By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
All the teams that will compete for the 2019-2020 Basketball Champions League title in the Final Eight starting September 30th have been active in the transfer market, adding valuable pieces to the roster.
Iberostar Tenerife has been no exception, however, the Spaniards have kept their veteran core and there is one thing they count on more than any other squad they’ll face. Experience. In every sense of the word.
The club has been participating in the Basketball Champions League since its beginnings four years ago and was, in fact, the one to win the inaugural 2016-17 season.
They stayed a top team and a title-contender in the years that followed but didn’t manage to reach the top again, falling in the Round of 16 and in the Final. Nonetheless, Tenerife returned for another great season, making a case for itself prior to the hiatus and will without a doubt be a legit challenger for the trophy in the Final Eight.
Now, one might say that those facts have stayed in the past and don’t matter in the upcoming games but the one leading Tenerife to their BCL title and the Final was coach Txus Vidoretta who will also lead them going forward.
And last summer, the experienced coach has brought into his squad valuable veterans who have since become the essence of the team.
A Brazilian maestro leading a deadly offensive triangle
Leading the charge have been the 37-year-old point guard in Marcelinho Huertas and the 31-year-old Georgian center in Giorgi Shermadini. In fact, both of them were named to the Star Lineup of this season.
Every coach needs a player that will be his ‘right-hand man’ on the court and Huertas has taken on the role perfectly. The Brazilian has been organizing the offense almost perfectly and is leading the league in assists with 8.1 per game.
Not only that but he has also tied the all-time record for assists in a single game back in January this year when he dished a total of 17 against Gaziantep.
He is certainly capable of creating shots for his teammates but he doesn’t shy away from banking some points himself as the second scorer of the team with 12.1 on average. Yes, that also means he put on a fair share of double-doubles. Four, to be exact, all with 10+ assists.
The first scorer, however, is none other than Shermadini who has been averaging 15.4 points on 61% from the field while also grabbing 5.9 rebounds per contest.
Their pick and roll combination has been giving trouble to every single squad in the competition and once you push all your defensive assets to stop them – a sharpshooter awaits on the sides to nail a ‘three-point nail’ in the coffin.
The one to most often take on that role has been Sasu Salin. While not experienced as the above-mentioned duo, at 29, he is experienced enough and his calm in clutch moments was invaluable for Tenerife. Many game-winners, many daggers and a quite high 41.5% from deep to go along with the highest rate of attempts in the team at 6.2 per game.
A deadly offensive triangle indeed, and it has become even more deadly after Tenerife acquired the 34-year-old forward Aaron Doornekamp during the hiatus. More size, more shooting, more experience.
The 2011 EuroLeague champion in Georgios Borgis (31), who recently spoke on Eurohoops’ Final Eight Countdown, has stayed with the team among others but you can’t always go with just the ‘old dogs’ and every squad needs some balance and refreshing from time to time.
Among the new additions, the Spanish club penned Bruno Fiitipaldo, Emir Sulejmanovic, Tyler Cavanaugh, Sergio Rodriguez Febles as well as Dejan Todorovic who, unfortunately, suffered an ACL injury which will keep him sidelined for a long while.
The strength of Tenerife’s squad has already started to show as they finished the job in BCL’s Round of 16 against Oostende but also in the three wins they grabbed in the Spanish League including the one with a huge comeback and the one over Zaragoza who will be their opponent in the Final Eight.
All that experience will certainly help Tenerife in the upcoming Final Eight challenge but coupled with the fact that they’ve got an amazing road record over the past four years (which will come into play as the tournament is played in Athens) as well as their defensive prowess, it will be very hard for any team to surprise them.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League