GRANADA, Feb. 17 (from the EUROPA PRESS special envoy, Rodrigo Trascasa) –
The Basketball King’s Cup kicks off today at the Palacio de los Deportes de Granada with the first two quarter-final matches. Eight teams are seeking the title, with Barça and Real Madrid as clear favourites, but with everything to show on the floor.
The option of winning something, the atmosphere and adrenaline injected by hobbies or a lifelong love of the Alhambra, you never know what could trigger a performance to remember in the Nasrid capital. Here are eight players to watch, one from each team, just in case they get into trouble in Granada:
–GUERSCHON YABUSELE (Real Madrid). The French power forward arrived in the capital in the summer and has already won over his new fans, even managing to renew his contract. The MVP of the Euroleague in January has suffered in recent weeks from the loss of the Whites’ game, which could fuel his ambition for the Cup. Yabusele has shown quality, power and showmanship to help Laso’s inside game and also a quick transition . He is an all-rounder, a different player, one of those who make friends with the Cup.
–NICOLÁS LAPROVITTOLA (Barça). The Argentine base is sweet and is a history of the competition since in 2019 he signed 50 valuation credits with the Joventut shirt. Now, in his first season in the ranks of Barça, ‘Lapro’ continues to be an ice player, spontaneous, lethal in that characteristic triple in the race or the entry to the basket. Calathes’ injury gave him the opportunity, he has Jasikevicius’ trust and he is enjoying himself. He already messed it up once in the Cup…
–BOJAN DUBLJEVIC (Valencia Basket). The captain of the ‘taronja’ team is already a classic of the Endesa League, which he raised in 2017, and his decade of romance with the city of Turia is missing a Cup. The Montenegrin pivot leads his team in a season of change of technical, injury and COVID, both in defense and attack, where he has been adding the facet of sharing the game.
–PAU RIBAS (Joventut). At 34 years old, the Catalan base marks the pace of ‘La Penya’ in an exciting season. Carles Duran’s team embroidered the first round to be seeded in a tournament that goes hand in hand with black-and-green history. Eight titles, the last one in 2008, with Ribas in the team. After passing through Baskonia, Valencia and Barça, the one from Badalona returned home and commands with passion and gallons a new attempt to revive the cupbearer feeling.
–SYLVAIN FRANCISCO (BAXI Manresa). The French player arrived in El Bages in August as reinforcement for pre-season training and six months later he is in the ko tournament The basketball festival is how the Cup is known and it is also the definition of Pedro Martínez’s team, who he is polishing more than one diamond at Manresa. From the French Second Division to the best European league in a year and a half, Sylvain has proven his worth.
–DZANAN MUSA (Breogán River). This one was easy. The Bosnian forward is the revelation player of the season, leader in PIR and scoring in the League. Musa, who arrives hot from his PIR of 47 against Valencia, infects a recently promoted Río Breogán with talent to make a splash. The Bosnian is putting the eye of the greats of Europe on Lugo, but for now he wants to take the Lugo flag to the top of the Alhambra.
–ISAIAH TAYLOR (UCAM Murcia). The offensive leader of UCAM Murcia, second in scoring in the League, is another of the revelations of the course. His speed, self-confidence and success are key in the presence of Sito Alonso’s team in Granada, the second Cup in the club’s history 26 years later. The Murcian fans, three hours by car from the Nasrid capital, will undoubtedly give one more plus to his star.
–KYLE WILTJER (LENOVO TENERIFE). A new boy on the island, the ideal complement for Txus Vidorreta’s team, who has always liked the triple. With his 2.06, the American power forward destroys you in the paint as well as he hits you from the perimeter with the best shooting percentage in the League from the three-point line. If Tenerife reaches its first Cup final it will be because not only Huertas and Shermadini played well, it will be because of the Wiltjer factor.