by Gabriel Gallo
Let’s put it this way: Your goal is to reach the top of the Matterhorn. You are not told how and you say: I act in the same way as Mike Bongiorno in a famous commercial from the 80s. I rent a first-rate helicopter and get deposited at the top while sipping an excellent grappa. Except… my plan falls apart because I forget to fill the tank, the equipment breaks down and I haven’t thought of a plan B. Translated into basketball terms, that’s a bit what’s happening at Unahotels this season. Set up in the summer with the idea of using the 3-point shot as a deadly offensive weapon (and players purchased, or confirmed, for the purpose) it then found itself among the worst in the tournament (14th) in this fundamental, with a meager 32 %.
Although, in theory, it can count on an audience of shooters who should have offered valid guarantees. This has not happened with sufficient continuity and, moreover, when aiming is poor, the red and white army struggles a lot to find alternatives. Result? Last place in the standings and 13 defeats in 18 matches. As we have been writing for some time, there are opportunities to recover and the road to salvation, although very difficult, is not compromised.
However, the data is merciless: in the five successes obtained by Pallacanestro Reggiana, every time the 3-point percentage has touched, or exceeded, 40% (the lowest figure is 39.1% against Treviso on the first day, the most high is the 57.1% obtained in Trento) vice versa in the lost matches Unahotels fell 8 times below 30% (in three even below 20%) and in the recent stop in Brindisi it gave up shooting from 6, 75 with 25% and despite the fact that the people of Salento stopped at 15%. It is no coincidence that Vitucci’s troop, in general terms, shoots from 3 worse than Sakota’s (31.6%) but, at the same time, can count on a big man able to play with his back to the basket, and score a lot, like Perkins . Who with 15.3 points on average is also the best scorer of his. And it is precisely for this reason that, on behalf of the Serbian coach, the Reggio management is stubbornly looking on the market for a long player with the characteristics necessary to avoid that the red and white fate depends too much on the percentage from the arc.
An athlete with an internal game, which guarantees points and solidity. And although these are no longer the times of Lavrinovic or Veremeenko (nostalgia take us away…) even a half-baked version of Jalen Reynolds would be just fine. Except that around the world a player similar to Reggio’s reach is a rare commodity at the moment. Returning to the figures, and bearing in mind that nothing can be reproached in terms of commitment and dedication to the cause, one figure stands out in individual terms; Osvaldas Olisevicius, who should be Unahotels’ main offensive player, shot 35.7% from 3 points last year, this year he stops at 29.7%. The best of the red and whites is Michele Vitali (45.1% and fifth in the standings among the long-term top-scorers) but after him, and in the top 50 of the Serie A championship, in 34th place, there is only Sacar Anim , with 36.2%.
