"We shoot three points well, but we must do it more times," acknowledged Pedro Martínez after one of the matches of the recent European Super Cup in Abu Dhabi, the starting point for his Real Madrid. Which couldn't have been more successful. Despite the novelty of the tournament, a title is more than a title when you come from a blank year.
Financial prize, emotional boost and revenge for the Euroleague final lost against Olympiacos. A wonderful loot that the Real Madrid squad celebrated to the full in Abu Dhabi, as they remained there until this Wednesday, when they traveled 150 kilometers to Dubai, where the Euroleague kicks off this Thursday against Xavi Pascual's Dubai Basketball (6:00 p.m.), the same rival in the Super Cup semi-finals. A 'stage' with the medals around our necks.
Pedro Martínez is 65 years old and boasts a 36-year career on professional benches since his beginnings at Penya. He has been in 14 teams, with more or less success, but never in Madrid or Barça. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, although in Valencia it sounded like betrayal. His career reached its zenith precisely at the Roig Arena, his second stage there (in 2017 he stole a League title from Madrid). For the achievements (ACB champion, first Final Four in the club's history...), but, above all, for the style.
The Catalan coach takes modern basketball to its limits. Current brand for its daring. Play as if you had pressed twice on WhatsApp, as if you were escaping from a burning house. Regardless of what they achieve, they will not be bored at the Palace, because rock and roll is the first score on their road map. Strange will be the day that the team does not exceed 100 points (it was signed in a third of the games with Valencia last year), that it does not compulsively shoot three-pointers, that it does not run after every basket received, that it does not bite for the offensive rebound. In the final at the Etihad Arena he left 31 assists, an astonishing figure. «It seemed to me that they have very clear ideas from very early on, and it is not easy. Running, attacking the offensive rebound, and the little ones attacking the paint. A dynamic game, difficult to counter, with many details," Pascual analyzed yesterday to ELMUNDO. White's rotations will be frenetic (in the first act, all 12 players usually have already appeared on the court and it is rare for any to remain on the court for more than four minutes in a row) and their basketball, kaleidoscopic: a counterattack could well be led by the five and finished by the point guard. In the must: the risks of chaos, the adaptation of some players to that style and ball losses. In the two Super Cup games he accumulated 45, an outrage.
To support a signing that also raised some eyebrows due to the coach's personality and some past controversies, the club, which experienced an intense summer - the dismissal of Sergio Scariolo, the departure of Sergio Rodríguez in the offices (his position taken by Rudy Fernández) and Mario Hezonja on the field, and the return to the controls of the section of Juan Carlos Sánchez -, has been reinforced with ambition. No less than seven signings (plus the return of Eli John Ndiaye, later loaned to Joventut), a large, versatile and talented squad. All at the service of Pedro Martínez's style and with the club's intrinsic objective of winning everything again.
Some of the new faces already showed the potential they can achieve in the recent Super Cup. Especially exciting were the arrivals of Luwawu-Cabarrot (ACB's top scorer last year with Baskonia) and Jaime Pradilla, a national for years. In the paint, to surround Tavares who has already returned to 100% of the injury that missed him in the fight for titles, two heavyweights from American basketball like Olivier Sarr and Damian Jones (double NBA champion with the Warriors). The Finnish Jantunen as a defensive species and shooter. The bet on the young Ukrainian Max Schulga. And, the last one to arrive, the icing on the cake, Nick Smith, directly from the Lakers, outside generator.
But the Euroleague that starts today is going through moments of ambition, megaprojects that are difficult to overthrow. The favorites have also been strengthened in a big way. Jean Montero arrived to the champion Olympiacos, which lost its base Walkup at the last minute (with controversy, payment of a clause and contract from Dubai). At Panathinaikos, not only Obradovic is on the bench, but also Yabusele, Sylvain Francisco, Badio, Bonga... Two European veterans who made their careers in the NBA return to shine for Efes (Dario Saric) and Zalgiris (Valanciunas). TJ Shorts and Mirotic will give flight to Valencia after Pedro Martínez and the luxurious Dubai continues to make leaps towards the elite.
