Nico Laprovittola completed a sensational campaign and a half in Badalonafrom January 2018 to June 2019 to the point of being rightfully elected MVP of the 2018-19 Endesa League, just as happened last season.
So much so that Pablo Laso’s Real Madrid knocked on his door to make him one of their star signings. However, in the first season he did not get along with a completely different point guard like Facundo Campazzo and he did not end up feeling comfortable in 2020-21 when ‘Facu’ left for the Nuggets at the end of November 2020.
His particular style of play and the talent he exudes were not to the liking of Laso who prefers more physical and perhaps more complete guards who are also decisive in defense. The fact is that, just as happened years before with Ante Tomic, ‘Lapro’ took the airlift in 2021 to play for Barça of Sarunas Jasikevicius and provoked the puerile criticisms of Lorenzo Sanz son.
Key decision
The Argentine found himself in the Palau con un Nick Calathes erected in the extension of the coach’s track before their friendship ended like a cat and a dog. And with a very young project like Rokas Jokubaitis.
Since his arrival at Barça, Laprovittola imposed his very particular way of understanding basketball that allows him to rise with full solvency in any conditions or change pace when no one is expecting him to take advantage or assist a teammate.
However, in that ascending line and at the same time full of regularity in the Barça team to become a leader at the level of Nikola Mirotic there is an important and decisive moment.
Saras turns Laprovittola’s career around / VALENTÍ ENRICH
Saras understood that he had the point guard position more or less covered first with Calathes and with Jokubaitis and last season with the Lithuanian and with Satoransky. And also taking advantage of the physical problems of Cory Higgins who was increasingly burdened by a very severe plantar fasciitis that later caused low back pain (something very common by the way), The Baltic decided to place Laprovittola definitively as an escorta position that was not unknown to him
From that moment on, The South American became the great offensive reference of Barça for his scoring ability with excellent percentages in triples, for his mastery of match situations and for his ability to understand better than the rest what is needed at any given moment.
Without changes
Roger Grimau inherited those same three protagonists and understood that the best thing for the team would be maintain that ‘status quo’, with ‘Sato’ and Jokubaitis as bases and with Lapro as ‘two’. Furthermore, the Catalan is giving him as much confidence as the Lithuanian gave him and is not punishing him with the occasional bawdy fight that so characterizes the Kaunas player.
‘Lapro’ is a key player for Roger Grimau / VALENTÍ ENRICH
The best proof of the influence of the former Madrid player on Barça’s attack were the two losses in a row during his recent absence due to injury with very low scores: 65-64 against Real Madrid with referee controversy in the Euroleague and 71-68 in the Endesa League in Valencia.
Laprovittola returned without being at his best yet and has not yet adjusted his sights with 14 points in the European disaster in Vitoria (2/6 in triples), 11 in Murcia (1/5 in triples) or seven against Valencia in the Euroleague with a 1/8 in triples.
Finally the one from Morón regained freshness on Thursday in Belgrade to sentence the ‘exiled’ Maccabi with 23 points (3/6 in triples), four rebounds, three assists and +19 to be the most valued on his team and the second of the game after Wade Baldwin IV’s +22.
Girona arrives
While the president and founder of the club Marc Gasol continues without announcing his retirement, Basketball Girona is one of the most pleasant surprises of the season and arrives this Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at the Palau with a very positive balance (6-4) and in the fight for a Copa del Rey whose cutoff will come in seven days.
Sergi Martínez, in defensive tasks with Basketball Girona / EFE
Under the orders of Salva Camps who makes his debut in the Endesa League after three seasons in Manresa as assistant to the best possible teacher (Pedro Martínez), the Bages team leads the Endesa League in offensive rebounds and The best is precisely the loanee Sergi Martínez with 2.0 average.
Bàsquet Girona has another Barça youth player like interior Jaume Sorolla plus the injured ‘Juani’ Marcos (on loan, a project with a huge base who has missed the last few games). Their great leader and one of the sensations of the tournament is the American point guard with Nigerian nationality Ike Iroegbu with an average of 16.1 points and +13.3 rating.
2023-11-26 07:14:11
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