The Argentina National Team U17 is currently contesting the World Cup of the category in Malaga, Spainwhere one round of 16 loss to Slovenia left those led by Leo Gutiérrez in the fight for the ninth place. To do this, they must first defeat Japan this Friday and quickly get rid of the frustration of the falls to Poland, Australia and the aforementioned Slovenian team, after a victorious debut against Egypt.
To learn more about how the Argentine squad is living the event, we spoke with one of its figures: the base John Ignatius RespaudObras Basket player in our country.
“We did not expect these results. It’s not that we were confident but out there we had in mind that we could fight a little moreRespaud began. “They hit us hard, the defeats hurt us a lot. After having started well up there with the victory against Egypt, the match against Poland was a hard blow and our spirits plummeted. Although we must admit that they are more than us, I don’t know if individually or tactically, but it shows a lot in the physical state“.
Physical disadvantage has always been a problem for Argentina in this kind of international event and the 2022 World Cup is no exception. “They put up with a 40-minute back-and-forth game with blows and that hit us throughout the game. And once they took a difference of 10 points from us, it was difficult for us to play again. We were tired and we couldn’t stand the touch and its condition. That was what was costing us.
“All the games are difficult in the World Cup and once we were getting points, they went to 10 and then it was hard for us to come back. That’s what happened to us. But the balance is positive because we approached the games well, We did the things that were asked of us. We did things well despite the results, we played well. Our balance is good and the sensations too“.
✈️ @RespaudNacho ✈️#FIBAU17 pic.twitter.com/CKJgVP2fvL
— CAB (@cabboficial) July 3, 2022
The round of 16 match against Slovenia was a reflection of what Respaud marks: excellent first quarter with an eight-point lead (17-9), but crumbling as the match progressed and the rotations of one and the other began, to finish falling by 69-55.
“When the game starts from scratch it looks good, because it happened in most of the games that we started at the top. We started running, we started intense, without letting them play and that’s where we took advantage of making the difference. But later with the passing of the game we have some mistakes that do not make them pay. It’s like that in a World Cup. You make a mistake once and you pay for it. That was what happened to us. Afterwards, with the physical wear and tear, which they put up with and we didn’t, it made it a little more complicated for us and it became difficult for us“.
Beyond the fact that some of the members of the Argentine squad play in Europe, for the vast majority these games have been the first duels against European rivals. And accustomed to the local environment or at most American, the change has taken Argentine boys by surprise.
“Honestly, we didn’t expect it to be such a sudden change. Over there we see ourselves well with our physical condition and we think that we are going to endure the games, that we are going to endure a 40-minute game with blows and wear and tear. But clearly we find ourselves with a reality that no, that we still need to improve many things. Not so much individually or tactically, but more physically. That was what happened to us.”Respaud analysis. “It shows on both sides. Beyond the fact that it can cost us back, it shows up front too, because that’s where we make a wear on defense and we arrive at attack tired and it makes us have losses, bad passes, bad decisions. Everything goes for what same“.
Weeks of evolution and learning for Respaud
Beyond the passage through the World Cup, Nacho had been in the news in recent weeks for his outstanding passage through the Basketball Without Borders de la NBA, disputed in Mexico. There he not only had a great performance, but even got the Campus MVP.
“Happy for the award at Without Borders, it was a nice experience. I learned a lot there with the coaches. With Lea (Bolmaro) also who taught me a lot. Just to come back and come to the World Cup was the most beautiful thing. Always wear the shirt of the obvious selection that is the best. Beyond that, all the learning that I take with me is what stands out from all this“.
“I needed these kinds of experiences to measure myself as well. To see if I improved something between last year and this year, to see if the changes I think of myself are noticeable. Over there I can feel that I changed some things and later on the court you can see that I haven’t. It helps me individually to see how I am, what things I lack, what things I have to improve and what things are good“.
???? @RespaudNacho The MVP of Básquet Sin Fronteras was chosen, the camp organized by the NBA, which brings together the best school-age players in the region.
????️ Enjoy the best of the Entre Ríos player at the La Loma Sports Center, Mexico (via @NBAMEX). pic.twitter.com/ytkJ2487BN
— CAB (@cabboficial) May 20, 2022
“I feel I’m fine but I also need to improve more things. I’m better than before. Little by little I am improving some things in my game, I was never a point guard. I never had a fixed position and now I am taking that path. Obviously I still have a lot of things to improve, but little by little all that is training and improving. It is in these types of matches that you learn the most, with these frictions and these rivals. They make you improve, it helps a lot“.
The transition to the base position, with Facu as a reference
Respaud has been doing in recent years the transition to point guard position, after training as a shooting guard. The change is not easy for a player who always stood out for his excellent athletic conditions and ability to get to the rim, but is still learning the game planner job.
“I always in my club, in Rocamora, I was always plus two. I always liked to play with two because I really like to run. Running without the ball more than anything, to finish the counterattacks next to the hoop. I really like that game and what cost me the most when I started to play more of a base was the issue of reading moments, organization, reading and managing game times, vision… those things are what cost me and I need to improve. Everything is trained and improves little by little“.
???? ¡@RespaudNacho with the dump and Argentina in front! ????#FIBAU18Sudamericano pic.twitter.com/e7UzrsFXGE
— CAB (@cabboficial) March 21, 2022
“I look a lot at Facu (Campazzo), the best point guard in Argentina. He has his way of playing, I see how he reads the game and the times, how he uses his body to attack. Because Facu is not a tall player and he is always looking for them to finish high up. Those things are what I watch to see how he does it: how he crashes and goes up, how he tries to get away from defenders. Facu has some movements that are truly incredible. I try to copy those things a bit“.
Argentina faces Japan this Friday from 7:30 in our country and beyond the elimination in the main draw, those led by Gutiérrez want to finish the tournament as high as possible. “What happened is already, already happened. She hit us at the time but it doesn’t last more than half an hour, with the return to the hotel. That later has to go because we have to continue the tournament, fighting the games that we have left. Now we are calm, thinking about Japan tomorrow“.
