The Russian domestic season may have finished, but for the national team's head coach, his work is only just starting.

David Blatt

In September, Russia will start defending the European Championship title they won in Spain two years ago. But David Blatt is likely to have a very depleted squad.

The MVP in Madrid, Andrey Kirilenko, is unlikely to play. The Utah Jazz star says he wants to miss the tournament for personal reasons.

Given the lack of decent point guards in Russia, the loss of Jon Robert Holden could also be crucial. The CSKA man hasn't committed himself to playing for his adopted country. And it’ll be another big loss if he doesn't play.

However, one ray of light for Blatt has been the form of Viktor Khryapa, who after a difficult start to his CSKA career is now playing some excellent basketball.

With a number of other veterans likely to miss the tournament, more responsibility will be put on the likes of Sasha Kaun, Aleksandr Vorensevich, and Timofey Mozgov, who are starting to establish themselves at their respective clubs.

But it will be difficult for them to replace the likes of Kirilenko, Savrasenko, and Holden, and Russia will have a massive task on their hands, if they want to win back-to-back championships.

It will become clearer later in the summer whether Kirilenko and Holden will play for the national team, and after Russia's disappointing performance at the Beijing Olympics, it's crucial they put on a good display in Poland to reestablish themselves as one of the world’s basketball superpowers.