Valencia Basket – with a good chance to win Liga ACB
Valencia Basket has good chemistry. Let’s not forget they maintained in their roster for all these years, players like Bojan Dubljevic, Fernando San Emeterio, Sam Van Rossom, Guillem Vives and Joan Sastre Morro – the heroes of the 2017 domestic title. Back then, Valencia Basket won their first championship in the history.
I know what everybody’s thinking: another final between FC. Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Spanish League and I have to recognize that this is the most possible scenario. But let’s have a different approach. Of course, these 2 teams are considered the best at the moment in Liga ACB. In spite of this, I see Valencia as a title contender together with Baskonia (team analyzed in our previous article) and I will list here some of the arguments:
- Valencia Basket has a solid and experienced roster able to surprise any team. Let’s remember they won in the last seconds at Fenerbahce, when nobody gave them a chance, after being down by double-digits at the beginning of the 4th quarter. It’s the same team that smashed FC. Barcelona in the Spanish Cup and destroyed by almost 30 points Baskonia.
- The Taronja squad will play at home because they are the hosts of the Final Tournament. Even in the absence of the fans, competing in your home-court it is an important advantage.
- The special format of the competition this season is also favouring teams like Valencia Basket. It is easier for them to reach the semifinals from the group of six squads and then to win two more games (the semifinal and the final) to be crowned as champions than to have a large playoff, where hypothetically they didn’t have the home-court advantage.
- Valencia Basket has good chemistry. Let’s not forget they maintained in their roster for all these years, players like Bojan Dubljevic, Fernando San Emeterio, Sam Van Rossom, Guillem Vives and Joan Sastre Morro – the heroes of the 2017 domestic title. Back then, Valencia Basket won their first championship in the history. Nobody gave them any credit and they ended up by eliminating all the big names in the Spanish playoff with 3-1 even if they have to play more games away. Why the miracle cannot be repeated now when they will compete in Pabellon Fuente de San Luis?
- Last but not least, the bookmakers are listing Valencia with the 3rd chance to win Liga Endesa after Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, in spite of the fact they were occupying the 7th place (tied with 8-11 places) when the season stopped. Their initial odd to win the league was 7 and already dropped to 6.
Image: Euroleague
Gratian Cormos
