Besiktas has a big test against Dijon
Tonight, in the opener of the Basketball Champions League round 7, Besiktas Sompo Japan will face the visitors from Dijon. It isn’t only a regular game because the Turkish side is needing so bad a victory to maintain their hopes alive. A loss against the French squad would complicate a lot the things for Besiktas. That’s why I trust them to find the necessary energy to steal the win. Let’s examine a couple of facts before the game:
- JDA Dijon has recently lost their main power forward, Michael Young who was averaging 11 points and 4.3 rebounds per game
- In spite of their huge victory against Le Mans in the domestic league of France (100-74), Dijon’s rotation was based only on 7 players who scored, Jeremy Leloup finished without a point in 18 minutes coming from the bench, and the youngster Dmitri Radnic entered the court only for 3 minutes. I feel that this short rotation won’t be enough in Istanbul.
- In the last 2 rounds of the BasketballCL, JDA Dijon was destroyed in Zaragoza (75-60) and then at home by Telekom Basket Bonn (78-66). Their offensive was really poor in both games.
- Besiktas is a constant participant in the BasketballCL group since the beginning of the competition and they have a good chance to qualify for the superior stages. The home-court advantage can give them each time an important strength. The only problem for Besiktas is the injury of the American center McAdoo, but let’s not forget that the local players have a good contribution to the Turkish team each encounter.
Besiktas Sompo Japan was a very oscillating team so far this season showing they can beat any squad, but also they can lose against the underdogs. If they will find the concentration, they can use all their offensive weapons for a big win tonight in front of the crowds of their Turkish fans.
Photo: championsleague.basketball
Gratian Cormos
