The costs of Ulm playing against Portland Trail Blazers
Last Thursday Ratiopharm Ulm played a friendly game in the United States against NBA team Portland Trail Blazers. The game ended with a 111-100 defeat for the German team but it will still remain a historic game for Ulm fans and a great marketing hit, as any European team would like to play an exhibition game against an NBA team, especially a smaller market EuroCup team like Ulm.
On the other hand, it’s possible that this friendly game affected Ulm’s results in the short term in the official competitions. The team coached by Ty Harrelson had a fantastic start in the new season, winning their first six games in all competitions, including three EuroCup games. But then, as the trip to the US was approaching, the level of play decreased and Ulm lost to Bamberg in the German Cup 103-100 and suffered a heavy defeat in Istanbul against Besiktas 107-74. After Istanbul ‘’The Sparrows’’, nicknamed in Germany, departed to Portland.
Just two days after playing in the Moda Center in Portland, Ulm had an away game in Oldenburg in the German BBL. Obviously, the players could not perform at their highest level, and they lost 93-66, suffering their first defeat of the season in the domestic league.
The season is long and one defeat in BBL does not change many things, but in the EuroCup, the defeat against Besiktas by a big margin could be costly in the standings at the end of the regular season. Scheduling a friendly game in the US in the middle of October for a EuroCup team is questionable. On the one hand, it’s an amazing thing for the image of the team to play in such a game, on the other hand, they are on a three-game (four if we are counting the Blazers game too) losing streak now after a perfect start.
Gratian Cormos
Photo credit: Blazers Edge
