Alba Berlin – Baskonia

 EuroLeague, Round 2

12/10/2023 20:00 CET

Alba Berlin was one of the worst teams in the EuroLeague last season with a record of 11-23. During the summer, they lost all key members of their starting five (Luke Sikma, Jaleen Smith, Maodo Lo). As for replacements, they now have Sterling Brown, Justin Bean and Matt Thomas, but it seems that the overall quality of the team is significantly weaker. They were defeated by Bayern in the opening round (80:68), despite having a decent halftime lead. When Bayern increased their defensive intensity, they made a big difference. Alba didn't look good, as we saw last weekend in the domestic championship when Ulm outplayed them by 100:88. 

Baskonia had an excellent chance to defeat Real Madrid in the first round of the EuroLeague. They were leading for most of the game but faltered in the end. They will not deviate from their style of basketball, which involves a lot of running, transition play, and three-point shots. Markus Howard is always capable of scoring more than 20 points, and a great move was made by signing Chima Moneke, who has been playing impressively in the first month of the new season. Vanja Marinkovic has further improved his game, while Nikos Rogkavopoulos has yet to justify his arrival. Just like Codi Miller-McIntyre, who is still searching for his recognizable rhythm. 

To be in any conversation for the playoffs or play-in race, Baskonia must win this game. Alba Berlin is by far the weakest team in the EuroLeague this season, and all teams with ambition must find a way to outplay them. On top of this, Yanni Wetzell is injured, and Christ Koumadje is not at 100%, so Alba suffers additionally in the paint. Baskonia definitely has more offensive potential and, defensively, with Moneke, they can stop some of the most dangerous opposing players.