Baskonia – Bayern
International - Euroleague, Round 3
Tuesday, 20:30 CET
Baskonia is playing very good basketball on all fronts at this moment. In the Endesa League, they sit at 4-1 record, while in the EuroLeague, they have played two solid games. They were defeated by Real Madrid on their home court (77:79), despite controlling the game for over 30 minutes. They then had a win against Alba in Berlin (86:91). The addition of Chima Moneke is one of the best moves made by any EuroLeague club during the summer. The Nigerian power forward is a double-double machine and is in outstanding form. Khalifa Diop has also brought elements to the team that they didn't have in the paint last season, while Markus Howard and Vanja Marinkovic continue to hit threes from all positions. Baskonia may not rank among the top European teams in individual talent, but they function impressively as a unit, and once they get the opponent into their rhythm, they become unstoppable.
Bayern is going through a transitional period. Pablo Laso has taken over the team, and it will take time for him to implement all his ideas into the DNA of the Bavarian club. They experience ups and downs in their performances. In the opening round, they played poorly in the first half against Alba Berlin but showed a lot more energy in the second half. They weren't particularly dangerous in Athens, even though Panathinaikos played without their best player, Kostas Sloukas. Carsen Edwards and Andreas Obst are still looking for their recognizable shooting form, and until they start hitting at high percentages, Bayern will have problems in offense. Serge Ibaka still makes a defensive difference, and Leandro Bolmaro seems like a good signing. The return of captain Vladimir Lucic is awaited. He will miss a period due to injury, and when he comes back, this team will get an additional push.
Baskonia plays with a special inspiration on their home court. Last season, they had a 14-3 record in Vitoria in the EuroLeague and mostly scored over 85 points at the Fernando Buesa Arena. All important players except Darius Thompson stayed in the club, so you can see the system of head coach Joan Penarroya. This could be the key difference in this duel. Baskonia is a well-oiled machine where everyone knows their role, and the players are well-coordinated, while Bayern is still finding its footing, which is normal after the changes made during the summer. Baskonia lost to Real Madrid in the first round, and it's not realistic for them to experience back-to-back losses at home in the EuroLeague, especially considering their record from the previous season. Unless there are catastrophic three-point shooting percentages, the host should solve this in their favor without too much stress.