Start of the basketball season: where FC Bayern is only a challenger

Nfter the lavish festivities at the home European Championship with the first medal in 17 years, the basketball players want to carry the momentum into the league and take the next step in the fight for more attention. “We saw at the European Championships that there is a great deal of enthusiasm for basketball in Germany. And we look forward to what’s to come with great anticipation,” said Alba Berlin’s Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Axel Schweitzer.

The Berliners have recently won the German championship three times in a row and are going into the BBL season, which starts for Alba this Wednesday (7 p.m., MagentaSport) with a home game against the Hamburg Towers, with an almost unchanged squad as favorites. The number one challengers are again Bayern, who were beaten 3-1 in the final series last season. “I’m not used to going home without a title. That’s something I don’t like. We want titles,” said Munich coach Andrea Trinchieri about his team’s prospects.

Alba versus Bayern – this duel between the two heavyweights will again come up next season. Those responsible for the 18 clubs also see it that way in a survey by the German Press Agency. “Perhaps a club can surprise, but if I had to place a bet, I would choose one of the Euroleague teams,” said Bayreuth’s new coach Lars Masell.

However, the clubs are hoping for a more exciting title fight in which other teams can also intervene. “Realistically speaking, Berlin and Munich are always the favorites for the title, but I think Bonn and Oldenburg, for example, have great teams this season,” said Heidelberg coach Joonas Iisalo. “If all goes well, these teams could have a chance to topple the BBL’s Goliaths.”

Constance in the capital

But in terms of budget and squads, everything boils down to a duel between the two great rivals. Alba relies primarily on continuity when attacking the next title. Only Oscar da Silva left the capital for Spain and switched to FC Barcelona. In the Italian Gabriele Procida (formerly Fortitudo Bologna) and the New Zealander Yanni Wetzell (Saski Baskonia) only two additions were made. It has been a long time since there has been so little fluctuation in the Berlin squad.

But coach Israel Gonzalez, who stepped out of the great shadow of his mentor Aito by winning the double last season, is still a long way from a well-rehearsed team. Five players around the bronze heroes Maodo Lo and Johannes Thiemann were present at the European Championship, Marcus Eriksson and Malte Delow were also injured. So there are still some question marks at the start of the new season.

“It will be a difficult start for us. The league is much tighter in terms of performance and we have to get used to it slowly,” said sporting director Himar Ojeda. “We still have a lot of things to do. We have to integrate the players again now. This will of course take a few weeks. But we have to accept this situation and not quarrel with the fact that things are already starting,” said Ojeda.

Expectations are initially kept low. Nobody is talking about titles yet. “It would be naïve to say we’ll win two titles again. I expect that we will have another successful season and that we will continue to learn. That’s what sets us apart. We want to be the best possible team and not just deliver results,” said national player Johannes Thiemann. Point guards Maodo Lo, Jaleen Smith and Tamit Blatt had lucrative offers from other clubs but decided to stay in Berlin. “I’m definitely happy to be here this year. It’s fun here and we can build on last season and see how the culture continues to grow here,” said Lo, who played so strongly at the European Championship.

In recent years, Alba has usually had to give up some top performers. Although the budget has stayed the same, this year it was prevented. “Everyone knows what tools we use,” said manager Marco Baldi. He still expects sporting losses in the future. “We will always live with players who have reached a certain level of maturity leaving the club because they know that they will only be professionals for a limited time. With all their love for Alba and their gratitude for the education they have enjoyed here,” said the manager.

The situation of going into the season with a few unanswered questions also applies to Bayern, who have to integrate several new players at the same time. With “fresh guys”, as Trinchieri puts it, the Munich team want to better compensate for the double burden of Bundesliga and Euroleague this time.

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At the end of last season, Bayern had run out of strength due to many corona cases. Now players like Elias Harris, Isaac Bonga, Cassius Winston or Freddie Gillespie should ensure more balance. “The champion will be whoever wins the last game of the season,” said managing director Marko Pesic. After three years without a championship, it will be for the Munich time that they are again.