Slask Wroclaw – Cluj
Eurocup Group Stage Round 2
Wroclaw, October 11, 20:00 CET
There are many reasons why Cluj is the favorite away to Slask Wroclaw in round 2 of the Eurocup group stage on Wednesday - and above all, the reason is a big difference in the quality of individuals.
The champion of Romania, three times in a row on the throne of the domestic league, brought excellent reinforcements during the summer. First of all, American forward who played for four NBA clubs, Jarell Eddie, is a player who guarantees that the Romanian club will be extremely dangerous for all opponents in the 2nd tier European competition. Playmaker Bryce Jones has proven himself in difficult European matches, and French guard-forward Adam Mokoka is an excellent athlete for the transition game.
The team has excellent shooters, American DJ Seeley came from French Gravelines, and Croatian center Andrija Stipanović is a reliable and experienced option under the hoop. One gets the impression that this club has options in the roster for different variants of tempo of the game and defense systems. Also, in last season, they gained important experience of matches in the Eurocup.
The Slask Wroclaw team consists mainly of Polish players, along with several dominant internationals. Serbian center Dusan Miletic is the main option in the attack so far this season, but it cannot be said that he is a quality player at the level of Stipanovic in the Cluj team. Also, American guards Evans and Gravett are not overly known or proven in matches of this caliber. During the summer, as many as ten players left this club, i.e. almost all key players from the previous season.
In the not so strong Polish league, the Slask team is dominant. However, the obvious limits were seen last week, when they lost 90:74 on the road to French team Bourg, and the defeat could have been much more convincing. The impression is that Bourg does not have such good and quality options in the rotation as Cluj.
Cluj is in a series of five victories, and in the first round in the Eurocup they won relatively easily against the excellent Turkish team Turk Telekom 80:71. Last weekend, in the victory over Voluntari in the Romanian championship 86:72, the main players are not overly burdened and will welcome this match in Poland fresh.
It is difficult to predict, at what pace this game will be played - but it is clear that it will depend on the plans of the coach of the Romanian team, Mihai Silvasan. The guests are the favorites in this match for a reason, and it could happen that they win with a double-digit difference.
Cluj managed to reach the Eurocup playoffs last season, where they were defeated by German champions Ulm at the end of March. Now this club wants at least one step further, for their historical and best placement in European competitions. It is an extremely serious project and this difference in organization, at every level, will be seen on the field of the rivals in Poland.