Valencia Basket – a true candidate for the Euroleague playoffs
The Spanish team a constant presence in the European basketball elite in the last decades, will be a powerhouse as well next season. The club operated a couple of changes in the roster in front of the upcoming season and it seems that Valencia Basket has now a better chance to reach the Euroleague playoffs. They parted ways with some good players like Alberto Abalde, Brock Motum, Quino Colom, Maurice N’dour and Jordan Loyd. To replace the departed they brought in big names with experience in the Euroleague like Derrick Williams, Nikola Kalinic – both of them coming from Fenerbahce, Klemen Prepelic, the main offensive weapon of Joventut Badalona last season and the Icelandic guard Martin Hermansson.
The club added as well the young Macedonian guard Nenad Dimitrijevic, a rising star coming from Joventut. He proved a lot of courage during the Final Phase of the Spanish League and he could be an excellent investment for the future.
It’s easy to see that the new signings are much better than the players that ended the contract with the “taronja” organization. They have experience and the necessary toughness to boost the offensive plays of their new team, making Valencia Basket one of the most dangerous opponents next season. This year, Valencia Basket was already better than expected, providing some important wins and being involved in the fight for a playoff spot in the Euroleague. In Liga ACB they played the semifinals, lost by a small margin against the new champions, Kirolbet Baskonia.
For the next season, Valencia improved the roster a lot and the good news is they maintained some key-players, like Bojan Dublevic, Sam Van Rossom, the veteran Fernando San Emeterio, big men Mike Tobey and Louis Labeyrie. If the Spaniards Guillem Vives and Joan Sastre will continue with the club, then Valencia can aim for a deserved presence in the Euroleague playoff.
Image: Euroleague
Gratian Cormos
