Barcelona, February 13 (EFE).- The eight best teams from the first round of the Endesa League will meet in Malaga from February 15 to 19 to compete for the first major title of the season, the Copa del Rey, at the Palacio de Sports José María Martín Carpena.
Real Madrid, Unicaja, Barça, Dreamland Gran Canaria, UCAM Murcia, Valencia Basket, Lenovo Tenerife and Baxi Manresa will compete in a single-match elimination tournament that will bring together a constellation of competing stars with the sole objective of lifting the precious trophy. These are some of the most notable:
–Walter Tavares. Recovered from the injury to his right ankle that kept him in dry dock from mid-January to early February, the Cape Verdean center is the great defensive argument for Real Madrid, the most successful team in the tournament, to aspire to 29th place in a competition that has resisted since 2020.
Third most valued player in the Endesa League (17.9), Tavares is a reliable rebounder (6.8) and a hammer near the rim (9.7 points), but he stands out above all for his ability to intimidate. He is also the championship’s all-time top blocker (46).
-Kendrick Perry. The electric American point guard is one of the pillars of Unicaja and the dynamic style preached by the team coached by Ibon Navarro, which is second in the Endesa League in points (87.5), assists (19.7) and recoveries (9 ).
With 10.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.1 recoveries on average per game in the championship, the Montenegrin international has played a leading role this season in the Andalusian team, which will try to retain the cup title in front of its fans.
-Jabari Parker. In his debut season in Europe, the American power forward has shown that injuries are a thing of the past and still treasures the talent that led him to be chosen second in the NBA draft in 2014.
Reliable in his outside shot (40.3%), powerful in transition and with resources to generate his own shots, Parker is a player who thrives in tight finishes and the most self-sufficient scorer (10.8 points) for Barça, who aspires to equal Real Madrid as the most successful team in the Copa del Rey with 28 titles.
– Nico Brussino. In his third season at Dreamland Gran Canaria, the Argentine forward has consolidated his status as leader of the yellow team, beating his best averages in points (12.7), rebounds (4.7) and efficiency (14.6) in the Endesa League.
– Dylan Ennis. The Canadian shooting guard has landed on his feet at UCAM Murcia, where in a few months he has established himself as a reference. Top scorer (15) and assistant (1.4) of the team, he also contributes effort and recoveries (1.1) to one of the most physical teams, the one that steals the most balls in the Endesa League (9.8).
–Chris Jones. In the team designed by Álex Mumbrú, the point guard is the free verse and the main offensive argument with the ball in his hands. Beyond scoring (11.6), the American is also the team’s top assister (3.5) and rebounder (1.4).
– Marcelinho Huertas. Turning 41, the veteran Brazilian point guard continues to set the pace for Lenovo Tenerife, of which he is the top scorer (14), and will arrive in Malaga as the player who distributes the most assists per game in the Endesa League (6.7). . He is also the all-time top assist in the Copa del Rey, as he has accumulated 151 basket passes.
–Devin Robinson. A cornerstone in Pedro Martínez’s schemes, the explosive power forward will face his first Copa del Rey with the challenge of maintaining the excellent performance that has established him as the most used player, the top scorer (14.1) and the top rebounder (5.6) from Baxi Manresa.
By: EFE
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2024-02-13 09:29:08
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