Day 8 in the Endesa Basketball League leaves a hopeful debut in national basketball, a victory for the bottom player against one of the greats of the competition, a decisive basket from a former Unicaja and another spectacular one from another player who passed through Malaga
The best player and the worst performance
Prepelic returns after his injury to the rhythm of MVP
Valencia Basket player Klemen Prepelic has been crowned Player of the Day 8 in the Endesa League. He does so for the first time in his career and in his debut match in the competition this season, as he injured an ankle after the Super Cup and had not played in the ACB until now. The Slovenian did not need his excellent shot of three this time (he made 1 of 4) to add 21 points and 29 PIR credits, with an outstanding 10 of 11 in free throws. For the second day in a row, the MVP of the week was not enough to help his team win, as Valencia lost to Coosur Betis 81-84.
Among the worst performances of the day in terms of individual statistics, stands out the -5 of Tyrus Mcgee, San Pablo Burgos guard or the -4 of valuation of an important player in Baskonia like Costello, who in 10 minutes on the court did not it came out just not at all good.
The most outstanding of the competition
Between pivots the game goes, with Dubljevic in front
Every time the ‘small ball’ or the game between small and the classic centers are an exception in current basketball, but the list of the most valued players in the ACB is currently headed by three pure ‘5’. The first of them, a classic like Dubljevic, center of Valencia, who in six games already exceeds 18 on average (18.5). only player in the League for now in those numbers. He is followed by Ante Tomic (Joventut) with 17.9 and very close to the giant Tavares, with 17.5. Of the Unicaja the most outstanding one continues being Jaime Fernández, in the position 15 of the classification.
This in valuation, because in scoring the best is Isaiah Taylor, from UCAM Murcia, with 17.5 per game; In rebounds, Ángel Delgado (Surne Bilbao Basket) stands out with 8.1 and in assists Novak (Urbas Fuenlabrada), with 7.7. In blocks Tavares commands (2.8) and percentage of triples, Álex Reyes, also from Bilbao, with a great 62.5% of success.
The classification
No surprises above and tighter below
Barça and Real Madrid won, as usual, and Gran Canaria closely follows the two football clubs, after beating Casademont Zaragoza and placing third with 6 wins and two losses. Unicaja is still out of the play-off positions (tenth), after a new defeat and the victory of Betis of Malaga from Malaga Pepe Pozas against Valencia Basket tightens the tail of the classification. By the way Joan Plaza, Betis coach,
recalled in the press room of La Fuente de San Luis his “great nights” lived there, in reference to the final of the Eurocup.
Debut
Juan Núñez, another pearl of the Real Madrid quarry that asks for a step
The prestigious Costa del Sol Tournament that takes place every summer in Malaga serves to see live some young players who occupy the space of their international teammates in preseason. In 2019, a young Juaan Nuñez of only 15 years old left very good feelings in the match between Madrid and Unicaja. This week, Nuñez, a couple of years older but still under the age of majority, made his debut in the Euroleague with Real Madrid and, although he had already played in the Endesa League with the first team, he made his debut as a scorer at put in your first basket. He is an enormously talented point guard who is happy to see him play and who is called to be a pillar of the Spanish team in the coming years.
The most spectacular play
Vasileiadis’ incredible basket from his field
An old acquaintance of Unicaja, the team where he made his debut in Spain when he was very young and to which he returned a few years later in 2014-2015, Kostas Vasileiadis continues to show good hands at the age of 37 at UCAM Murcia. But the basket he made in the last second of the third quarter against Breogán, from practically the triple line of his court, is to be seen over and over again. Surely one of the plays of the season.
The photo
Wiltjer already decides for Lenovo Tenerife
acb Photo / M.Miser
Another player with a past at Unicaja who is the protagonist this week, Kyle Wiltjer, who returns to the ACB as one of the great signings of Tenerife and for now is not disappointing. The Canadian is already decisive with his triples, like the one he made in the last second to win on the Obradoiro track. With 81-81 on the scoreboard, Wiltjer received a pass from Salin in the corner in the absence of three seconds that were enough for the power forward to leave the game sentenced with a triple. M. Miser’s photo for ACB Photo, with the celebration around Wiltjer perfectly sums up the importance of his action.
The Unicaja
Third defeat in a row in the ACB and bad feelings
If we wanted to stay last week with the last five minutes against Barça as a way of holding on to the Unicaja game, in Andorra came the blow of reality. The Malaga team was totally dominated and the feelings are bad, with Katsikaris being critical of his players. In addition, qualifying for the Copa del Rey is starting to get complicated. Here you can read the chronicle of the match and the notes of the players.
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