The conversion of Hanga to the point guard position, the role of the veterans Llull and Rudy, a remarkable defensive capacity and the strength inside with Tavares, Poirier and Yabusele, mainstays of the whites ACB League title
Pablo Laso’s Real Madrid ended the regular season in the ACB League and the Euroleague in deep crisis. With their eternal rival, Jasikevicius’s Barça, leading in Spain and also in Europe, the Whites faced the decisive play-offs in both competitions with two wins in their last ten games, a fair number of injuries, Trey Thompkins and Thomas Heurtel sidelined to disciplinary reasons and endless transfer rumours, as if the season was already over.
After losing in the final of the Copa del Rey de Granada to Barça and in a precarious situation, the war drums sounded again against Laso. The coach from Vitoria, a title collector, has faced criticism a few times. He was even five feet from the white bench after those lost Euroleague finals to Olympiakos and Maccabi in 2013 and 2014, but he has always come out unscathed.
In this Madrid that has developed over the eleven seasons of the Laso era, the names change, even the style, but one thing remains unchanged: a huge competitive spirit. First it was Nigel Williams-Goss, who no one expected more, to raid Maccabi on the fast track to get the ticket for the last four in Belgrade.
When Madrid was left without specific bases due to the American’s injury, it was time for versatility. Hanga has provided the necessary step forward from the direction of the game, but they have also guided the role of veterans Llull and Rudy Fernández, who have earned another year of continuity, the rise of Gabi Deck at the level of his first leg or the points from Causeur, another player who pointed to an exit and who at least made the offices doubt with his great performance in the final play-off.
Something definitely changed in Belgrade, where Madrid left their great rival calm and girlfriendless after five defeats in the previous six Classics in the season. The mighty Barça, designed to capture the Euroleague title that had eluded them in the previous year’s final, crashed into a semi-final that rearmed the white team for good and left Saras’ men stunned.
ACB’s play-off confirmed these mixed feelings, as Madrid left Manresa and Baskonia impeccable, while Barça did the same with Gran Canaria in the quarter-finals and suffered more against Joventut afterwards. Laso’s heart problem, which forced the coach off the bench in the final stretch, was yet another challenge for a team that has been punished by setbacks this season, but managed to recover to turn difficulties into encouragement.
Already in the last series between the two giants, the first attack in Barcelona confirmed the bad omens in Can Barça. The total dominance in the paint, at the hands of the behemoths Tavares, Poirier and Yabusele, in addition to a choral defense exercise of the highest level, gave White the advantage from the first moment. Jasikevicius demanded more energy from his side, who dreamed of 1-1 after a narrow win in the second game, marked by the arbitration controversy. It was a mirage as the blow of the third game, already at the WiZink Center, was too much.
Madrid smelled the blood of its rival and did not pass up the chance to close the title without returning to the Palau. Now the rumors and criticism have switched sides, which seemed to ease a traumatic transition in Madrid. Already on the white agenda are the acquisitions of Sergio Rodríguez, Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa, game direction and perimeter scores, with the addition of a starting point guard and a four on the radar, but the project remains a winner to make changes from the peace.
For its part, Barça, which seemed like a hegemonic project, now faces huge salary costs and the need to turn Saras’ idea around. Brandon Davies, with his head already focused on his future as an Armani Milan player for the entire final round, will give way to Jan Vesely in Barca’s inside game. The future of Calathes, Kuric, Exum, Hayes or Oriola is also at stake and an ex like Satoransky has a great desire to renew the point guard position.
Source: La Verdad
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