BarcelonaBarça will need to win at least one match at the Audi Dome to play the match final four of Belgrade. After losing to Bayern Munich on Thursday, the Barça team travels to Germany with the Euroleague quarter-final tie tied (1-1). The Barça team needs to improve on the reading of a rival defense that was able to nullify its outside shot and the generation of play from the bottom post. The third match will be played this Wednesday (8.30 pm, DAZN).
While the return of Cory Higgins, who traveled with the expedition to Munich, is nearing completion, one of the arguments on which Barça clings to keep optimism intact is the performance of Dante Exum, an Australian player who has played in recent matches. taken a step forward. Theaussie it comes out in spectacular smashing at night, but its performance goes beyond these one-off actions that Catalan fans love so much. His defense is key and in attack he has become a specialist in deciphering the rival defense with good penetrations.
He has to finish assimilating the European game, but he will be an impact player in Europe ”
Carlos Marco Head of selections at the FCBQ
One of the coaches that Dante Exum knows best is Carles Marco, coach of Girona Basketball and current head of national team selections at the Catalan Federation. “The first time I saw him was with the lower teams in Australia. He was a player who made things happen when he was on the court. He had a good physique, a lot of speed and a great first step. The physical impact was brutal and it was very explosive, but the decision-making was not very good, “he told ARA. Then they both met in an NBA Summer League. “His decision-making had improved. In defense he was very beastly. In attack, the NBA’s space game favored his game, which enhanced his virtues. The most remarkable quality was his open field game.” analysis.
For Marco, “we shouldn’t see him as a replacement for Cory Higgins because they are two completely different players, but he brings other things to Barça. He gives him defense, as he occupies the spaces very well and is able to In attack, he brings open and one-on-one situations with a different record than Higgins. impact on Europe “.
After David Andersen, Joe Ingles and Nathan Jawai, Dante Exum wants to continue a successful line of Australians at the Blaugrana Palace. “The first month of Dante Exum was very difficult because he arrived very late and was out of shape. Also, it was the first time he played in the Euroleague. When we had a lot of injuries, he played good matches. Then Calathes reappeared. and Higgins and I needed to give them a little rhythm. Dante stayed a little away. “He’s a good fit for the competition and maybe he has given us a little bit more.
The 26-year-old Australian, who has had a great relationship with Chima Moneke (Baxi Manresa) since they faced off as teenagers, was left without a team in the United States when the Houston Rockets terminated his contract. It is a versatile combo very physical that can act as both an escort and a base. While it has a reliable launch, one of its great virtues is that it can generate its own basket penetrations. In addition, he is an extraordinary defender. “He is a very versatile player, he can play as an escort, at the base and even defend the opposing wings. He is a smart player “, says Joan Carles Navarro, general manager of the Barça basketball section.
After being chosen by the Utah Jazz in number 5 of the draft of the NBA in 2014, Exum played seven seasons in the American Professional League; five-and-a-half in Salt Lake City (where he missed an injury campaign) and one-and-a-half in the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Ohio franchise traded the player to the Rockets, who terminated his contract. The escort considered returning to Australia, but in the end decided to accept Barça’s offer. Last summer, Exum competed in the Tokyo Olympics with Australia, the team that won the bronze medal.
Catalonia wants the King’s Cup
Rubén Guijarro, Mayor of Badalona, confirmed that Badalona has asked to host the Copa del Rey basketball. “We believe that our city has the enthusiasm, tradition and ability to become the best venue for this sporting competition,” he said. We win Badalona, on the other hand, criticized the request, considering that it is not a sustainable initiative. According to RAC1, Barcelona also wants to host the tournament in the year in which the Catalan Federation will celebrate the centenary of its creation (2023). The ACB had planned to organize the event in Valencia, but the delay in the completion of the work of the new orange pavilion opened the possibility to other venues. Las Palmas and Málaga are also looking forward to it.
