Can Joventut survive the AEK storm without key players?
The Basketball Champions League quarterfinal playoff series starts tomorrow, and we will have some very interesting matchups, as any of them could easily go to a decisive Game 3.
However, out of all these four series, there is one that seems to be the most balanced, and it’s very hard to pick a favourite to advance, and that is the series between AEK Athens and Joventut Badalona. Game 1 will be played in the SUNEL Arena in Athens, and the home court advantage could be huge for the Greek team. Since the start of last season, AEK has won 15 of their 16 home games (it lost only to Unicaja Malaga in the semifinals last season) so Joventut will have a very difficult job against the infernal atmosphere that awaits it in Athens.
In the Round of 16 group stage, AEK finished with a perfect 6-0 record, winning Group J against ALBA Berlin, Tofas and Karditsa, while Joventut Badalona qualified after finishing Group K in 2nd place ahead of Elan Chalon and Wurzburg but behind Unicaja Malaga. The two Spanish teams had an identical record (4-2), but the team from Andalusia was better in their head-to-head matchup, beating Joventut by 12 points after losing by 5 in their first meeting.
Joventut, however, has a very experienced roster with many players that competed on the highest level: besides their superstar Ricky Rubio, they have some big names like Jabari Parker, Adam Hanga or Guillem Vives, to name a few. Unfortunately for Joventut fans, two of their most important and experienced players, Ante Tomic and Simon Birgander, will miss the playoff series, and their absence can be decisive in favour of AEK. We can be sure, however, that the Joventut will fight until the last second, as it would be a historic event if they qualify: the BCL Final Four will be held in Badalona, and they could play for the trophy in front of their home fans.
Gratian Cormos
Image: BCL
