After Olympiacos broke Barcelona’s heart and then CSKA Moscow’s in Istanbul, the Reds’ front office wisely decided nothing needed fixing.  Instead of spinning the player personnel carousel with the rest of the league, the defending Euroleague champs return nearly the same squad that took home the Continental Trophy, with only several exceptions.

The biggest difference is on the sidelines, where Dusan Ivkovic rode off into the Serbian sunset a champion.  The pigeon pilot has been replaced by George Bartzokas, who hopes to avoid last season’s 1-3 regular season start by navigating past the likes of Anadolu Efes, Caja Laboral, Milano, Cedevita Zagreb and Zalgiris.

Will someone challenge the Reds for first? Or is everyone simply fighting for second place?

Follow Rob Scott (@robscott33) and Sam Meyerkopf (@hooplikedrazen) on Twitter, and subscribe to the show on iTunes for free.