Unicaja Malaga – Canarias Tenerife

Spanish ACB league Round 1

Malaga, September 23, 20:45 CET

The way in which Unicaja Malaga constructed the team during the summer, before the start of the Spanish ACB league, is really impressive.

The Malaga team deservedly finished third in the Spanish championship last season, behind European giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. In the months since, Unicaja has kept all the important players from the last season: the first scorer and assistant, playmaker Kendrick Perry (American with Montenegrin passport), excellent power forwards Osetkowski, Thomas and Ejim, centers Kravish and Sima, versatile Bosnian-German guard-forward Djedovic, and of course the experienced captain, guard Alberto Diaz...

After the backbone of the team was preserved, the excellent center Diop from Murcia and American shooter Kameron Taylor, an athlete who is potentially an exceptional scoring option, were brought in. Overall, the club that won the national cup (Copa del Rey) last season in February - now has a team of such quality, that they could fight for the Top 8 place in Euroleague.

Unicaja will certainly play again without main scoring option, many of their players can and will take the responsibility during the games – and this team will score a large number of points, especially on their home court.

The match against Canarias Tenerife, at the start of the ACB league season in Malaga, is a great opportunity for Unicaja to demonstrate their quality. The opponent is a team that plays similar attacking and transitional basketball - but, in reality, Tenerife doesn't have nearly as many quality individual options in the roster.

Canarias Tenerife has a decent starting five - experienced Brazilian playmaker Huertas, Serbian center Ristic, reliable Georgian power forward Shermadini, well-known Spanish guards Jaime Fernandez and Joan Sastre... But, this is not a team that can withstand the rhythm of Unicaja's game during 40 minutes of fighting in high tempo basketball. Especially away in Malaga.

During the pre-season in September, Unicaja played impressively and won four in a row – before losing in the national Super Cup final game to Euroleague champions Real Madrid, 88:81, on September 17. And in that defeat, looking at the quality of the opponent, the Malaga team played well.

On the other hand, Tenerife was defeated in both games in September, and the defeat against Gran Canaria 83:74 (September 17) showed that the squad lacks routine in the attacking game and that the ideal form is still far away.

Unicaja beat this rival 97:74 in Malaga on June 1, and previously won 75:71 in the match played on May 21. Now the difference in the quality of these teams is even more pronounced, so the hosts in Malaga, at the premiere of the season, will have an opportunity for a convincing triumph - potentially with a double-digit difference or close to it.