Fifth classified at the end of the regular phase, The Barça has corresponded a real bone in the quarterfinals of the Endesa League and also with the track factor against. The Catalans will face the best of three games to Unicaja, the basketball fashion team that has already achieved five titles this season.
The club that presides over the former soccer ex -arter Antonio Jesús López Nieto is the award for serious projects and without decisions motivated by small bad streaks. This season Ibon Navarro The Copa del Rey has raised (two in the last three editions), the Spanish Super Cup, the Fiba Champions League, the FIBA Intercontinental Cup and the Andalusia Cup.
He First series of the series will be played next Tuesday in a full Martín Carpena at 9:15 p.m.. Barça will be local in the second match on Friday at a fairly inhospitable schedule (7:00 p.m.) and the hypothetical third meeting would be played on Sunday, June 8 at 12.30 pm.
Should Barça fear Unicaja? Roundly yes. Because? Here we offer you six reasons.
Ibon Navarro, a consolidated technician
The Alma Mater of the current Unicaja is undoubtedly the 49 -year -old Vitorian. And what He arrived at the Costasoño bench practically by chance. Because? The coach who began his career at the UPV Alava directed Morabanc Andorra since 2018 and was dismissed on January 23, 2022. In parallel, Unicaja threw Fotis Katsikaris and on February 9 was already in Martín Carpena. That is, all the stars aligned.
Ibon Navarro is a unicaja leader / EFE
Navarro knew how to start from below to form For eight seasons as second coachin the Rural Tenerife, in Baskonia, in Menorca, in Valencia Basket and again in the Buesa Arena in 2013 as assistant to Sergio Scariolo. The dismissal of the Spanish coach and Marco Crespi opened the possibility of directing Baskonia in November 2014. From there, he also did a good job in Manresa, Murcia and Andorra before arriving in Malaga. And most importantly, he has managed to polish up to what he is now.
Maximum intensity
Intensity is Unicaja's main argument since the arrival of Ine Navarrothe best possible example of when a coach stands up. The Basque is vehement and has managed to convey the passion with which basketball lives to its players. Consent the mistakes and even applaud good throws or trays in a timely manner executed that do not enter. However, the intensity must be maximum in each action and there is uncompromising.
Alberto Díaz is 'L'e Enant Terrible' by Unicaja / EFE
Alberto Díaz is his prolongation on the track he is often able to change the sign of the matches even without scoring. Anyway, Vehemence is collective and is clearly seen in 9.06 recovered balls On average for 6.9 of its rival in the quarterfinals in a section in which it leads in the competition, while it is the fifth team that takes care of the possessions are 12.4 losses (Barça 'gives' 12,9).
Very defined roles
Although the preferred option when playing key shots is usually Kevin Punter, it is true that In this barça so scarce, there is a lack of solidity in many aspects of the game. Unicaja represents the antithesis, with the most defined roles of Spanish basketball and great maturity to get the most out of each action and each player.
Kendrick Perry is the best Unicaja player / EFE
Alberto Díaz is the revulsive and the defense leader, Kendrick Perry is the closest thing to a starOsetkowski is a 'total interior', Tyson Pérez has contributed Brega in the 'paint', Kameron Taylor and Tyson Carter are the imbalance, Melvin Ejim is the muscle, Yankuba Sima shines under the hoops, Kalinoski (especially) and Djedovic are snipers, Kravish is a pivot with great exterior shot It is experience and Balceowski is a very modern interior. And almost nobody gets out of their mission.
Great physical level
The most important thing when making a template is know what the coach wants to play and what do the rectors of the club play the team play. From there it is time to reach an entente among all, talk to the Accounts Department and decide where you can get … but always on the basis of a game pattern. And Unicaja wants physical, an increasingly important aspect in modern basketball, especially in matches in which the referees let them play. And that is something that happens more and more frequently.
Unicaja, celebrating the conquest of the last Copa del Rey / EFE
The Malagaños force their rivals to accept physical matches and there end up imposing their virtues. They have enough players more than Barça and their pieces are especially 'sought' for an energetic and fiery game. Therefore, It is no accident that he breaks many of his games in the third quarter or even in the lastas happened in the recent final of the FIBA Champions League against Galatasaray.
Extra pass
In Unicaja, players know each other practically as if they were from the same family. This allows you to attack with patience, taking advantage of the 24 seconds of possession To punish the rival defense and seek the best possible release. Many attacks offer shooting options at 10 or 12 seconds, but the coastal coasts prefer to start over. So that?
In Unicaja defends to the top to the utillero / EFE
Well, to demand their rivals. The current champion of the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup makes defenders a lot with continuous combinations and tactical options, making a perfect use of 'extra pass'. For that you have to have patience, trust and security. And of course, defending 24 seconds in each attack on Unicaja ends up taking its toll. This offensive quality translates into 90.27 points in favor of average (third of the league), 100.61 valuation (fifth) and 21.48 assists (second).
Bench depth
The reality of both teams was quite clear in the penultimate league day. Barça could only dress nine players from the first team plus the young Raul Villar For the refusal of the club to sign despite the injuries of Nico Laprovittola, Chimezie Metu, Juan Núñez and Jan Vesely plus the 'rescinded' Dame Sarr. Meanwhile, Unicaja left Jonathan Barreiro out of the call and a Dylan Ostkowski who was about to dress from Blaugrana last summer.
Ostkowski sounded strong for Barça / EFE
Ibon Navarro needs a broad rotation to always keep the identity of the team that has revolutionized basketball on the track and prefers to have some less level players instead of reducing the template. Precisely there the waters Blaugrana box, which was reduced by the extra tab that the team had since the signing of Mike Tobey. And of course, if there are injuries in that situation and not signed …
