Modern Soviet Union National Team

[Black Urum]

What if the Soviet Union had never fallen? How would their National Team look now?

I will try to include the best players from former Soviet Nations and then try to pick the best 12 to make a squad... (obviously I won't include retired players or players who regularly avoid NTs...)

Russia

Kirilenko
Khryapa
Monya
Mozgov
Bykov
Kaun
etc

Lithuania

Jasikevicius
Kleiza
Javtokas
Maciulis
Jasaitis
Gecevicius
D. Lavrinovic
K. Lavrinovic
Kaukenas
Songaila

Georgia

Pachulia
Shermadini
etc...

Ukraine

Gladyr
Lishchuk
Pecherov
Fesenko
etc...

Latvia

Kambala
Biedrins
Valters
etc...

Estonia

Kangur
etc...

Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan... can't think of any decent enough players...

PG: Jasikevicius, Bykov
SG: Gecevicius, Kaukenas
SF: Kirilenko, Khryapa
PF: Kleiza, Songaila, Khryapa
C: D. Lavrinovic, K. Lavrinovic, Biedrins

Reserves: Pachulia, Mozgov, Monya, Kaun, McCarty, Jasaitis, Maciulis, Shermadini, Gladyr, Lishchuk, Pecherov, Fesenko, Kambala, Valters, Biedrins, Kangur... etc

I think this team could aim for the gold in the 2010 World Championship...

[ZEUS]

All you need is Russia + Lithuania and that's about it

[kobimel]

That center rotation is incredible.

[straight forward]

PG: Jasikevicius, Bykov
SG: Gecevicius, Kaukenas
SF: Kirilenko, Khryapa
PF: Kleiza, Songaila, Khryapa
C: D. Lavrinovic, K. Lavrinovic, Biedrins

Bykov? Holden comes to my mind, he didn't say he's out of NT forever I think.

SF position is kinda strange - no pure SF, all Kirilenko, Kleiza, Khryapa run between sf and pf. I would consider Jasaitis, as a great shooter at 3.

At center position, I would consider Marijonas Petravičius as well.

Great team, but lacking Šiškauskas obviously for trashing everyone from their way

[skangles]

What about Shammond Williams the pride of Georgia?

[Black Urum]

I thought of Holden, but then I thought... if there was a Soviet Union these days there is no way Americans would play for them...

Yeah, Siskauskas was the starting SF... until realising he retired... maybe in Soviet times they'd give him an extra Zaparozets car and he would reconsider

[straight forward]

Yeah, Siskauskas was the starting SF... until realising he retired... maybe in Soviet times they'd give him an extra Zaparozets car and he would reconsider

LOl! I think they would have to go with Volga!