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sep 16 2026Two statistics from last season sum up what Partizan was all about. The largest home victory in the entire EuroLeague was Žalgiris 109-68 against them. The largest road victory was Partizan 66-104 against Olympiacos. The two most lopsided results of the season, in the same direction and against the same opponent.
In between, Zeljko Obradovic resigned in late November with the team in 18th place, and Joan Peñarroya took over the bench in December, just six weeks after being fired at Barcelona. Now he begins his first full season in Belgrade, with eight new faces and without a single inherited excuse.
The Starting Point
Partizan finished 15th out of 20, with 16 wins and 23 losses—16-22 in the regular season—and a point differential of -190, the third worst in the competition. They scored 3,052 points, among the lowest totals in the EuroLeague, in a team that lived off hot streaks and atmosphere.
Because they did maintain that. The derby against Red Star at Belgrade Arena drew 21,854 spectators, the largest attendance of the entire European season, and the club averaged over 15,000 per game despite the standings.
The name that sustained the season was Carlik Jones, named Player of the Month in March during a final stretch when the team was already playing for nothing.
Who's Leaving
The list is long and touches every position. Isaac Bonga left for Panathinaikos, Sterling Brown to Žalgiris after being Matchday 34 MVP, Dylan Osetkowski to Valencia, and Bruno Fernando to Anadolu Efes.
Also departing were Duane Washington to Bayern, Nick Calathes to PAOK, Shake Milton to Hapoel Jerusalem, Aleksej Pokusevski to Lokomotiv Kuban, and young Mikka Muurinen to American college basketball.
Who's Arriving
Eight signings, and a recognizable idea behind them: Peñarroya has requested players who defend and know where they are on the court.
The signing that best explains this is Alessandro Pajola, arriving from Virtus Bologna and one of the best perimeter defenders in European basketball. With him comes Luca Vildoza, making the same move from Bologna and bringing court vision and experience at the point guard position.
On the perimeter, Kyle Allman arrives from Beşiktaş after making the EuroCup All-Star Five, and Ethan Thompson makes his European debut from the NBA.
The interior game is completely rebuilt. Derek Willis and Lamar Stevens arrive from Paris Basketball, Kevarrius Hayes from Monaco, and Nikola Tanaskovic returns home from Budućnost, in what is a homecoming to the academy that developed him.
Who's Staying
Six names. Captain Vanja Marinkovic renewed and Carlik Jones extended his contract, two decisions that maintain the locker room's identity.
Also continuing are Arijan Lakic and Mario Nakic, and in the interior Tonye Jekiri and Joffrey Lauvergne remain, who signs again with a club where he has always been well received.
The Keys
Peñarroya's first real year. He arrived in December to a sinking team with the season already lost. Now he has preseason, a chosen roster, and room to work. It's also his first opportunity to vindicate himself in Europe after leaving Barcelona, and in Belgrade patience is not infinite.
Defense above all else. Pajola, Hayes, Stevens, and Jones form a perimeter and interior that prioritize effort over pure talent. Partizan allowed 3,242 points last year with one of the worst offensive outputs; the plan is to fix the side where you can compete without stars.
And who scores? That's the flip side. Carlik Jones, Allman, and Vildoza create, but there's no 20-point scorer on the roster. If the team gets stuck on offense, as happened much of last season, defense won't be enough.
The Belgrade Arena. It's the club's greatest asset and also its greatest pressure. Twenty thousand people push when the team competes and squeeze when it doesn't. Peñarroya already experienced the latter last year.
The Forecast
Partizan arrives better equipped than twelve months ago, but not enough to fight for the top six. The realistic goal is the play-in, and for that they need to win at home almost everything put in front of them.
It's a coherent roster, with defined roles and a coach who already knows what he's gotten into. They lack the difference-maker who decides close games, and in a league of 38 games that translates to four or five losses on the margins.
If the team competes with dignity and recovers its connection with its fans, the season will be progress. After last year, it doesn't take much more than that to look like it.
Full Roster
Point Guards and Shooting Guards: Vanja Marinkovic (1.83m), Carlik Jones (1.83m), Kyle Allman (1.91m), Luca Vildoza (1.91m), Ethan Thompson (1.93m), Alessandro Pajola (1.94m), Arijan Lakic (1.99m)
Small Forwards: Lamar Stevens (2.01m), Mario Nakic (2.02m), Derek Willis (2.05m), Nikola Tanaskovic (2.05m)
Power Forwards and Centers: Kevarrius Hayes (2.06m), Joffrey Lauvergne (2.11m), Tonye Jekiri (2.12m)
