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Zvezda signings Teodosic, Simonovic return to Serbia with only success in mind

Zvezda signings Teodosic, Simonovic return to Serbia with only success in mind

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12 July 20235 Mins read

Geoff Gillingham

New Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade signing Milos Teodosic in action for Virtus Segafredo Bologna during the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

There are 13 years separating new Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade arrivals Milos Teodosic and Marko Simonovic, yet both players head back to Serbia with a shared objective: success. Zvezda may not have reached the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs since 2016, but the veteran point guard and the young big man hope to bring that run to an end next season.

For the 36-year-old Teodosic, he has joined the club he has been a die-hard fan of since he was a boy. It's unclear just how many more years of Milos magic we will be able to see before he retires – he has inked a one-year deal at Zvezda – but guiding the club to a playoff run would only enhance the strong connection that many Serbs, particularly those on the red-and-white side of Belgrade, have towards Teodosic.

It is a slightly different story for Simonovic. The 23-year-old Montenegrin has spent the last two years in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, but before that, between 2019 and 2021, he played for Serbian team Mega Basket. On his return to Europe – and to Serbia – he will get the chance to play in the EuroLeague for the first time in his career, which should provide the platform for Simonovic to establish himself as one of the continent's best young players.

Teodosic brings pass-making pedigree

Zvezda's twin Argentinean point guards last season, Luca Vildoza and Facundo Campazzo, were instant fan favorites for the many magic moments they delivered. The addition of Teodosic ensures that Zvezda fans will continue to see unbelievable plays on a round-by-round basis.

What's more, Teodosic brings something that Campazzo nor Luca could not – a long-standing association with the supporters. Many Serbians have had to watch Teodosic from afar during his club career, with the veteran having played outside of the country since leaving FMP in 2007. The legendary point guard went on to become a superstar for Olympiacos Piraeus, being named the EuroLeague MVP in 2010, while he also became a EuroLeague champion in 2016 during his time playing for CSKA Moscow. Now, 16 years after leaving Serbia, Teodosic and his incredible playmaking is back on his home turf – and at a club that means so much to him in Zvezda.

Simonovic has an example to follow

For Simonovic, one player he should look to ahead of his first year at Zvezda is Filip Petrusev. Curiously, the two were teammates at Mega in their final year at the Serbian club before Simonovic headed stateside and Petrusev joined reigning EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Neither player had the season they would have been hoping for after leaving Mega, with Simonovic largely playing for Chicago's G League team and Petrusev seeing his role diminish as Efes headed into the playoffs.

Last summer, though, Petrusev was able to get his career back on track back. Following his decision to head back to Serbia and join Zvezda, Petrusev went on to average 10.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and a 12.6 PIR in the EuroLeague, making up for lost time and ensuring that everyone in Europe knew what he is capable of. In the case of Simonovic, he has posted good numbers in the G League – 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 2021-22 and 14.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 2022-23 – but he will now get to test himself against the best players in Europe on a week-by-week basis. If he follows the example of Petrusev, both Simonovic and Zvezda will be left beaming next summer.

Positive signs for Zvezda

In addition to Teodosic and Simonovic, Zvezda has also completed deals to sign Dejan Davidovac and Adam Hanga, while Luka Mitrovic also penned an extension. The club has been linked with several other players, too, so there are plenty of reasons to be excited if you are a Zvezda fan. Let's wait and see if Teodosic and Simonovic can find a telepathic relationship on the court; going by the point guard's history, that is a bet that would be worth making.