By Panos Katsiroubas/ info@eurohoops.net
We are half-way in the current season of Liga Endesa, and after 17 games Valencia is still unbeaten. This is the first time in many years, in which another team, except Barcelona and Real Madrid is at the peak of the standings after so many games.
What Valencia managed to achieve is a Basketball miracle. With the arrival of a new coach, and many changes in the roster, the “Bats” play very attractive basketball, especially in the offensive end. Everyone knew that Pedro Martinez was a fantastic coach, since he had done a tremendous job with Herbalife Gran Canaria, but the achievements with Valencia after 6 months and the way the team performs is the biggest success in Domestic Leagues all over Europe this year.
The identity of the team changed a lot in summer, with many players leaving, and many new ones being added to the roster. Pau Ribas, Luke Harangody, Sergey Listchuk, Nemanja Nedovic, Kresimir Loncar and Pablo Aguilar, left to find their new basketball home. The new additions were not so impressive and many people thought that Valencia will not be at the same level of competitiveness as the previous years.
Luke Sikma came from Tenerife after 2 great years in the team, San Emeterio left Baskonia after many years and Jon Stefansson left Malaga in order to play in the orange team of Levante. They also added John Shurna that had experience of the Spanish Championship with Badalona 2 years ago.
Also Justin Hamilton has arrived. An alumni of Iowa State with fantastic college career and great numbers. However he hadn’t managed to make a career in the NBA, and Valencia came to give him a new step in his international career, his third so far.
In the end, this roster was a mixture of talented players, veterans, who many people had considered unable to play in the highest level, and players that are looking for a break-out season. After 30 games in Liga Endesa and Eurocup the results are impressive. Twenty nine wins and only one loss, against Limoges last week. The team also had to overcome the injury of one of their best players, since Sam Van Rossom injured his leg. Fortunately Antoine Diot, another new player who had been signed during the summer, delivered the goods, and more, for Valencia.
Despite these many additions Valencia plays great basketball and shows how modern offense should be executed especially in the positions of forwards and center. Everybody in this team can create and shoot the ball effectively. This is the only team in Europe in which every player can shoot the ball from the perimeter, a fact that opens a lot the doorways in offense and can force the defense in many uneasy adjustments in order to stop this attack from all sides.
Guillem Vives, Sam Van Rossom and Antoine Diot are players that can control the pace in offense, they can penetrate and shoot the ball effectively and also create plays for their teammates. They are also good defenders and they can apply pressure in the opponents’ guards.
Jon Stefansson, Fernando San Emeterio and Rafa Martinez create a multiple offensive threat with their talent being able to strike against every defense. Stefansson and Martinez can shoot the ball from the perimeter exceptionally, something that is obvious by looking to their numbers. San Emeterio is a wonderful isolation player and can give many solutions in transition offense. Vladimir Lucic and Romain Sato are players that can help with the defensive stops that offer to the team, and both can give solutions on both ends with their talent and athleticism.
The biggest difference and the reason that this team succeeds right now is the way that the forwards and centers play in offense. They can put multiple threats versus every defense they face and is very difficult to stop them. All 4 players can play the inside-outside game very effectively. They can screen the ball and then pop-out to shoot from the perimeter, they can dive deep into the low post to finish with a basket close to the paint. They can also dribble and create plays in the post.
This offensive variety puts a lot of problems in every defense and the adjustments are not easy. Valencia is the only team in Liga Endesa in which every player has more than one three point attempt per game. What is more, they shoot the ball with 43%. In order to face such a mobile offense the opponents need to have centers that can defend both on the inside and all over the perimeter.
Sikma, Dubljevic and Hamilton have also great post-up game , since they can quickly position themselves at the low post and take advantage of every miss match after the switches that the majority of defenses are forced to make against Valencia. The biggest advantage of this team, except the talent and depth of the roster, is mental concentration through which they can read their advantages and take the best out of them.
All the credits are going to the “magician” Pedro Martinez that put this team together and provided them with the needed chemistry. Valencia is a very well coached team, a team that was built this year with decisions of their coach. So he deserves a major credit for what this team plays in the court. We are curious to see if Valencia can make an upset, starting by possibly winning the Copa del Rey, after a 6 years dominance by Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Whatever comes in the end the project of Valencia Basket is one of the most interesting basketball projects we have seen the last decade in European Basketball and this is the biggest achievement of this team until now.