ABA League – Round 13

Cedevita Olimpija – Cibona: The pressure is increasing, 23/12/23, CET 18:00

This refers to Simone Pianigiani, Cedevita Olimpija's head coach. It seems incredible that his team has a 0-12 record in the EuroCup. By budget, this Slovenian club is definitely not among the five most cheapest  in the competition, but based on their performance on the court, they are the worst. In the ABA League, things are different, and it is the last resort for the Italian coach. If they start losing games to weaker opponents in this competition as well, there is no doubt that Cedevita Olimpija will part ways with him. Nikola Radicevic has returned to the team after a long absence due to injury, and that is definitely good news. Cibona already has enough material to make a movie about this season. They continued with spectacular performances in the last round when they won against Igokea on the road. The club is still unable to register players who signed this summer for the Croatian League. There is no money for that or for club members. That's why the former head coach Jaksa Vulic resigned a few weeks ago. Even without him, the players continue to defy logic. Before Igokea, they also defeated Split. With five wins in the ABA League, avoiding relegation is de facto secured, and they can play without pressure in the rest of the season. In such an atmosphere, more unexpected victories are sure to come. However, one of those victories probably won't happen in Ljubljana. Cedevita Olimpija may be embarrassing in the EuroCup, but in the ABA League, they deliver more serious performances. Justin Cobbs, Jaka Blazic and Karlo Matkovic are at a much higher individual level than Cibona's players, and if the approach is right, this will be a home team triumph by at least three possessions. A double-digit victory is also possible.

Mornar – FMP: If not now, when? 23/12/23, CET 17:00

This is a question that everyone at Mornar will surely be asking this week. They find themselves at the bottom of the ABA League with only one win out of 12 played games. This is unprecedented for this club. Although they are not financially powerful as in previous years, they definitely didn't plan to fight to avoid relegation. A few weeks ago, they made some radical moves, signing six new players, and things started to look a bit better on the court. Still not enough to beat teams like Igokea, Cedevita Olimpija or Borac Cacak, but this will be an excellent opportunity. FMP changed their head coach before the game against Zadar, but it didn't help. They chose Stevan Mijovic as the successor to Nenad Stefanovic, which was a surprise to many. Mijovic has only worked in the Serbian Super League so far and has not left an impression as a super-talented expert capable of working in the ABA League already. However, FMP made that decision, and it's not the first time they've given a chance to young coach. Still, at the current state of the club, this might not be the wisest decision. They play poorly in defense and often fall into black minutes from which there is no way out. Mornar last won on October 30, and FMP did it on November 6. This is a clash between two teams in catastrophic form, and expecting someone to stand out now is definitely crazy. But it seems that Mornar has few advantages over the visitors from Zeleznik. They have much more experience on the bench, home court advantage, and better logistics. FMP has slightly better players, but they don't seem like a team, and it's hard to see that changing in Bar. Also, this game carries greater significance for Mornar because if they lose this too, a catastrophe is inevitable.

Buducnost – Studentski Centar: Defeat for the hosts is not an option 23/12/23, CET 19:00

Studentski Centar is like the younger brother of Buducnost. These are two clubs that have closely collaborated in recent years. They play in the same arena, exchange players, and recently Andrej Zakelj became the head coach of Buducnost after a few excellent seasons with Studentski Centar. However, the younger brother has beaten the older one twice in the last two years, so there is no room for complacency on the court, which is definitely commendable. Nevertheless, it would be a significant embarrassment for coach Zakelj to allow a loss to a team he built and led until a month ago. There is no one who knows the players of Studentski Centar better than him, and he will surely have a tactic to prevent Kenan Kamenjas and Aubrey Dawkins from showcasing their best performances. Buducnost has experienced ups and downs. They made some questionable moves in selecting players for this season, but individual quality is absolutely on their side. This is a game where they cannot let their guard down and where they should triumph by a double-digit margin.

Krka – Borac Cacak: Very difficult to predict 24/12/23, CET 15:00

Although many will back Krka in this game. Their court in Novo Mesto has often been an unconquerable fortress for the most powerful clubs in the ABA League over the past 15 years. The rims in the "Leon Stukelj" hall have been described as tougher than anywhere else in the region, as games often ended with less than 130 points combined. However, this fortress has crumbled this season. Krka has lost all five games in the ABA League played in front of their fans. What is unusual is that they have won twice on the road, against FMP and Mega. Why they fail to present good performances at home is a question for head coach Gasper Okorn. Still, the mentioned Slovenian coach certainly does not deserve criticism. He is a highly respected expert, and last season, he won the Second ABA League with Krka, securing their return to the elite level. It seems that he is extracting the maximum from his team, despite a few shortcomings. Jairus Hamilton missed many games due to injury, and they have now signed veteran Darko Planinic. With these two in the paint, things are much different than in October and November. Krka showed against FMP and Mega that they can shoot at a high percentage from a distance, but when their shots don't fall, they can lose at home to Cibona. To finally win at home this season, Krka will have to be at their best. Borac Cacak is having the best season in the ABA League in its history. After a few years of regularly fighting to avoid relegation, they are now competing for a top 8 spot and a place in the quarterfinals. They have achieved some relatively easy and convincing wins at home in Cacak, while on the road against Zadar and Mega, they showed that their home court in Cacak is not their only strength. Borac has shown much more this season than Krka, and if we base our expectations on what both teams have displayed so far, the guests will win. However, past experience teaches us that this is precisely the type of game that could lean towards Krka. Borac Cacak struggles a lot with three-point shooting, which is their weakest aspect, and Krka could exploit that to their advantage.

Zadar – Partizan: The difference in quality is huge 24/12/23, CET 17:00

In Partizan's favor. The black and whites has been playing impressively in the EuroLeague lately. Since signing Bruno Caboclo and having Kevin Punter back after a one-month absence due to injury, they have become one of the hottest teams in Europe. After the loss to Igokea in the ABA League, things changed in that competition as well. Partizan started taking their opponents more seriously and playing with high intensity on both ends of the court for the entire 40 minutes. As a result, they defeated Borac Cacak, FMP, Studentski Centar and Buducnost with a total margin of 125 points (31.2 on average). Almost certainly, Partizan will continue in the same rhythm in Zadar. Simply put, there is no room for failure, and the only chance of finishing first after the regular season is to win all the remaining games and hope that Crvena Zvezda loses a few more matches. Zadar is known for having one of the most loyal fan bases in this part of Europe, and surely more than 9,000 passionate fans will be present in the arena. This atmosphere will bring out the best in the visitors as well, who will control the game from start to finish. At some point, the lead will likely be more than 15 points, and Zadar can only hope to reduce the deficit in the fourth quarter if Partizan sends in bench players. While the top players are on the court, the margin will consistently be around 15 points or more.

Crvena Zvezda – Split: A lamb in the company of wolves 24/12/23, CET 19:00

In such an environment, Split will find itself in this game. In the last round, they secured an extremely important win against Mega on their home court. This was their fourth triumph in the ABA League, and they managed to escape the relegation zone they were in from October to December. Everything changed when they signed Shannon Shorter and Lewis Sullivan. They altered the DNA of Split and made a difference against teams of similar quality such as Mega, Krka and Mornar. However, they have little to expect here. Crvena Zvezda is not achieving the results they planned for in the EuroLeague. They are far from the top 8, and everyone is frustrated about it. They often unleash that frustration in the ABA League, where they frequently dominate their opponents. Such a fate awaits Split this weekend. Crvena Zvezda will likely establish a double-digit lead in the first half, possibly extending it to 15 points. In the third quarter, it should surpass 20 points, and it is much more realistic for the final outcome to be closer to a 30-point difference than around 20 points in favor of the home team.

Mega – Igokea: Youth will prevail 25/12/23, CET 18:00

This is a clash between two completely different teams. Mega is the youngest team in the ABA League with several super-talented players. The fact that Nikola Topic is projected as the potential first pick in the upcoming NBA draft says it all. Every Mega game is observed by double-digit numbers of NBA scouts because, in addition to Topic, there are several players with a future not only in the EuroLeague but possibly also in the NBA. This is the type of game where they can showcase their talents. Igokea, on the other hand, is one of the oldest teams in the league, full of veterans who are not suited for a high-paced and fast rhythm. And that is precisely what awaits them in Belgrade here. Mega will seek to speed up the game as much as possible and attack the unset Igokea defense. This approach surprised Partizan, and they played a competitive game against Crvena Zvezda. Mega's head coach Marko Barac spent several seasons as an assistant at Igokea and is well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. After three consecutive losses in this competition, it is realistic to expect a high level of commitment from Mega's young players. Simply put, this is a matchup that doesn't favor Igokea. It's not realistic for the hosts to triumph overly convincingly, so it could be competitive in the fourth quarter, but in the end, Mega should secure a win by at least two possessions.