019 – and played for Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. He was successful with the Lithuanian national team, which which he won three EuroBasket medals - silver in 2013 and 2015, bronze in 2017 – as well as a bronze medal at the 2010 World Cup.



Jonas Maciulis retires from basketball

jonas-maciulis-trophy-champ-photo-shoot-final-four-madrid-2015-eb14.jpg

AX Armani Exchange Milan kept most of the core of the team from last season and had a couple of meaningful additions that will look to take the team even further after a Final Four return in 2021.

### BACKCOURT

The backcourt for Milan starts with two superstars that remain in the team from last year. Former MVP Sergio Rodriguez will still be the main floor general, and will have the help of superscorer Malcolm Delaney, who averaged 11.6 points last season. New faces Troy Daniels, Devon Hall and Gerian Grant have also been added to make Milan's backcourt a force to be reckoned with. Daniels is an experienced vet with 339 NBA appearances under his belt, while Hall comes from a stellar season in Germany. Grant also shined with Proimtheas Patras in the Greek League. Another vet, Riccardo Moraschini, will be a quality back-up. At small forward, sniper Shavon Shields will remain one of Milan's main offensive threats.

### FRONTCOURT

The biggest signing for Milan this summer was probably the comeback of Nicolo Melli. He started his career in Milan and after exploding elsewhere and having some great seasons, he is back to his origins to lift the team to a new level. Of course, he will be joined by tried and true EuroLeague stars like Kyle Hines and Luigi Datome, who were already a key part in the team's return to the Final Four last season. Another new face in the paint will be Dinos Mitoglou, fresh off Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, where he has become one of the most prominent young big men in the league. Kaleb Tarczewski and Paul Biligha return to contribute some more experience while Gianpaolo Ricci is a new face arriving from Virtus Bologna, where he averaged 6.4 points in the 7DAYS EuroCup last season.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

Even if Milan features a star-studded roster already, all eyes will be on Nicolo Melli, arguably the team's biggest signing this summer. Melli played five EuroLeague seasons with Milan from 2010 to 2015 but it was when he joined Bamberg of Germany that he exploded. In his two seasons there his numbers increased on every front and he was signed by Fenerbahce. He spent also two seasons there and then he played two seasons in the NBA. He totals 207 EuroLeague games, with averages of 7.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Coach Ettore Messina expects that Melli will be the missing piece in a puzzle that already delivered in spades last season.

### OUTLOOK

Milan hopes to go one step further this season, and that only means one thing: making it all the way to the Championship Game. Last season, the Italian team fell in semis to FC Barcelona, but the big goals remain. Coach Messina has kept the core names of Rodriguez, Hines, Delaney, Shields or Datome, and brought in new faces that could be a new configuration that does the trick. In such a loaded regular season, a good start will be paramount, and the first game at home against CSKA Moscow, which will be a tough test right out of the gate. With four home games in the first five rounds, Milan will have a change to build confidence early, which could prove decisive as it works its way towards the playoffs.

Roster rundown: AX Armani Exchange Milan

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AX Armani Exchange Milan reached an agreement with small forward Shavon Shields to extend his contract until the end of the 2022-23 season, the club announced Wednesday. Shields (2.01 meters, 27 years old) averaged a team-high 13.8 points on 43.2% three-point shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 36 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season. He was chosen to the All-Euroleague Second Team and helped Milan reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 1992. Shields joined Milan from Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, where he averaged 9.5 points on 85.7% free throw shooting and 3.4 rebounds in 26 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games in the 2019-20 campaign. He helped Baskonia capture the title at the 2020 Spanish League's end-of-season tournament. Shields also played for Dolomiti Energia Trento, helping it reach the Italian League Finals in 2017 and 2018, where they lost to Umana Reyer Venice and Milan, respectively. Shields began his professional career with Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt of Germany. He is also a member of the Danish national team.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">❗️“Felice di rimanere...insieme”: Shavon Shields estende con l’Olimpia fino al 2023 ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/vMfp5093ch">https://t.co/vMfp5093ch</a><br><br>❗️“Thankful for the opportunity to continue...insieme”: Shavon Shields extends for two more years ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/BpaXIm2kve">https://t.co/BpaXIm2kve</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shields2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shields2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/shields3uno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shields3uno</a> <a href="https://t.co/4lyqJb8bUM">pic.twitter.com/4lyqJb8bUM</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1435643453946449926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Milan extends All-EuroLeague forward Shields

AS Monaco is the only debutant in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season. Monaco retained the core of players that led the team to the 7DAYS EuroCup championship last season and added experienced players to be even more competitive.

### BACKCOURT

Monaco signed a brand-new point guard duo, looking for two very different players for depth and versatility. Leo Westermann is set to start his 10th EuroLeague season and Monaco is his seventh club in the competition. Tall, experienced and with a high basketball IQ, Westermann should be Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic's extension on the court. On the other hand, Paris Lee is a EuroLeague newcomer who comes off a strong season (14.9 ppg., 7.8 apg.) with French side Orleans Loiret Basket. Lee is an excellent shooter and a great one-on-one player who makes things happen with the ball in his hands. EuroCup Finals MVP Rob Gray and Danilo Andjusic are set to provide the fireworks from downtown. Gray is an all-around scorer due to his unlimited shooting range, poise and self-confidence. Andjusic developed from a spot-up shooter to a scoring machine who attacks the rim and draws fouls. Yakuba Ouattara is back in Monaco to provide hustle, energy and outside shooting. Rudy Demahis, an up-and-coming playmaker, should see extended playing time during the season.



### FRONTCOURT

Alpha Diallo and Armel Traore should split minutes at small forward, even though Monaco may often play small ball with Gray and Andjusic together on court. Diallo is an interesting addition - a young, versatile and ambitious forward who powers the boards and can score in many ways. Traore, age 18, is set to make his professional debut with Monaco right out of Centre Federal du Basket-Ball. The Principality powerhouse has a new-look frontcourt with many options at center. Jerry Boutsiele is a great rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and an effective scorer. Donatas Motiejunas returns to the EuroLeague for the first time since 2012. He is a natural-born mismatch due to his post skills, shooting range and ballhandling. Donta Hall adds even more power to Monaco's frontcourt due to his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. Brock Motum, an experienced power forward, can open the floor with his shooting from downtown and is also dangerous around the basket. Ibrahima Fall-Faye provides defense, energy, quickness and much-needed versatility due to his all-around skills.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

All eyes will be on Rob Gray, who finished the EuroCup season in great shape. Gray was named the EuroCup Semifinals MVP after scoring 25 points in Game 1 against Herbalife Gran Canaria and making the game-winning shot on the buzzer in Game 2 to send Monaco to the finals. He did even better against UNICS Kazan, scoring 23 points in Game 1 of the Finals and hitting 25 in Game 2. Gray uses his great one-on-one skills to beat his defenders, take the ball to the basket or create his own shots from any distance. He does it with great determination and a lot of confidence, making things look easy. Gray has dominated the EuroCup like few others in his first campaign in that competition, and now faces a big challenge: repeating the trick on the biggest stage available in Europe: the EuroLeague.

### OUTLOOK

When fans and experts named the EuroCup favorites before the start of the 2020-21 season, Monaco was not a name that was mentioned often but the team went all the way and lifted the trophy. Monaco now needs to take that underdog mentality to the EuroLeague and keep doing what worked well for the team last season: take one game at a time, play with high concentration, rely on Coach Mitrovic's defensive strategies and get its many scorers - Gray, Andjusic, Motiejunas - involved on offense. Monaco should fight for every win and if that happens, set more ambitious goals as the season goes by.

Roster rundown: AS Monaco

AS Monaco in preseason 2(photo Monaco) - EB21.jpg

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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard Paul Lacombe is set to miss the start of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season due to a finger injury. Lacombe's discolated left index finger required surgery and should keep him sidelined for six weeks. He averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 assists in 25 EuroLeague games with ASVEL last season. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">❗ Info effectif | Six semaines d’absence pour Paul LACOMBE<br><br>Blessé lors du deuxième match de préparation de l’Ain Star Game, l’arrière villeurbannais sera éloigné des terrains pour une durée de six semaines environ.<br>✍ <a href="https://t.co/lun5BNQxEy">https://t.co/lun5BNQxEy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1434882839103868937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </center>

Lacombe-001261.jpg

ASVEL: Lacombe, out 6 weeks

Don't miss the first vlog of the 2021-22 season! Directly from Zenit St Petersburg Media Day, Billy Baron talks to the EuroLeague fans.

Media Day Vlog: Billy Baron, Zenit St Petersburg

With a largely unchanged roster supplemented by a couple of major summer signings, Coach Dimitris Itoudis is ready to lead CSKA Moscow on another serious title challenge.

### BACKCOURT

CSKA made a major move in the summer by bringing back Alexey Shved, who started his career with the club and now returns nine years later firmly established as one of European basketball’s biggest stars. Another new arrival in the backcourt is Marius Grigonis. The 27-year-old swingman has been getting better in practically every statistical category over the last few seasons and his versatility should serve as the perfect counterpoint to Shved in an exciting pairing. The new signings are joined by Iffe Lundberg and Daniel Hackett. Lundberg was excellent in his first half-season in the competition, becoming an increasingly trusted member of Coach Itoudis’s lineup over the course of his 15 appearances and the Dane will now aim to maintain that standard throughout the coming campaign. Hackett, of course, has already done and seen everything over the course of his 10 seasons in the competition and his experience and determined defense will continue to be important for CSKA. The backcourt is completed by Ivan Ukhov and Alexander Khomenko, who both made regular contributions off the bench last season and can expect to do the same this year.

### FRONTCOURT

There is a look of familiarity about CSKA’s frontcourt with virtually no changes from last season. The only addition is experienced big man Vladimir Ivlev, who arrives after five seasons with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. He previously played in the EuroLeague with Nizhny Novgorod in 2014-15. Ivlev gives more size to an already formidable range of options in the paint led by Nikola Milutinov, who will hope for better luck with injuries after missing the end of last season. The Serbian center has been looking good in preseason and appears ready to re-establish the starting position he occupied until injury struck in January. Milutinov’s physical presence is complemented by the mobility and deep shooting range of Johannes Voigtmann. CSKA can also call upon one of the best power forwards in Europe, Toko Shengelia, who offers poise and power at both ends of the floor, and former EuroLeague Final Four MVP Will Clyburn, whose energy and dynamism add another explosive element. Team captain Nikola Kurbanov is the essence of reliability, and two more tried and trusted options are Anton Semenov and Joel Bolomboy, both of whom will receive plenty of playing time. Youngster Andrei Lopatin completes the roster.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

The return of Alexey Shved to the red colors of CSKA Moscow is without doubt one of the most intriguing storylines to follow heading into the new season. Shved’s scoring heroics with Khimki Moscow Region over the past six seasons have earned him countless individual honors and accolades, including Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy awards in 2018 and 2021. On a personal level, last season was one of Shved’s best as he led the league in both scoring (19.8 per game) and assists (7.7 per game), and ranked second in PIR (19.6 per game). However, on a collective level the season was nothing short of disastrous as Khimki – despite all that offensive production from Shved – could only win four games and finished bottom of the standings by a long way. The grand question for Coach Itoudis to answer is how Shved’s undeniable individual brilliance can be put to the service of the team as a whole. The steadying presence of reliable veterans like Hackett and Kurbanov should ensure the right balance can be found. If everything clicks, there is every chance Shved will play a key role in conquering his second EuroLeague crown, having already done so with CSKA in 2008. Back then he was a teenager and a peripheral presence – this time, he has a much bigger part to play.

### OUTLOOK

CSKA Moscow launching yet another strong title challenge can be taken for granted with the arrival of each new season. The Russian giant has shown incredible consistency over the years, qualifying for nine consecutive Final Fours and an incredible 18 this century. Considering the quality and experience at the disposal of Coach Itoudis – not to mention his outstanding ability to get the best out of his teams – it would be a big surprise if CSKA doesn’t find its way to Berlin for next May’s season finale.