After four days of action, eight teams battling it out from seven different countries, Joventut Badalona won the 2013 NIJT Championship.  Here are some notes on the players that stood out in London.  For almost every team I will also give a personal favorite player.  In scouting it’s important to separate someone you like because of the way they play the game and how talented you think a player is.  The personal favorites are talented players, just not necessarily in an elite sense.  But they are the ones that I’d want having a role on any team I construct.

*For tournament stats

Club Joventut Badalona (4-0 +35)

Badalona was the class of the NIJT as I wrote about after their Championship win.  They thrived on ball movement and the ability for almost everyone on the team to handle the ball.  They got out in transition often and were always willing to throw the ball ahead.  Since everyone could either shoot or handle the ball, the whole team was a bunch of space creators with so many open shots becoming available.  On defense they executed a full court press nicely with a lot of pressure and intensity.  They were the class of the whole tournament and it’s just wonderful to see the extra pass become a staple of a team.

#4 Gerard Gomila, G, 1.90 M, 1995

Tough and stocky guard who played both backcourt spots.  He used his size well, bouncing off guys in the lane and rarely getting off balance.  He had a really nice wide crossover that allowed him to get by defenders and was solid at kick out passing.  With a sturdier frame he was a very good rebounding guard, averaging 3.8 per game.  Solid Badalona role player who can play both guard spot but should transition to a full time point.

#6 Alberto Abalde, SG/SF, 2.00 M, 1995

Scoring magician was MVP of the tournament.  Go-to move was one dribble pull-up jumper or just a catch and shoot jumper which he would knock down with ease.  Always could get space for his jumper.  Slender guy but tough player who could finish in a variety of ways at the hoop including reverse layups and floaters.  He mixed it up on the offensive glass too averaging two a game and was good at jumping passing lanes, averaging 1.3 steals a game.  Had forward size now and needs to grow into a forwards body.  Could have used his left hand more but now I’m nit-picking.  Was smooth in everything he did and just had a feel for the rim.  Was always hungry to score.

#10 Agusti Sans, G, 1.93 M, 1995

A really strong driver who rarely gets out of control, Sans led a great passing team in assists at 5.5 per game.  Really good at finding seems and driving angles to the paint.  If there is an open man the ball stays in his hands for a second before being whipped out, a very willing passer.  Always has his head up.  Was the guy rocketing passes half way up the court on the fast break.  Most well-rounded player on Badalona with scoring, ability to board, phenomenal passer, and very smart on defense.  Took over the tournament on last two days, ball always seemed to be in control when in Sans’ hands.  Was also named to All-Tournament Team.

#12 David Iriarte, PF/C, 2.06 M, 1995

Versatile player for Badalona who would guard the biggest guy (Ristic, Draskovic…) on the opposing teams even though he is undersized to be a center.  Really hard worker capable of handling the ball and making open three’s.  Averaged 3.5 fouls a game, as he really likes to body people up but we were also dealing with very debatable refereeing.

#13 Jose Nogues, PF, 2.04 M, 1995

Get out the way, the slashing power forward is coming down the lane.  Nogues used a variety of herky-jerky moves to get to the basket.  He wasn’t off balanced but he always did a great job of getting his defender off balance because it was really hard to read which way he’d be going.  Great moves around the basket, can spin either way, finishes with a soft touch and usually below the rim.  Good spacer with developing three point range, ran the pick and roll a lot with his guards.  Big hustler who zoomed up the court on the fast break.  Even as one of the best players on the team was always willing to kick it one pass more if a defender was closing out on him.  Doesn’t have great athleticism or height but super crafty for a big man.

Personal Favorite: #9 Xavier Assalit, PG, 1.88 M, 1995

Furious rim attacker.  Long, athletic frame, that he used to pester opposing point guards, jump passing lanes, and be an all out devil at the top of the press.  Used long strides to get by defender with quick first step.  Once he had some momentum, no one was going to catch him.  Drew 10 fouls in one game going 13/15 from the line.  The game flowed so freely for him, one-handed passes, quick dribble drives, and jumping all over the place on defense.  Doesn’t have a jump shot and played mostly point guard.  Possibly has a Victor Sada like future ahead.

Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade (2-1 +34)

They came into London as the favorite with players who played in Istanbul last year and a couple guys who have dominated the youth scene.  Red Star was an incredibly solid but relatively unspectacular team.  They had tons of size, controlled the boards, had one of the better point guards, and long wing players, but there was something missing.  Their was limited ball movement and scoring really rested on the shoulders of just a few players (Restic, Rebic, Guduric).  This is a team that should have bullied there way to the Championship but instead too often seemed to be going through the motions instead of attacking their opponent.  The players were wound too tight and really crumbled in the big game versus Badalona.

#4 Nikola Rebic, PG, 1.88 M, 1995

Played 65 minutes in two games and had the ball in his hands for most of it.  Patient attacker who did a real good job of feeding his big men.  Better driver than shooter, finishes well with contact, and shot 93% from the line including the Belgrade and London NIJT’s.  In the end the ball just seemed to stick to him too much and he had little trust in his teammates outside of Restic.  Kinda plays like he’s angry.

#6 Marko Guduric, SG, 1.97 M, 1995

Was the offensive spark plug on the wing for Red Star.  Has a nice jab step and found good driving angles.  Fair size for a guard and was a really good rebounder, getting seven a game.  A guy that was looking for scoring opportunities and has real confidence in his scoring game.

#10 Brano Dukanovic, SG, 1.96 M, 1995

Silky smooth shooter, who has mastered the one dribble pull-up.  Couldn’t buy a three the first couple games and then went off in Red Star’s final showing.  Hard worker on both sides of the ball, got to loose balls and ran the break well.  Has real value as floor spacer, shooter, and solid passer.  The word fluid comes to mind when describing his game.

#14 Dusan Ristic, C, 2.12 M, 1995

Complete offensive game for a big man at this level.  Can get good post position, has the hooks, shots, and footwork to destroy other bigs at this level.  Serious touch on his finishes.  Ante Tomic game.  Good interior passer.  Not a great defender but timed his blocks well averaging 2.2 a game.  With Restic it’s just more layups than dunks, a loft of softness in his game.  Isn’t great finishing through contact.  Incredibly skilled player but needs to get tougher, has no mean streak in his game at all.  Was an All-Tournament performer.

#15 Marko Teljic, C, 2.09 M, 1995

Formed a twin towers lineup with Ristic often, but neither one was overly-aggressive enough to make it as dominant a lineup as it should have been.  Good offensive rebounder, averaged three a game.  Decent shot blocker and had nice length for a big.

Personal Favorite: #12 Dorde Kaplanovic, PF, 2.09 M, 1995

Uber-role player.  Wasn’t afraid to bang around and go after the offensive glass.  Just a down and dirty player, something Red Star needed more of.  Finished well around the hoop and was a solid passer for a big man.  He was the garbage man.

Team China (1-2 -29)

China had an all out mentality at the NIJT.  They got the ball and attacked the rim.  Attack, attack, attack.  And if that lane got clogged up then it was a kick out for a three pointer.  They trapped and double teamed whenever they could.  If you didn’t have at least three fouls then you weren’t playing hard enough.  They were the Houston Rockets of the NIJT and their overly aggressive style was always boom or bust.

#6 Qian Wu, PG, 1.90 M, 1994

Was the point guard of the Chinese attack probably because he was one of the only ones who could stay under control.  Moved the ball around well and was a sneaky driver.  Pesky on defense averaging 2.3 steals a game, but everyone on China was pesky.  Had real shooting woes but stood out as a guy China could lean on when things were getting a little too out of control.

#11 Jinglong Li, SF, 1.95 M, 1995 

He put up 30 three’s in three games which is a feat on to itself.  Unfortunately he only made eight of them but he gets a mention here because he personified the Chinese outlook.  Chuck and run.

Personal Favorite: #13 Kai Jiang, G, 1.90 M, 1994

Jiang was my favorite because he was the most unhinged and out of control.  He fully embodied everything China was doing and eventually too a fault.  Get the ball, drive straight to the basket.  He did have some nice, funky moves in the lane and had a handful of crafty finishes, but in the end 18 turnovers over three games tells you exactly how much he valued ball security.

Lietuvos Rytas (0-3 -40)

This is sad because of how great the well oiled machine that won last year’s Championship was.  Rytas was too small, less talented, and sadly was probably the worst team in London.  They were missing their best player Edvinas Seskus who was MVP of the Šiauliai NIJT, but he couldn’t have made up for everything.  Their guards worked hard, their big men not as much, and they really shot the ball poorly.  Rytas failed to score more than 65 points in any game.  This is a great program and it’s a testament to them that they even made it to London with this year’s crop of talent.

#4 Deividas Kumelis, G, 1.88 M, 1995

Without him they might have gotten blown out by China, seriously.  Good shooter but thought he should have been more aggressive getting shots.  Played tough throughout and moved the ball well.  Got two steals each in the two games he actually played real minutes and I would have ridden him harder if I were the Rytas coaches.

#14 Gediminas Zalalis, PF/C, 2.05 M, 1995

Decent offensive rebounder who has a nice all-around game for a big man.  Just really lacked the hustle that defined last year’s Rytas bigs.  You can see he has a jump shot, some athleticism, and can sky for boards in the paint but not really a post up big and never put it all together.  There were glimpses of solid play but rarely much more.

#16 Lukas Ganas, G, 1.86 M, 1995

Is probably a life long LKL player because of his inability to score but man what a rebounder for his size (4.3 rpg).  Just really impressed when you see one of the smallest guys on the court battling for boards while the much taller Rytas post players can’t get to the ball.  Good passer, averaged 3.3 assists per game.  Would have been a great role player on a good Rytas team, but on this particular team he couldn’t maximize his strengths.

Personal Favorite: #5 Augustas Suliauskas, PG, 1.80 M, 1995

Similar to Tomas Galeckas last year, I just love point guards who yell, scream, hustle, and total take command of their team.  Suliauskas was the little fireball that could.  He was a really small but there was a lot of heart packed into his game.  Most everything developed and stayed on the perimeter where he moved the ball around, directed traffic, and took open jumpers.  When he did get in the lane, he did a good job with drop-off passes to bigs but sometimes that was his only option with finishing being a real problem at his height.  In the end, it doesn’t get much tougher than him.

OKK Spars Sarajevo (1-2 -2)

This truly was a three man team and those three players listed below got driven into the ground.  Spars had some talent but it seemed like they were unprepared for the moment.  Had extremely few offensive options and not a team that dug in too hard on defense.  Buza on the wing and Salic in the paint are great talents for this level, but it just wasn’t nearly enough against much deeper teams.  Spars and Salic often got frustrated and jacked up some really questionable shots.  They were a team of moments with a couple guys making spectacular plays, but that was about it.  Salic and Buza made the All-Tournament team but they shouldn’t have as they have inflated stats from playing so many minutes.

#5 Aleksej Nikolic, G, 1.88 M, 1995

Barely came off the floor and had the ball in his hands a lot.  Good rebounder for his size and one of the few guys on this team who could make a play for someone else.  Good shooter from deep.  You could see the pressure of having to do so much weighed on him.

#13 Nedim Buza, SG/SF, 2.03 M, 1995

He’s like butter he’s so smooth.  But butter melts when it gets hot and Buza wasn’t up to the task last weekend.  Long athlete with an incredibly clean stroke, he seems to float around the floor.  More of an off-ball player because of his lack of aggressiveness but did a nice job on the glass and when Spars actually could get out on the fast break.  Still maturing and has the body and offensive tools to be really good but needs an aggressiveness injection.

#15 Djoko Salic, C, 2,10 M, 1995

A man amongst boys is the usual tale for Salic.  Pretty hard for a guy to average 21 points and 12 rebounds and not look that great, but Salic did.  He was great at pushing defenders back into superior post position and that looks to be an elite skill, but not much came after that.  He can finish very well when close to the hoop but if you can push him off the block at all the problems begin.  Not a good shooter and forced endless amounts of jumpers when he was double or triple teamed.  Had little interest in setting off-ball screens, boxing out, or playing help defense.  With his big body and long arms you can see the potential but he made very few of the small “basketball” plays that help teams win and help out his teammates.  Although dominant at times, Djoko was interested in helping Djoko.

Personal Favorite: None

Barcelona Regal (3-1 +11)

Barcelona made the Championship game but got destroyed by their fellow Catalans.  Lot of individual talent on this team but guys didn’t really feed off each other’s games.  Relied heavily on Garcia to score.  The bigs got better at the tournament went on and really started to attack the rim.  In the end everyone was looking for Hezonja to go off at some point and open up space for everyone else, but he never did.

#4 Mario Hezonja, SG, 2.00 M, 1995

Has the full offensive toolbox.  Feathery stroke, great at hitting cutters, smooth ball handler, and can get up for finishes.  But man does he frustrate you.  He always has to make a play.  If he can’t drive on you then he’ll pull up for a jump shot or force a pass into a possible assist scenario.  Never let the game come to him.  Often seemed disinterested and had little contact with his teammates.  He had six turnovers in a game versus Team England and finished the tournament shooting 6/24 total from the field.  Had an injury in the game versus Spars and Barcelona played their best basketball without him, able to move the ball without the ball stopper around.  He sweats talent but with his mindset and game plan you start to worry what might become of Hezonja.  The youth level is not the place for him anymore, he needs to be pushed.

#7 Marc Garcia, SG/SF, 1.97 M, 1996

Could get his jumper whenever he wanted it and has an ultra smooth release.  Can catch and shoot from anywhere.  Has almost a soft aggressiveness because he is instant offense but in a very gentile manner.  When he drives it was usually to get his jumper as his slender frame doesn’t do well in contact.  Did have some nice sneaky finishes because the ball comes off his hands so soft.  Younger than most everyone at the NIJT and has time to grow but is seriously skinny.  Best release on a jump shot at the NIJT, keeps the ball nice and high always so he can go right up for his shot.

#11 Adria Canteys, F, 1.99 M, 1995 

This guy can play and went too under the radar all tournament.  Can do a lot of different things for a power forward.  It’s not the most charming shot in the world but he can stretch out to the three stripe.  Has serious ups and really put it down a few times.  Good at driving by a big closing on on his shot and as mentioned, can really finish.  Had a five block game against Spars.  Very low usage player but effective in short spurts.  Could really be utilized with smart passing point guard.

#13 Ludde Hakanson, PG, 1.90 M, 1996

You left wanting more from him.  Solid shooter and decent creator for others but wasn’t a consistent force at all.  Barcelona needed him to make more plays and open up the offense but he was too hesitant.  Not sure if he has the quickness a high level guard needs but there were also few times he even tried to show it off.  Can really handle the ball at the top of the key and start the offense, just didn’t do a whole lot else.

#18 Milovan Draskovic, C, 2.11 M, 1995

Just a giant.  A Giorgi Shermandini like guy.  Conquered the offensive glass and was great at going right back up for dunks.  Just a pure rim protector and finisher.  Did at good job at both ends but really lacks post-up moves and a strong enough body to take lot of contact on defense.  His offense is about rolls, dives, cuts and getting a pass for a quick finish.  Kind of a choppy player but attacks the rim with tenacity.  Some people really liked him and you can see with his length that he can become a a truly disruptive force at center on both ends.

Personal Favorite: #10 Pau Cami, PG, 1.61 M, 1996

Go read that height again.  He was by far the smallest guy in London but that didn’t matter to Pau.  Has decent form on his jumper but couldn’t buy a basket all weekend.  Looked to get others the ball in a position to score and was a little bit of an emotional leader for Barcelona even as one of the youngest on the team.  But you can see the real weakness in this team when their toughest player is the smallest guy on the floor.

INSEP Paris (1-2 -34)

Similar to Barcelona, everything with INSEP was based around Inglis and waiting for him to break out.  And similar to Hezonja that never really happened.  This is a less talented INSEP team and they had real trouble scoring.  They showed some heart in coming back from 17 down versus Team England in the second half and winning in overtime, but that was about it.

#7 Damien Inglis, SF, 2.01 M, 1995

First time you see him his body just jumps off the court.  Strong, big body for a wing and is able to play the point forward role.  Even with his solid stats his play was not up to expectations.  He fouled out of two games.  This INSEP team was under talented compared to those of the past but it was a perfect storm in a few games for him to takeover.  Inglis can drive and finish but really struggled with his jumper and forcing the issue in his playmaking.  NBA body, tons and tons of skills, but not totally sure how to always those skills and was on a fairly bad team.

#12 Ywen Smock, PF, 2.03 M, 1996

Pretty powerful looking player, an imposing figure.  Got the ball in positions to score but wasn’t a great finisher for his size.  Had six blocks and 10 rebounds versus Team England, showing you what he can bring.  Wasn’t a super hustler or offensive rebounder and would like to see more of that but he is also a year younger and still learning.

Personal Favorite:  None

Team England (1-2 +2)

Unlike the rest of these teams, the English players haven’t been playing with each other all year and just had a few practices to get ready for the NIJT.  But they were a surprise team completely and utterly led by Nelson.  Once he got going, the team followed suit.  Everything was about dribble penetration with either Nelson or Dang.  England didn’t have much ball movement and relied mostly on individual, one on one play.  But they came within an overtime of being 2-1 and for a team recently put together, that’s fairly impressive.

#6 Luke Nelson, G, 1.90 M, 1995

Nelson was awesome, a real creative player who loved the opportunity to be England’s go to playmaker.  He has a loose but impressive ball handling, really utilizing the crossover to change directions.  Once he figured out how to get by his man, he was really creative in the lane with his passes and finishes.  Didn’t have the best shooting performances but every defense was keyed on him and most shots were contested.  Has the ability to hang in the air for a shot.  In true point guard fashion Nelson would try to get others involved early and then started pouring on the scoring in the fourth quarter.  That could also be a more taking advantage of opportunities than mindset too.  He get after it on defense and overall was the surprise performer, in a good way, of the weekend.

#4 Jules Dang, G, 1.95 M, 1996

Dang currently plays in the Union Olimpija system.  He’s very quick and has an aggressive nature to his drives.  But he is a year younger and that one year is huge for development.  He forced the issue too much and often was a black hole on the fast break.  Once Nelson took over more of the point guard and making plays for other role, it was easier for Dang just to let the game come to him.  Intriguing prospect because of his quick powerfulness once he gets moving but still needs to develop how to score in the flow of the offense.

#12 Kingsley Okoroh, C, 2.16 M, 1995

Long body and solid offensive rebounder.  Sometimes had trouble catching tough passes from Nelson but was the guy guards looked for off the drive.  Did a good job finishing plays but started none.  Has very little muscle definition, if at all, and his height was a supreme advantage at this level.

Personal Favorite: #13 Benjamin Lawson, PF, 2.09 M, 1995

White English people who can get up like this, I start to having a little bit of a soft spot for them.  He also had a three block and four steal performance versus Barcelona and I love the feistiness.

*Heights are from the roster sheet handed out at the NIJT.  

With only hours until the tip in Game Four (10 PM, Argentina time) of the Liga Nacional Finals, here are six guys whose performances tonight will matter most.  Up 3-0, Regatas could end it on Lanus’ floor in sweeping fashion; or, Lanus could live to see Game Five.

Here’s Diego Brunetti helping out ELA with some Argentine analysis, and here’s our full coverage of a 78-76 Game Three if you’re interested.  Impact players after the jump.

5. Jerome Meyinsse, Regatas:  This guy is a set of better hands and a go-to move away from being a very intriguing prospect to European teams with eyes down here, and he already knows how to impact a game simply by running the floor and challenging every shot.  But he had trouble guarding Fernando Martina without fouling in the last affair, and Martina ended the night with 21 points and 7 rebounds.  Lanus’ bigs are known for their no-bullshit approach under both rims, and Meyinsse should be credited with keeping his cool after hard fouls or extra bumps after the whistle.  He’ll need to use those calm nerves tonight while defending Martina: dig in, settle down, and don’t slap.

4. Adrián Boccia, Lanus: After gracefully dancing into the lane and flicking in a sexy little floater in the first, Lanus’ leading scorer (13.2 ppg) didn’t register a single point.  Five misses from inside the arc, one from outside and he couldn’t even draw a trip to the free throw line.  And Lanus lost by two points. Two.  Things could have been different if the 30-year-old small forward had continued to attack the center of Regatas’ defense. He’ll need to if Lanus wants to survive tonight.

3. Federico Kammerichs and Nicolás Romano, Regatas:  Lanus has shown us that they’re concertedly devoted to clogging the paint against Regatas at all costs.  Control the lane, control the game. Makes sense, but the theory falls if the opposition can attack neglected areas on the floor.  In many cases this series for Regatas, that area has been a couple feet beyond the free throw line, and there to receive that pass has been Kammerichs or Romano.  When Regatas was playing their best ball in the last game, those two were throwing inside to open posters or cutters.  If they really wanted to force Lanus’ hand, they would hit down that open jumper with a little more consistency. At their collective best they’re beastly: Kammerichs’ unbelievable impact with his length and brains on defense; Romano’s physicality and ability to drive and draw crowds on offense.  It’s fun to watch when they’re on.  It won’t be for Lanus.

2. Nicolas Laprovítola, Lanus: Offensively, this guy’s got everything you look for in a point guard: a picture perfect stroke, absolute command of the offense and a deft passing hand.  The added bonus is that he can defend the opposition for 94 feet if asked to, as he showed against Javier Martínez during Game Three’s second half. But the risk you run there is tiring out a guy who played 33 minutes to begin with, and whose legs admittedly looked rubbery as his shots looked flat and often fell short.  Laprovitola was just 3-of-10 from two and 1-0f-5 from deep, a significant departure for the 23-year-old who made 40 percent of his threes this season.  I can’t say anything about his defensive effort or his poise; I only hope he can make a few more shots.

1. Paolo Quinteros, Regatas: So Fernando Martina and Carlos Schattman come in averaging 8.6 points per playoff game, collectively, yet they left Game Four with 21 apiece.  How’d they do this?  It doesn’t matter, because it meant nothing.  The MVP saw to that.  And if Paolo wants to score 29 on 16 shots again tonight, it really won’t matter with these other four (five) guys do, will it?

Prediction: Quinteros simmers, but doesn’t reach a rolling boil again.  Laprovitola bounces back and Boccia comes out more aggressive. Lanus wins one for the home fans (70-66) but awaits a cruel fate in Corrientes.

Argentine basketball journalist Diego Brunetti joins ELA-TV in Argentina to talk about the Liga Nacional Finals between Lanus and Regatas de Corrientes.  Regatas won Game Three 78-76 and leads the series 3-0. Game Four is Wednesday night in Lanus.

******

One day I was Skyping with my Dad from my Buenos Aires apartment.  You been to any basketball games down there? he asked me.  No, Dad. Not yet. I replied.

Joaquin, my Argentine roommate, peeked around the corner and signaled to come talk to him in a minute.  I said goodbye to dear old Dad and sought Joaquin, who in turn told me had a cousin who was married to a basketball journalist and that we should meet.

That cousin-in-law turned out to be Diego Brunetti, producer of Argentina’s one, only and best radio program, Todo Red, hosted by Fabián Pérez, who I think is hilarious, even if I usually only understand about 40 percent of what he says (down into the low 20s without proper context).

Diego and I connected via The Twitter within hours, and since then I’ve joined the set of his radio show, practiced with a club team he coaches, Arquitecturas, watched Argentine prospect Gabriel Deck scrimmage against Costa Rica (seriously though, Costa Rica has a guy who looks like a Baby Nate Jawai and has handles like Escalade Jackson), and on Wednesday Diego and I rode with my new amigo Andrés the hour plus to Lanus for Game Three (of possible seven) of the Liga Nacional Finals between Regatas de Corrientes and Lanus.

Regatas blew the doors off Lanus 90-64 in Corrientes in the opener and screeched out a 65-55 grinder in the second.  On Monday they came into Lanus up 2-0 and led early on.

A crowd of 2,000-some-odd Lanusians packed into the arena to see their team set foot on the comeback trail, but were disappointed to see Regatas go up early.  Large, thick white ribbons dangled from the top rungs of the bleachers; fans held on at the ends to keep their balance as they wobbled atop railings and leaned in toward the court.

Down 49-58 to start the fourth, Lanus roared back with the help of three wildly-unlikely-seeming triples from Carlos Leonel Schattman in a matter of minutes, half of the six threes he hit on the night.

Schattman had been averaging 3.5 points in 10 playoff games before Monday, and while he attempted the most on the squad this season (4.5 per game), the ShotMan only hit 30 percent of them.  He demanded the ball and let them fly all the same, and each one that dropped (6-of-7) gave more credence to the home team’s comeback.

Matching Schattman’s 21 for Lanus was Fernando Martina, a curly-haired big man who rather floppily herked and jerked his way around and through whomever Regatas assigned to take the beating.

At the point, Lanus’ Nicolás Laprovítola dug in and nearly defended Javier Martinez into a state of frenzy (Note: nearly) when he applied full-court pressure in the fourth.  Behind Laprovitola was Robert Battle, the mountainous center whose arms and neck seem to constantly flex and who fouls as hard as the rules allow.  Or harder.  The entry passes from Federico Kammerichs and Nicolas Romano that were there for Regatas in the first hald weren’t there anymore. If Laprovítola even allowed the Regatas offense to initiate without a misfire, the passes to cutters and to the block were often tipped away by Battle or William McFarlan.

If the ball did reach its intended target, Jerome Meyinsse and the Corrientes bigs could dislodge neither Battle nor McFarlan from his respective post.

But as Diego tells you in the above video, irritants—even young, energetic ones like Nicolas Provítola—just don’t affect the veteran Paraguayan, Martinez, who plays like Carlos Cabezas circa 2009 (not that guy who hung around the Caja Laboral bench this year). He forced a pair of momentum-killing fouls against the press and later knocked down a huge three after missing an identical one a minute earlier.

Paraguayan ice water.

But the man of the evening was Liga Nacional MVP Paolo Quinteros.  The Boy Who Inked the Jordan Tattoo started the game with a filthy right-handed lay-in off a cone-dodging drive and he didn’t cool down until the bleachers started to unload: 29 points on the evening on 10-of-16 shooting (three threes; 6-of-6 from the stripe).

Lanus had a shot at a lob to tie it with 0.2 seconds left from the sideline—a catch and shoot scenario not possible under 0.3 seconds—but the heave was tipped away and Regatas captured win No. 3.  One more win Wednesday, and they’ll be Liga Nacional chmapions.

Prediction time: Lanus carries a strong second half into Game Four and gets the win 70-66.  Then Regatas closes the deal back home in Game Five behind 16 and 6 from Romano and at least one very loud putback slam from Meyinsse.

“In the locker room the climate is excellent, apart from the basketball playing, the biggest achievement is that we respect each other.  We feel like a family and we remain a family.  We came here as an outsider.  We came back with our backs against the wall many times.  In the end there was a lot of talk about our struggles but it made us become stronger together.” – Vassilis Spanoulis

‘This is a team with heart, a team with character…this team is a god of war.” – Kostas Papanikolaou

“Our secret is cohesion, all of us are united, I will repeat it, it’s our cohesion, we are a big example of all of Greece that we as Greeks can make miracles happen if we work together. We have comeback many times this season and if something repeats it’s self it is history.  We have players with character, they have soul as we say it” – Coach Bartzokas

It’s something you can’t describe.  Heart.  A trust in your teammates.  Going through experiences together that make you stronger in only the way a team can.  Coming back is a skill, a skill Olympiacos has mastered.

On Sunday evening in London the Greek team made history as they won Championship number two in their back to back championships in a 100-88 win over Real Madrid.  But down 17 in the first half, similar to being down by 19 to CSKA Moscow last year, there was never a sense of “this is over”.  A team that believes in each other is one that never lets pessimism exist.

It all started with the shot clocking winding down in the second quarter and Pero Antic with the ball. 5, 4, 3, 2, and as Antic dangles between the three point line and the sideline you can tell he feels a sense of confidence.  Being pushed up against the ropes and bouncing back is a place Olympiacos players feel comfortable.  So even off balance, down 17 in the biggest game of the season, Antic still shoots calmly and directly as he swishes a three pointer.  Then everything starts to roll, all Olympiacos needed was one push.

The veteran Stratos Perperoglou nailed two three pointers and all of sudden even though they were down, it felt like Olympiacos was about to have the game in hand.

Acie Law put on an amazing performance.  Early in the game he was patient, waiting for his opportunity to emerge.  Law last season was sometimes too passive, too laid back in his approach.  This year with a bigger role he attacked more, became more aggressive.  It was the perfect storm from him on Sunday as he tried to get others involved early and he kept the ship afloat.  Then once Real Madrid started showing a hint of weakness, he attacked.  Once he got the ball off an outlet pass, boom, he was headed on the break.  Whirling and swerving around Olympiacos defenders on his way to the hoop, no one could stay in front of him.

Vassilis Spanoulis, the MVP of the Final Four, didn’t make a shot in the first half and had a negative ten ranking.  But even when their star was down, Spanoulis had his teammates to pick him up and the confidence in each other that once he got hot, this game would be over.

They didn’t have to wait long.

The second half started out in a fire storm.  Spanoulis has been on this stage many times before, a two-time Final Four MVP before this.  He popped a pull-up jumper.  Then another.  And then another.  He was hot and Olympiacos was roaring forward.

Spanoulis was named the MVP of the weekend but the people’s MVP was Kyle Hines.  Hines had a dominant weekend and everything he did went beyond the box score.  When the game became a see-saw affair, Olympiacos turned it over and it seemed Rudy Fernandez would waltz in for an easy fast break dunk.  Then you saw him, streaking, bulldozing, galloping down court.  Kyle was coming and he wasn’t leaving unless blood was spilled.  As Fernandez pass off to Nikola Mirotic and he went airborne so did Hines, and in a collision between hand and ball Hines stuffed the ball back down to earth.  Not today, not with a championship on the line.  Just when Real thought they’d be getting an easy basket, Hines let them know that there would be nothing easy about the rest of this game.

As Coach Bartzokas said, this team has soul.  A soul that can’t give up.  Playing with undersized big men, a star who had one of his worst halfs of the season, and down by double figures to what most call the most talented team in Europe, they didn’t blink.  Trying to describe the ability to comeback is no easy task but forever on we don’t need to.  Olympiacos changed the thoughts of many in European basketball these last two years and when trying to think of adjectives, emotions, or tactical things to describe how to comeback in a basketball game, the answer will now be simple.  Watch Olympiacos.  Because with the team from Pireaus it’s not a “comeback” anymore, it’s an opportunity to come together.

Whipping through the air, the ball seemed to be on a vacation it was so happy.  Rotating around and around, happily cruising from the comforting hands of one Badalona player’s to another’s.  Once it was safely secured by Agusti Sans or Xavier Assalit, or another Catalans hands it was only on a layover, a pit stop before the ball sailed off to it’s next destination.

Joventut Badalona crushed, dismantled, terminated not only Barcelona in a 82-59 NIJT Championship game win, but the whole field of junior teams in London.  They smelled of the same sweet scent that last year’s Champion Lietuvos Rytas did; a ball movement heavy team that loved playing with one another.  After a Badalona fast break layup, which there were many of, the bench would jump in joyous yells and encouraging screams.  Every three pointer swished felt like an uplifting push for not just that player, but the whole team.  This type of enthusiasm lifted this team to play better than the already very talented collections of part are separately.  They say shooting is contagious, but so is the want to help out your fellow teammate.

The star for Badalona this weekend was wing scoring extraordinaire Alberto Abalde.  Abalde comes off the bench for Badalona, but leading the team in scoring at 17.8 points a game and never going below 16 in a single contest.  Abalde has a hunger to score, a need to put the ball through the basket.  He’s a scoring assassin.  First he settles in on the perimeter, picking you apart move by move.  His one dribble pull-up jumper is his go-to move, complete with an incredibly silky stroke.  He’s so smooth and keeps the ball up so high off the dribble or catch to release that you continually expect the ball to drop through the net. Once you’ve been wooed by his jump shot game he starts to work you a little harder.  Quick crossovers that with a step of his lanky frame gets him to the basket in an instant.  Backing down his defender when he feels someone is trying to play him too tough.  Snaring offensive rebounds for put-backs.  It’s a complete scorers game with built in toughness and always a silky smooth shot release.  And all that is within the flow of Badalona’s offense, he was the kick starter for their scoring attack.

Abalde is just part of the Badalona equation though, not the final answer.  His elite scoring was on display this weekend but he is an example of how Badalona thrives.  Everything is free-flowing and easy.  If a guy is busting his butt on the fast break, someone heaves a pass up court to him.  If there is a guy open in the corner for a shot, he gets the ball.  If you have an open driving lane, seize it.  When a Badalona player got the ball his first read was to find his teammates and see what the defense was giving him.  Read the situation and react, no predetermined options existed.

The most striking thing was just a sense of free-ness.  A total willingness to get rid of the ball if it gets your teammate in a better scoring situation.    They worked the ball around like veterans, skipped passed out of double teams like they had been doing it for years, and soon there was nothing “extra” about their extra passes.

All the parts fit together like a 12 person puzzle.  Gerard Gomila was the stocky point guard with a wide crossover that had guys off balance and transitioned that driving ability into great kick-out passes once he arrived in the lane.  He also wasn’t afraid to go up for rebounds at any cost, averaging four a game.  Abalde was the elite scorer, feathery in all aspects of his game and guarding Mario Hezonja all the way out to half court.  Xavier Assalit was the defensive havoc maker.  With a really long frame for a point guard he absolutely hounded whoever brought the ball up court and was the center piece of the Badalona full court press.  Offensively he was an attack machine, constantly keeping the defense on their toes, as at any moment they could be staring at at the back of his head.  Augusti Sans was the table setter for everything.  He was the most complete player on Badalona and filled up the box score consistently.  His presence was always calming, running either guard position, and roughly beating bodies back who tried to get in his way on dribble drives.  Four Badalona guards, all with different skill sets but all playing together.  There was always one of them who brought the ball up the court but ball handling was equally shared, team always came first.

Jose Nogues was the herky-jerky power forward with great touch around the hoop.  His slashing style, ability to catch and get a shot up quickly, and constant hustle led to buckets full of points.  A real versatile player, if Abalde was the star of the weekend, Nogues wasn’t far behind.  A big man who can attack the rim from out to the three point line is rare and Nogues did it routinely with ease.  David Irairte was the do-it all big man.  Go guard Red Star super big Dusan Ristic, check.  Pound the offensive glass, check.  Bring up the ball on the fast break, check.  Space out and hit a three, check.  Any task called upon, check.

But the beauty of Badalona wasn’t just the excellent play of their top players explained above but the roles everyone on the team embraced.  Sergi Costa was another tone setter, a point guard willing to hustle and defend whoever.   Frederic Guallar in limited minutes mixed it up in the paint and boarded up.  Marti Fonolla was willing to uncork a trey ball whenever he had space.  Marc Bauza was the defending big, needed if a bigger body started pouring in points.  Edgar Martinez came in to muck things up, push people around, make the game more physical.

In Badalona’s bone crushing defeat of Barcelona in the Championship, all of their strengths were on display.  They ran the fast break totally unhinged, flinging the ball up court as soon as they could.  On defense they trapped and switched until Barcelona grew intensely frustrated and started throwing the ball away.  On offense it was the same clinic we saw through four days, opening up so much space with passes and drives that everyone seemed to always have a good shot available.  And every shot made was a chest beating moment in the most positive sense, a reason for the bench to get up and cheer as they pushed each other to play better and better.

In basketball the most wonderful thing is to see five guys playing together who feed off each other and know each other’s games so well that each play better.  There wasn’t anything complex about the way Badalona picked apart the NIJT field, they just played their brand of free flowing basketball.

“After 33 important minutes we lost it all.” – Xavi Pascual

Not 40, 33.  Barcelona played 33 minutes of great, intense, and fast paced basketball.  Marcelinho Huertas was unshackled today.  One-legged three’s, floaters, fast break basketball, and playing in the open court.  Huertas is most comfortable when the play is free and easy; times when his creativity can shine through.  He along with Ante Tomic’s dominant post scoring led a potent Barcelona attack for 33 important minutes.  But 33 minutes of great play doesn’t get you into the Euroleague Championship game.

Real Madrid has a deep roster, the deepest in Europe.  At times different players are so potent on offense or defense that it’s tough to know if the starters or bench players should be playing more.  Tonight for Real, it was the bench that brought them back.  Through 33 minutes Real hung tough.  They fought off Tomic’s hooks, Juan Carlos Navarro’s fade-aways, and Huertas dribble penetration.  And then after that the explosion happened.

With Sergio Rodriguez, Jaycee Carroll, Rudy Fernandez, Felipe Reyes, and Marcus Slaughter, Real Madrid went on a 17-2 run after the 33rd minute that led to a 74-67 win.  And during this time it was the defensive chemistry that propelled them to the lead and eventually, victory.  Rodriguez face-guarded Navarro and flew all over the court trying to keep him from touching the ball.  Carroll hounded Huertas, forcing him to drive into help.  Fernandez poked, prodded, and annoyed Joe Ingles into quick decisions.  Reyes got every offensive board he could possibly or not possibly get to.  Slaughter held Ante Tomic, who had dominating 18 points heading into the fourth quarter, to zero points in the fourth.

I’ll let Pablo Laso explain it himself after I asked him about the defensive chemistry of this lineup, “Different energies, they move differently. Reyes and Slaughter are not the tallest but can contest people, fight for rebounds.  They feel good playing together and you look for the rotation that is best in that moment of the game.”

This group changed the whole complexion of the game.  As Laso said about Real’s team strength, “this is the strength of a group, others can come in and pick up the slack for them”.  When Barcelona was breathing heavy in the fourth and clawing for every ounce of energy to stay in the game, Real was fresher, which in turn made them hungrier.  The reason Real is going to the Final on Sunday is that their depth is close to equal across the board and each interweaving lineup trusts each other.  A “second unit” won a Euroleague Semi-Final.  But they are the second unit in name only.

What Went Wrong For Barcelona

Today’s first game was sufficient evidence that we’ve got far too much time on our hands between the Playoffs and Final Four.  After rehearsing dozens of scenarios in my head to which one fit, none of them included CSKA getting waxed like they did, start-to-damn-finish.

But I had several in which Sergio Rodriguez played the perfect game, plenty where Llull attacked intelligently and put up 13 or more, and nearly every semifinal played between my ears had Reyes pulling down huge rebounds.

And that was Barcelona’s problem: getting game-long consistency from anyone outside of the point, where Huertas sprinkled in solid decisions and big shots throughout the evening.

Tomic had 18 points and 12 boards on the night, but none of those points and only one of those rebounds came in the fourth quarter once Marcus Slaughter gobbled him up and put a forearm in his back.

Navarro’s this team’s unquestioned leader, and checked in the game’s 33rd minute with the game tied at 63.  Instead of Bomba Time, it turned into garbage time.  Real Madrid went on a 14-4 run the rest of the way and Navarro’s statistical contributions over that stretch read as follows: foul, missed three, turnover, foul, foul.

I was about to wrap this up, but then I remembered that Erazem Lorbek played today.  Did you see him out there? Six points, five boards, minimal impact?

Yeah, that’s the one.

Felipe Reyes Is An Offensive Rebound

Four.  Four man-sized offensive rebounds.  Once a Barcelona player started their shooting motion, there was Reyes sticking his butt out and getting ready to rough some Catalans up to get four offensive rebounds.  The beauty of Reyes in these situations is his willingness to get dirty, his positioning, and then his all out fight to get the ball.  Most everyone on the court can jump higher than, but his motor to get the rebound is unparalleled.  His saving of possessions was crucial and each offensive rebound was another jab to Barcelona’s tired gut.  And eventually there were too many jabs and Barcelona was broken.  Broken courtesy of Felipe.

Marcus Slaughter On Defensive Chemistry Dominance In Fourth Quarter

Nenad Krstic got the ball in the post.  Instantly arms swarmed.  He couldn’t see, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t do anything.  Olympiacos forced any small movements into giant struggles for the CSKA big man.  He went up once for the shot, missed, and stood high above the Olympiacos players and got his rebound.  Then he brought the ball back down.  And once that ball got a sliver past Krstic’s shoulder it was over, that was Kyle Hines’ ball.  He ripped it away from Krstic, flung an outlet, and Olympiacos was on the fast break yet again.

Olympiacos beat CSKA Moscow 69 to 52 in one of the largest beat downs in Euroleague Semi-Final history.  It was an absolute deconstruction of CSKA, a team that went 23-5 in the Euroleague this year.  And Hines ripping the ball away from Krstic in a straight struggle of “who wants it more” was a microcosm of how things went all game.  From the opening tip Olympiacos showed the heart, passion, and chemistry you expect from a Final Four team.  For CSKA it looked like a pre-season game.  There are many different tactical and strategic moves that buried CSKA, but it was their true lack of heart in a time when you need it most that ruined them from the start.

Right away Olympiacos looked to set the tempo.  They pushed the ball up and down the court, attacking the rim whenever possible.  CSKA had extreme problems staying in front of their men and just about every player on Olympiacos had dribble drive lanes.  Once in the lane, CSKA’s rim protectors (Sasha Kaun and Nenad Krstic) were unable to stop the likes of Acie Law, Kostas Papanikolaou, Vassilis Spanoulis, and Georgios Printezis from finishing.

Finishing.  After this game if you look up the word finishing in a Greek dictionary it will simply read “Kyle Hines” underneath it.  Hines played a super human game against a group of CSKA big men who are bigger, longer, and held him to zero points and four rebounds in last year’s Championship game.  Finishing with 13 points and ten rebounds, Hines played with a different type of strength tonight, the strength of one of the most unique players you will ever see on a basketball court.  Standing at 6’5″ against CSKA’s seven-footers Hines drove on them, hammered the offensive glass, scooped layups around them, and took post position at will.  Olympiacos, as Coach Bartzokas said after the game, “played together”, but it was on the wide, wide calves of Kyle Hines that made that togetherness look so sweet.

Winning by 17 in a Final Four game is a massive feat.  Every Olympiacos player believed in each other and possession by possession they sucked the will to win out of CSKA.  Whether it was Hines rebounds, Kostas Sloukas treys, Papanikolaou dunks, or Pero Antic jumpers, Olympiacos throughly drained CSKA of any talent they seemed to possess.

Heart and hard work.  Two pillars of Olympiacos the past two years shown through tonight and now they are on their way to Final Four Sunday to defend their Euroleague crown.

What Went Wrong For CSKA

I can’t believe I’m about to say something positive about Milos Teodosic right now but, here goes nothing: at least Milos Teodosic wanted to lose the game for CSKA Moscow.

Or something like that.

A bad as Teodosic was down the stretch in let season’s final, he certainly found a way to outdo himself for a full 40 minutes tonight.  But lost in his selfish heaves and miscalculated butchery of the point guard position today is the fact that nobody made it stop. Nobody ever took steps toward Milos and demanded the ball, demanded some sensical possessions.

Last season it was MVP Andrei Kirilenko who shouldered some co-blame for letting Olympiacos creep back into it, and he should have.  Tonight, I look at Khryapa and wonder why he doesn’t yet have the authority to pull Milos to the side and say Listen, dude, this shit needs to stop.  Give it to me at the top of the key and go drift somewhere empty.

CSKA’s at their best when Khryapa can catch and analyze from the top of the key, and CSKA just could not—or would not—run enough possessions through Viktor.  That means Hines and Shermadini and Powell can stick a body on CSKA’s bigs without having to commit to Khryapa’s drives.   Without interior defenders drifting from their assignments, passing lanes shrink and open shots are few and far between.

And when you’re not even making the good looks, life takes a downward turn.

But props to Vladimir Micov though, for hitting that three and getting CSKA into the 50s.  Something to build on for next year.

You’ve Been Sloukas-ed

As I wrote earlier this week, Kostas Sloukas had a chance to have a “Papanikolaou like performance” this weekend.  He finished the game with five points, four rebounds, and three assists, and certainly came close in an underrated sort of way.  What made this game special for Sloukas though was how hard he worked on defensive and how under control he was on offense.

Guarding an array of CSKA guards including Milos Teodosic, Sloukas hounded them on the perimeter but most importantly pushed and scrummed like a true veteran when switched on to a big in the pick and roll.  He was determined to not let the mismatch happen.  On offense he looked so calm and comfortable it set the tone for Olympiacos when Spanoulis needed a breather.  And a couple times when the Olympiacos offense needed a boost, he was there to swish his trademark lefty jumper.  After Hines, no one worked harder tonight.

Post Game Video: Kyles Hines On Dominating CSKA Moscow

Video

Wallace has been hurt but according to him he’s “not 100%” but ready to play.  So even with his elbow injury, mentally he’s ready to go.

Pocius is injured and won’t be playing in the Final Four but as an ELA favorite, we had to get him to breakdown his team’s match-up with Barcelona.

Slaughter has been a defensive genius this season.  Inside, outside, there isn’t anywhere he can’t defend.  Listen to him break it down.

Anadolu Efes shooting guard and ELA old timer Sinan Guler stopped by for a little Q&A after missing the Final Four by a game.  We talked about Olympiacos’ rambunctious fans, the All-Euroleague selections and compared Jamon Lucas’ miraculous tip-in to Kerem Tunceri’s lay-up to beat Serbia in the 2010 Worlds.

Euroleague Adventures: There’s been a lot of talk about how the wild the fans were in your series, and how wild they always are. As a player, do you feel that’s excessive, do you mind? Or are you down with a little bit of ruckus?

Sinan Guler: Well I’m used to excessive hooligans myself here in Turkey.  We have similar fans, and I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff here that compares to Greece. Not being main rivals like Panathinaikos-Olympiacos or a Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe kind of thing, we always get lucky out of that. We get less of what they usually see in those terms. But I think the rivalry between Turks and Greeks riled them up a little bit. And other than that until the part where they started throwing little small ‘crackers or…whatever, making sounds, up to the point I think everything was great, but then everybody was thinking ‘OK, maybe this is getting a bit too crazy.’

ELA: Did you get hit by anything yourself?

Guler: No, nothing got onto the court but they pretty much had sound bombs. Making some crazy sounds. It comes to the point where it’s a part of sports. I know American sports aren’t accustomed to that compared to Europe. But I’ve seen crazy shit, to be honest, in Europe. In soccer and in basketball, I’ve seen pretty much everything, so I’m used to it. I can say that.

ELA: I’m not out there, so I’m not qualified to talk. But I kind of like it. I think it’s what makes Euroleague, Euroleague.

Guler: The main thing is for that–I kind of missed out on the part where you asked if I feed off of it–yes, I do feed off of it. I like the way the fans interact with the game. I think the main difference between European sorts and American sports is Americans need some kind of incentive outside of what happens on the court. Especially in the NBA, it’s like they want to listen to something to participate in the game. In Europe, fans do that for you. Especially the fans of teams ike Olympaicos, Partizan, I don’t know, the three big clubs in Turkey (Galatasaray, Fenerbaçe Ülker, and Besiktas), when they do something, they know what they’re doing. They know to affect the game, and I’ve seen that enough–numerous times. It’s an amazing effect, what they can do. It’s similar to what college games are all about in the United States.

ELA: Obviously home court was huge in your series with Olympiacos. Also huge back in 2010 when y’all were at the World Championships. Compare these shots for me: Kerem Tunceri’s in 2010 to beat Serbia and advance to the finals:

…and Jamon Lucas’ tip to beat Olympiacos in game four:

Guler: When you look at it, those shots helped me play the most exciting games of my career in national level and club level so far. That’s the great comparison. Other than that, Jamon’s shot was a miracle to be honest, when you watch it again and again and again. His big hands just make everything possible and brought us the fifth game.

But I don’t think—I think I was even more, like—I can’t even explain the excitement I had in 2010 when Captain laid it up and we went to the final to play the United States.

ELA: So you were out there, Tunceri was out there and Dusko Savanovic. All y’all were out there for both those shots, right?

Guler: Yes, yes, yes. Yes. And we still give a lot of crap to Savanovic everyday for that. Savanovic is pretty much my best friend on the team right now, and we talk about that game a lot. He uh, he gets pretty pissed about it.

ELA: You’ve been on some teams the past couple years that folks have talked about, even said you could maybe make a run at the playoffs and be dangerous if you were healthy.  It never really happened. What’s the biggest difference between those teams you played on and this Efes team that won seven straight in the Top 16 and came a game short of the Final Four?

Guler: The main thing is we’re more together. We know what to do and we have enough players on the court that keep the wheels turning. For example, I think Jamon Lucas, his approach to the game and his attitude to the game is unbelievable. His defensive talent and his defensive toughness I think helped us a lot to creat synergy throughout and play similar defense. It’s like when I first came to Efes, my first year and we became the Turkish champions. If you find three, four good guys who play good defense and show what to do on the court then kind of like a virus, it moves around to the other players. It’s contagious.

ELA: My last question here. The All-Euroleague selections have come out and there’s no Efes representation. What do you think about that?

Guler: I think if we were in the Final Four that would be a different question. Did they already announce both teams?

[I read him the names]

I mean those are ten great people. Again, I think if we were in the Final Four then for sure Jamon would be there. And of course Jordan Farmar, too. But I think it’s a fair choice at this point, and hopefully next year we’ll get to the Final Four and we’ll have some players on there also.