Niners Chemnitz face Klaipeda seeking Eurocup turning point

Niners Chemnitz face Klaipeda in the EuroCup on Wednesday at 19:00 local time at home, seeking a desperately needed turning point after opening their new season with a string of defeats across domestic and international play.

Chemnitz struggles after summer roster overhaul

Following a complete roster overhaul during the summer, head coach Rodrigo Pastore’s squad has struggled to find cohesion. Out of four Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) matchdays, Chemnitz have already suffered three losses. Most recently, the team mounted a late comeback attempt on Sunday against Science City Jena but ultimately fell short in an 82–76 defeat in the regional derby, mired by continuing weaknesses in rebounding and overall execution.

EuroCup defeat precedes Cobe Williams suspension

The struggles have translated directly to European competition. In their EuroCup group stage opener last week, Chemnitz turned in a desolate first-half performance against Turkish side Tofas Bursa and could not recover from the early deficit. Compounding the challenge, playmaker Cobe Williams is currently unavailable due to a suspension stemming from an incident against Phoenix Hagen. Williams will miss both Wednesday’s home fixture against Klaipeda and a difficult BBL encounter against Bayern München on Saturday at 16:00 local time, broadcast live via Sport im Osten on MDR Television.

Parallels with Visiting Klaipeda

Wednesday’s opponents arrive in Chemnitz facing similar early-season pressure. Lithuania’s Klaipeda dropped their EuroCup opener 76–73 to Basket Trento. Like Chemnitz, the club underwent a significant roster rebuild over the summer after finishing third in the domestic Lithuanian league last season, though Klaipeda managed to retain national team players Arnas Berucka and Donatas Tarolis.

Jannis von Seckendorff calls for better training

With all twelve summer signings still searching for chemistry and rhythm, players acknowledge the steep climb ahead. Following the loss in Jena, 23-year-old wing player Jannis von Seckendorff pointed directly to the training ground and overall mindset as the key areas demanding immediate improvement. “It comes down to training and attitude,” von Seckendorff said. “If we change that, we will win games again soon.”