By Dimitris Minarentzis/ info@eurohoops.net
The team’s name is now Baskonia and despite the changes in half of the roster (Bourousis, Adams, James, have left), they are going to secretly aim for the Final Four once again this year!
Besides, after last year’s success no one can rule out anything in regards to one of the traditional teams of the Euroleague who slightly raised their budget in relation to last year’s approximately 4 million that they had for players-coaches.
They are going to rely on their noisy home court once again this year, but also on the ex-NBAers that Josean Querejeta brought on this year, making an impression in this year’s summer transfer market.
Signings
Baskonia acquired Andrea Bargnani who left the NBA after 10 years and perhaps he’s the biggest name in this year’s market. Is it going to work? If he plays the basketball that he really knows how to play, then Baskonia is going to have a leading role.
As for the guard duo of Beaubois and Shane Larkin (from the Nets), in theory it looks better than the respective one of Darius Adams and Mike James. Hanga is going to get a leading role, Blazic has stayed on, while Tornike Shengelia is essentially coming back after being injured most of the time last season.
Coach
Sito Alonso has succeeded Velimir Perasovic and faces the challenge of repeating last year’s success. It’s his second season on the bench of a Euroleague team, after the 2008-09 season with Joventut (4-6 record).
They will be satisfied if…
The objective for Querejeta and his club, in any case, has to be to advance to the top eight of the Euroleague and if this year’s big signings pay off, then anything can happen.
We are anxiously waiting to see…
Will Andrea Bargnani be able to become the anti-Bourousis? From the time when he was selected with the No1 of the draft he has been trying to vindicate this selection without much success. In his career he even reached up to 21,4 points on average in one season, but he was always a weak rebounder and an average blocker. Maybe in Europe he will ace it, though. It’s not impossible to see him as a ‘4’ and the 21-year-old Ilimane Diop being tried at ‘5’ after the preparation that he had this year with the the Spanish national team.