It won’t be easy for Baskonia in the Euroleague
It won’t be easy for Baskonia in the Euroleague
Baskonia is one of the European teams that rely on continuity of the roster and this gave them during the last decade such a strength based on experience and chemistry, which are important weapons. Ready to fight the next season, they have kept 8 players from last year’s squad (Shengelia, Granger, Garino, Shields, Vildoza, Janning, Diop and the youngster Penava). This is a good core where you can start adding some quality fellows.
The new signings till now are ex-Darussafaka center Michael Eric, the giant Youssoupha Fall (2.21 m) and the very skilled point guard Pieria Henry who will replace excellently the departed veteran guard Marcelinho Huertas. But the biggest lost for Baskonia are Vincent Poirier, Darrun Hilliard and Johannes Voigtmann, high IQ players that had a great contribution last year in reaching the playoff. The balance between the departed and the new signings is not very balanced yet, so I expect the Basque powerhouse to sign at least one more star in order to compete properly in the best competition in Europe. If not, their chances to reach the playoffs will be minimal in the new format with 18 squads and with a lot of strong teams hungry for victories.
At this moment, Baskonia will face difficulties against title contenders like F.C. Barcelona, Fenerbahce, Anadolu Efes, Real Madrid, CSKA or Panathinaikos. The main problem is that the roster – even if it’ s experienced – is a bit average. They have played together, they know each other and can build solid relationships on the court but they need something more, a scoring leader, an ace or even two for the crucial moments of the battles. Maybe if the rumours will be confirmed and Nik Stauskas will join Baskonia they will have a better chance to reach the Euroleague playoffs. Another possibility could be the “one and only” Mike James, who has previous experience with the Basque club.
Gratian Cormos
It won’t be easy for Baskonia in the Euroleague