Omar González’s Unexpected Departure from Guaynabo Mets and New Journey with the Santeros de Aguada in the 2024 BSN Season

When the Carolina Giants eliminated the Guaynabo Mets last year to advance to the final and eventually win the National Superior Basketball (BSN) championship, the least that many expected was that leader Omar González would not return to the ranks of the metropolitan squad.

After all, González was the one who turned around the Mets’ campaign, which was in the basement of Section B at the beginning of the 2023 tournament. However, when the veteran coach joined the team, there was a change from heaven to the earth. Guaynabo finished the regular phase with a record of 21-15, the second best in its section, and was one victory away from qualifying for the final series, despite the fact that at the end of the series they lost their sensational reinforcement DeMarcus Cousins.

Despite this, the Mets management got rid of González’s services and hired José Juan Barea as the new manager. A decision that did not take the coach by surprise, because after losing in the seventh game against Carolina, he did not have communication with Guaynabo again.

“There was never communication. There was never a meeting. There was nothing. I never contacted them again. Only, they told my agent that they were not going to choose to negotiate with me anymore. That was all that happened,” González assured Primera Hora during the BSN presentation at Vivo Beach Club, in Carolina.

According to González, there was no unusual reason why they bet on Barea instead of counting on him again for the upcoming tournament, although he commented that over the course of the campaign we will know if it was a good or bad decision. .

“There was no reason. The reason is that they have the power to make the decision they want. What is not known is whether that decision was good or bad. They have the right to make decisions and as they always say: ‘We are going to make decisions because we are the owners.’ And yes, but sometimes they are good and sometimes they are bad. That’s all I can say,” he said.

Members of the Santeros de Aguada during the presentation of the 2024 BSN season, at Vivo Beach Club, in Carolina. (Carlos Giusti/Staff)

And with more than 30 years of experience in the BSN, the coach maintained that he does not see the 2024 season as an opportunity to prove himself, after his unexpected departure from Guaynabo. Quite the opposite, since he is only focused on making the Santeros de Aguada look good on their return to the league.

“I know what I am capable of doing. Every year is different and the teams are different. I never leave (a team) with the intention of proving to people what I am capable of doing. The challenge is always my personal one, to try to do the best possible so that the team looks good and I believe that that is my letter of introduction,” she indicated.

From G City to Aguada

With his hiring in Aguada, the 2024 tournament aims to be a very different one for the Isabelline. In addition to the fact that he will coach in the northeast of the island and not in the metropolitan area, the Santeros squad is different from the one Guaynabo had last year in numerous aspects.

And the Mets hit the table last season when they signed former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins ​​and surrounded him with a competitive squad, which included basket players like fellow import Mitch Creek and point guard Gary Browne.

Instead, Aguada is building a team that will go “from less to more,” according to agent Wilson López.

The Santeros announced that their two reinforcements will be the former Swedish player Jonas Jerebko and the American Chinanu Onuaku, who played six games with the Houston Rockets. Both will be in González’s ranks when they visit the Santurce Cangrejeros on April 4 at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum.

Jonas Jerebko, reinforcement of the Santeros of Aguada. (Carlos Giusti/Staff)

However, some of the members of the Aguadeño team will join during the course of the campaign. López anticipated that Arnaldo Toro will report in May and Manny Camper in mid or late April.

They also suffered the loss of Dimencio Vaughn, who underwent surgery in February for a cruciate ligament injury. But, from the beginning of the tournament they will have native basket players such as Timajh Parker-Rivera, Jase Febres, Félix Rivera, Ángel “Piwi” García and Iván Gandía.

“I think we are good… We have new players, but I understand that we are going to go from less to more in the season. Once the season continues, I think we will be in a good position. As they say, it’s not how you start, but how you finish,” López asserted.

Santeros in conversations with Davon Reed

Davon Reed played with the Puerto Rico National Team in the first qualifying window of the AmeriCup 2025. (Ramon “Tonito” Zayas)

On the other hand, the franchise holder confirmed that Davon Reed may not see action next season. López reported that the Santeros have already started conversations with Reed, who was chosen with the second round of the New Entry Draw, but the former Eneb player is considering offers in Europe or competing in the NBA Summer League with a view to returning to the best league in the world.

“He has many options on the table, but we are confident that in the end he will select the Santeros de Aguada to continue his career,” he said.

Reed is active in the G-League with the Memphis Hustle, an affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, with whom he averages 12.5 points in 26 games.

2024-03-21 23:30:00
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