FMP – Mega
International - ABA League
Monday, 20:00 CET
After the unexpected and shocking defeat against Krka in the opening round of the ABA League, FMP responded with a win at road against Cibona. There, Nenad Stefanovic's team struggled more than necessary, but the most important thing for them was that the triumph was achieved. During the week, the club made the decision to part ways with Lamonte Turner, who did not meet expectations. Subsequently, Hugo Besson was signed, and in the first two ABA League matches, he scored a combined 45 points. This is, after all, the reason why Turner was shown the exit. Young Aleksa Stepanovic is progressing from game to game, just like Nikola Saranovic. On paper, FMP has a more than solid team and they just need to string together a series of good results on the court.
Mega made a radical move this season. They decided to go with a team in which only Uros Plavsic is older than 23. Never has a younger team competed in the ABA League, even though Mega is recognizable every season for promoting many talented players. For example, Nikola Jokic and Vasilije Micic passed through their school. The difference is that there were always a few veterans to help the younger players, which is not the case now. A few days ago, they reacted by signing Nikola Jankovic, but the question is how much he can instantly help. For Mega, the primary goal is the development and progress of the players, and then the result. Avoiding relegation will not be a problem, but the defeat at home against Borac Cacak shows that it will be difficult to be in the top 8 teams in this campaign.
In previous seasons, FMP and Mega had different paths during the season. FMP would dominate in the first few months and, thanks to those results, would finish within the top 6 in the ABA League, while Mega would always start slowly, and the team would play better only after the New Year. This is normal because a young team like Mega matures throughout the season. FMP has many more experienced, but also more quality players. Also, coach Stefanovic always ensures that his team plays smartly and with good solutions in the offense. The defeat against Krka two weeks ago will be just an additional motivation for them to come out triumphantly from this clash with Mega.