VonTimur Tinç
shut down
After the weak start to the season, the Frankfurt basketball players want to make additional commitments, also because they have pressing injury concerns.
This Monday, Skyliners head coach Geert Hammink will have clarity. Winger Lorenz Brenneke will be re-examined to decide whether the 22-year-old, 2.06-meter man can start training again. Or is missing longer with adductor problems. Should this be the case, the Frankfurt basketball Bundesliga club would have to seek a follow-up signing in this position, as starter Einaras Tubutis will be out for between six and eight weeks with a strained knee ligament. “We have a combination of injuries that is not easy,” says Hammink. The sporting situation of the Hessians is not easy either. With 2:10 points, they are in 17th place in the table, just as bad as a year ago when they were relegated in the end.
The problem of the offensive
The Skyliners are currently in a “puzzle”, as Marco Völler, Sport Manager, describes it. They want to extend center Martina’s giving, whose two-month contract expires after the upcoming game in Bamberg this Saturday. The 28-year-old Lithuanian is the top scorer with 14.3 points. Should the 2.07 meter giant decide against the Skyliners, there would be another gap that they would have to close.
There is an obvious need for action in the position of the small winger or shooting guard. In the tight games, which were lost against the direct competition for relegation, there was no player who could take control of the game and provide offensive relief. Far too little comes from ex-captain Quantez Robertson and current captain Lukas Wank. And because they aren’t the best dribblers and don’t move enough into the zone, they don’t create space for their teammates. Whether a newcomer is already coming to the Bamberg game is an open question. “We don’t want to get anyone just to get someone,” emphasizes Völler. It must match. Especially since the Skyliners, like all other BBL clubs, only have four licenses for additional signings. Any misunderstanding that then has to be ended prematurely would hurt twice as much. Former Frankfurter Matt Mobley, who prematurely terminated his contract in Ulm, will definitely not. He doesn’t want to go to the Skyliners, Hammink said.
Nevertheless, the Skyliners must not let too much time slip into the country. The former permanent champion and next opponent Bamberg is currently on the last place in the table and is therefore a direct competitor. Every win counts to find your way down. “We defend well,” says Hammink. In the extended statistics, the Hessians can actually be found as one of the top five teams. The big problem – as in previous years – is the offensive. The Skyliners only average 75.7 points – the second lowest in the BBL.
Hardly any training possible
Preparation for the game begins on Monday. Hammink gave the team four days off last week to clear their heads. But also to cure aches and pains. And regular training was not possible anyway due to the injuries and the two national players Lukas Wank and Joshua Obiesie who had been nominated afterwards. The two are not expected back in Frankfurt until Tuesday evening at the earliest, as the national basketball team is playing in Slovenia on Monday evening. Proper team training with all healthy players will not be possible again until Wednesday.
