Here are the eight right names to follow in a tournament that promises the best basketball in Europe, excitement and equality galore
The Copa del Rey arrives in Badalona with a bill that is hard to beat. The top eight teams from the first round of the ACB League pass through the Palau Olímpic, as well as all those who have won a national trophy in the past 20 years. Seven matches marked by emotion and equality for the best European basketball tournament, which has eight proper names to follow closely.
The Cape Verde center remains the pillar on which Real Madrid’s basketball rests, reaching the Copa del Rey as the top seed, with a 17-3 record in the ACB League, similar to that of Barça but with the best basketball average. Walter Tavares, second in efficiency across the league and leading shooter, not only generates points and rebounds in the paint, but is also one of the most intimidating defenders on the Old Continent. Chus Mateo makes his debut in the cup with an almost dream team, with Yabusele as the second leg of the white inside game, Musa’s points, Hezonja’s great moment or the stripes of Llull, Rudy and Chacho Rodríguez.
The MVP of the 2022 Copa del Rey de Granada arrives ready to lead the champions of the last two editions to a third consecutive title. After the Achilles tendon problems that delayed his debut this season, the Spanish-Montenegrin is winning in the scheme of Sarunas Jasikevicius, who relies on his ability to generate inside but also to lose balance from a shot out of three. Together with Mirotic, Barça presents many references with Vesely’s power in the paint, Laprovittola’s launch, Satoransky’s direction or Higgins’ poise in moments of truth.
The Georgian center is non-flammable. Along with point guard Marcelinho Huertas, he forms one of the most iconic ACB pairings and his numbers are intimidating, as he is the highest rated player in the entire league. Added to this inexhaustible connection are Jaime Fernández, Sasu Salin or Aaron Doornekamp, more soldiers in the service of Txus Vidorreta with the mission to go one step further after four semifinals in the last five Copas del Rey.
This season’s most impressive appearance in Spanish and even European basketball invites you to dream of a Baskonia more akin to the times of wine and roses than the decadent version of past seasons. Landing in Vitoria with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets after two seasons, the American guard is a veritable volcano that can decide any game as it erupts from the line of three. He is joined by his compatriot Darius Thompson as a game generator along with the signing of Israeli Heidegger to replace the loss of Pierria Henry. As interiors, Joan Peñarroya has Matt Costello and Maik Kotsar as references.
The Malaga point guard is the epitome of the silent leader. His role in the last Eurobasket, where he offered a basketball defense masterclass game after game, earned him a leadership role that has continued this season. It’s one of the reasons for Unicaja’s rebirth under Ibon Navarro, but the 2005 champion also boasts the volcanic offensive production of Tyson Carter or Kendrick Perry. The loss of center Augusto César Lima hurts the Andalusian team, who also lose their replacement, Yankuba Sima, for the Cup.
The Argentine point guard does not stop growing and is the leader of Gran Canaria, a finalist in 2016 but who has not played in the Copa del Rey since 2018. are numbers each party. Jaka Lakovic, author of a great reconstruction, also has the youth of Balcerowski and Khalifa Diop in painting.
The Croatian hub remains the reference of the historic Joventut at 35 years old. The former Madrid and Barça player is La Penya’s points and rebounds leader and one of the host’s reasons for lifting the trophy 15 years later. The versatility of the Spanish international Joel Parra, the scoring character of Kyle Guy or the seniority of Pau Ribas also work in favor of Carles Durán’s team.
The American point guard, formerly of Betis, was the luxury winter reinforcement for a fairly complete roster. It was difficult for Álex Mumbrú’s Valencia Basket to get into the mood, but it has grown until it has established itself in the playoff zone, both in the ACB League and in the demanding Euroleague. It is a very deceptive unseeded game, in which the inside game led by captain Bojan Dubljevic, the Cuban Jasiel Rivero or the European champion with Spain Jaime Pradilla shines. On the outside there is plenty of gunpowder with Chis Jones, Jared Harper, Klemen Prepelic or López-Arostegui.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
