Slask Wroclaw made a lot of roster moves over the summer in attempts to be more competitive in its third consecutive BKT EuroCup campaign. Slask made it to the EuroCup Playoffs in 2022, its goal again despite that being more difficult now due to just six teams per group advancing from the regular season. Slask brought back head coach Oliver Vidin and put together a different roster with a more athletic backcourt and a versatile frontcourt balanced by experienced players in the middle.
2023-24 Roster Rundown: Slask Wroclaw
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5 Mins read
BACKCOURT
Jawun Evans is set to make his EuroCup debut after a breakout season in which he posted solid numbers in two different countries. He is a very active player on defense with great feel for steals, and a very solid floor general who can either score or put the ball in the right place. He is also dangerous to foul: Evans made 88.0% of his free throw attempts in the Lithuanian and Israeli leagues last season. Aleksander Wisniewski should be his backup after a really good season with the club's second team. At age 20, Wisniewski is considered one of the best Polish prospects right now and is ready for new challenges.
Hassani Gravett is a very interesting signing, a great catch-and-shoot scorer with unlimited range who can also take the ball to the rim due to his strong driving skills. He is a very good pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop player, finding advantages in both situations. Combo guard Lukasz Kolenda returns after a season in which he almost doubled his EuroCup scoring average, to 11.1 from 5.8 points per game in the 2021-22 season. More experienced now, Kolenda is ready to keep playing a leading role. Daniel Golebiowski offers defense, intensity and toughness off the bench.
FRONTCOURT
Slask is very versatile at both forwards, with three players able to switch positions. Saulius Kulvietis is a well-rounded veteran who is making his EuroCup debut after playing in six different countries. He is a three-point shooting specialist who can also play in the low post and run the floor well for a player his size. Jakub Niziol is a fan favorite in Wroclaw due to his high-flying dunks and energy plays. He remains one of the team's leaders. Szymon Nowicki helped U18 Real Madrid win the ANGT title last season and is set to fight for playing time, mainly at power forward, just as up-and-coming big man Mikolaj Adamczak will do.
Art Parakhouski is a solid bet at center, a very experienced and reliable player. He rebounds really well at both ends and has a very effective set of post skills, highlighted by his jump hook. Parakhouski can also bury mid-range jumpers with consistency and is a good shot blocker due to his great timing. Dusan Miletic can play alongside him or at the "five" spot. He is more mobile and his shooting range goes beyond the three-point line, and it will be very interesting to see if Coach Vidin finds an effective way to play them together.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Niziol should take an important step forwards in his second EuroCup season. Niziol did a little bit of everything last season, averaging 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and a PIR of 9.4 as Slask's starting small forward. He thrilled fans with his blocked shots and fastbreak slams. Niziol, however, needs to work on his outside shooting to become the complete package. He made just 9 of 44 three-pointers (20.5%) last season. By being a more consistent threat from beyond the arc, Niziol could take his game to a whole new level, as he has everything else to get there: athleticism, energy, poise and game knowledge.
OUTLOOK
Slask's initial goal is being competitive right away and improve its chances for a sixth spot that would give the team access to the 2024 playoffs. Its combined record in the last two seasons is 4-30 (11.8% wins) but there are reasons to be positive. Players like Kolenda and Niziol are more experienced and ready to lead, and Slask is really deep at center with Parakhouski and Miletic. Ewans and Gravett should adjust quickly, and if they do, Slask could surprise a lot of teams next season and become a playoff contender.