27/09/2023 and las 12:36 CEST
Next October 25th a new season of the NBA. The best basketball league on the planet turns its lights back on to offer one of the best sporting spectacles and delight fans who are waiting, among other things, if the Denver Nuggets of Nikola Jokic, They are capable of starting a dynasty after the ring achieved in the past finals.
The confirmation of the Serbian center as one of the best players in the competition reflects a reality that is no longer a coincidence and that has been experienced in recent seasons: The best European players are starting to surpass the best American players. Giannis Antetokounmpo became the second European to be chosen best player of the season, after the recognition obtained by Dirk Nowitzki in 2007, when he won the ring with the Dallas Mavericks.
The last 5 ‘MVP’ of the NBA are not Americans
The Greek was ‘MVP’ in 2019 and 2020, and then Jokic picked up the baton to be so in 2021 and 2022. America could not recover the award in 2023, since the Cameroonian Joel Embiid He was named best player of the past year. There have been five seasons without the ‘national product’ scratching the award, and furthermore, Luka Doncic He awaits a season that could be transcendental in his future in the league.
The ‘worrying’ situation of the Spanish in the NBA
The emergence of European talent contrasts with the situation of the Spanish players in the NBA, whose presence is minimal. The current European champion has based her success more on the collective than on the individual, and the current situation is far from what she experienced in the season 2016-2017, course in which there was a record of national players: the Gasol and Hernangómez brothers, José Calderón, Serge Ibaka, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Mirotic, Sergio Rodríguez and Álex Abrines They made up two quintets of which there are no longer survivors, waiting for what the Masnou point guard decides, who has been away from the slopes since last August 5 to take care of your mental health and without a return date, for the moment.
Aldama and the season of its consolidation
Thus, for the 2023-2024 season, Spain will have two representatives in the NBA, although the situation between them is quite different. The first is a Santi Aldama who is going to play his third season with the Memphis Grizzlies, which has to serve as consolidation in the league. After a first year in which he only played 32 games and just over 11 minutes per game, the 22-year-old Canarian power forward’s performance was more complicated than expected. Aldama had been selected in the position 30 of the 2021 draft by the Utah Jazz, although he was traded to the former Gasol or Juan Carlos Navarro team.
His situation changed completely last year, establishing himself as one of the important players in the rotation of Taylor Jenkins. He went up to 77 games in the regular season in which he doubled the minutes compared to the previous year and averaged 9 points per match, in addition to playing another 6 playoff games.
At a contractual level, Aldama has guaranteed stability in the NBA. For this season, the canary has signed 2.1 million dollars. Next time, the Grizzlies have a team option to keep him for almost 4 million dollars, and for the 25/26 season, they have a ‘first try option’ of 5.9 million dollars that they could match if another team offers that figure to the player. All these numbers are based on what is currently signed, and it should not be ruled out that his great performances lead to a new contract according to his performance.
Garuba signed for the Warriors at the buzzer
The situation of a Usman Garuba who has earned a contract to continue in the NBA practically on the horn. On August 21, in full concentration to prepare for the World Cup, the surprise came, and the Oklahoma City Thunder decided to terminate their contract. Garuba played the tournament without a team, and when many were pointing towards a return to Real Madrid, the Golden State Warriors of Stephen Curry and company, who have signed a contract which will straddle the San Francisco franchise and the development league team. It will have a limit of 50 regular season games in the NBA and to play playoffs he would have to sign a ‘common’ contract before the end of March. A double-edged sword that can turn out well, in the form of a new connection, or that can end with a cut. At least, it will add minutes with the Santa Cruz Warriors, something capital at 21 years old.
The Hernangómez and Ibaka, return to Europe
The truth is that this summer that we have already left behind can be considered ‘hard’ in terms of the reality of the Spanish in the NBA. Until three players They have had to pack their bags to return to the old continent: Willy Hernangomez, who has signed for him FC Barcelona until 2026, his brother Juancho which has signed until 2025 with Panathinaikos and whose movement does not definitively put aside a hypothetical return to the league, and Serge Ibaka, who at 34 years old, has signed for the Bayern Munich by Pablo Laso.
The future, exciting and promising
Although the present is not very promising, the future, in the short term, looks very different. For next year’s draft there are high hopes that up to three Spanish players can be selected and have a future in the NBA: Be Almansa, who will play next season for Team Ignite of the G-League, has not dropped out of the Top 15 at any time. Candidate Mara, who will play next season at UCLA after leaving Casademont Zaragoza also wins points to be chosen quite high. For its part, Dad Miller, from Florida State, could also be selected in the first round. All of them without forgetting young people like Juan Nunez (Ulm), Hugo Gonzalez (Real Madrid) o Jordi Rodríguez (Joventut) whose present and future is more than promising.
2023-09-27 10:36:34
#NBA #Basketball #survival #Aldama #Garuba #NBA
