By Stefan Djordjevic/ sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
JDA Dijon has established itself among the powerhouses of the Basketball Champions League primarily thanks to their run in the 2019-20 campaign when they reached third place, losing in the semifinals to Hereda San Pablo Burgos which became the champion eventually.
However, although it was expected from them to repeat that success or at the very least reach the Final Eight, Dijon fell short last season and got eliminated already in the regular season.
They had a 4-2 record in Group B but Tofas and ERA Nymburk finished in front with the same record as well as a better margin due to 29-point and 40-point wins respectively over the French team.
It was a big letdown, especially so considering the team’s success on the domestic front where they clinched the top spot in the French League regular season for the first time ever.
They also made a great run in the playoffs, finishing second behind LDLC ASVEL who beat them in the Final, and that might have given them a great boost of confidence, momentum, and motivation going into this season.
That said, a coaching change was made too. The head coaching responsibility went to Nenad Markovic who made quite a few additions to the roster during the summer.
He kept a few players in the core led by David Holston but also brought in the likes of Rashard Kelly, Khadeen Carrington, Sek Henry, and Gavin Ware who’ve been leading the team in scoring as well as in the index rating.
Taking the longer road but picking up the pace
The coach pieced together a squad to his liking and the stage was set for redemption. But it wasn’t easy.
With the new format, Dijon finished second behind Unicaja in the regular season group and had to go through VEF Riga in the Play-In series. They did pass with the flying colors in a 2-0 sweep.
Awaiting them in the Round of 16’s Group I was MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. The German have proved themselves as one of the best teams this season in BCL and they dominated Dijon with a 22-point margin.
With also a couple of losses in France, Dijon seemed to be getting tired in the crucial stretch of the season. That’s exactly why the clash against Hapoel U-NET Holon was of great importance.
And Markovic prepared his squad for it. Their energy and grit were undeniable, putting on huge pressure defensively and running over Hapoel in transition.
“Very aggressive on the ball in pick and roll, they forced us to 24 turnovers, that was the game. It was crucial for us, they had a lot of layups and easy points because of that. Also, we only shot 11 three-pointers today, it’s not normal for our team, because we usually shoot 27 to 30 shots. I don’t know why we didn’t get those shots,” Holon head coach Guy Goodes had to admit after the loss.
The 11 three-point attempts mentioned by coach Goodes are actually season-low for a team in BCL this season and Hapoel made only two of them, marking a joint-low for any team this season as well the fewest ever by Hapoel itself in BCL.
Holston was the one leading the way on both sides of the floor. Dijon tallied 16 steals in that game which is most of any team this season and the ‘tiny’ point guard accumulated a total of 83 steals, reaching third place on the all-time list, eight behind the top spot.
He has also dished out a total of 272 assists in his BCL career so far, placing him currently in the sixth spot and chasing Marcelinho Huertas who’s been having a historic season when it comes to the same category.
Kelly was right behind with his usual presence in scoring and rebounding. He logged 20 points and ten rebounds, making him the only player to do so three times this season.
“In the end, it was an important win. You’re not allowed to lose games at home if you want to have any kind of chance to get into the fight for top eight,” coach Nenad Markovic said.
He also praised Kelly for the great performance but Chase Simon as well, noting that he’s been very important for the team and it’s good to see him recovering on time for the final stretch of the season.
Dijon will have to face also Galatasaray Nef in a very tough group and coach Markovic has recognized the importance of every player and every win. Final Eight is undoubtedly the set goal and the French squad will have its chance to reach it but it will require everything they’ve got.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League