By Stathis Trapezanlidis/ info@eurohoops.net
Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin will clash in BEKO BBL finals in a series with so many peculiarities that even the protagonists themselves could not have imagined. Players, managers and clubs face their past, which they have to overcome in order to achieve their goal.
First of all, Svetislav Pesic, will compete against the team he spent seven years as a coach and won four German league championships! He wants to lead Bayern Munich to first championship since 1955, the second of the two basketball titles (1953) the club has won before half a century.
On the opposite bench there’s Sasa Obradovic, whom Pesic brought in Berlin in 1994 – as a player then – and had under his guidance for three seasons! Obradovic is back as a coach in his second home – as he said a few days ago in Eurohoops – and he wants to lead Alba Berlin again to the top!
That’s just the start. Four players of Bayern (Schaffartzik, Djedovic, Ibdihi, Thompson) last season played for Berlin, while three more (Staiger, Green, Taylor) have also played for Alba in the past. Bayern is exploiting the current financial situation of both teams. Last summer they made those transfers and laid the foundations in order to create a BEKO BBL dynasty.
At the beginning of the season everyone could say that Bayern Munich would be in BEKO BBL Finals, but no one could imagine that Alba Berlin, which has won in the past 8 championship titles (1997-2003, 2008) would be now in this position. Nevertheless, Berlin improved drastically during the season – especially after January – and managed to finish third in regular season.
Sven Schultze, Berlin’s captain, is undoubtedly one of the faces of this series, not so much for his role in the game for Alba. but for his stature and personal history for German basketball (the same applies to Green from Bayern Munich). On the other side he will find a coach, with whom he collaborated in the beginning of his career as a kid and from whom – as he said – learned too much and of course the two league titles he won under him.
Bayern Munich is the favorite of this series. Apart from the home advantage, Bayern has more quality in its roster – something proven in Euroleague’s Top16 – but who can be sure about the winner in a final series like this? In addition to, Bayern Munich has to handle the pressure of being the favorite, while Berlin’s players are already successful and they want as an underdog to achieve the upset of the year!
What we expect to see is Bayern Munich, which has greater talent specially in the offensive end, to push the tempo, in order to have many possessions. On the other side, Alba Berlin has the best defense in the league, that’s how they will try to control the game and probably slow down the tempo.
And why have to note that Alba Berlin has already won two titles this year (cups), while it also won both games against Bayern Munich in regular season. In the first game at Berlin, Alba became the first team to beat Bayern this season (94-74), while in Munich Alba won again (80-72) in a game that couldn’t make a difference in the final standings.
The MVP for Bayern Munich – and probably for the league too- is undoubtedly Malcom Delaney (11.4 p, 4.4 as, 3.2 reb, 46.8% 2p, 33.6% 3p, 87.1% 1p ). It’s his best season, he has matured in many aspects of his game and as result, this summer he will be one of the hottest names in the European basketball market.
On the other side, Reggie Redding (12.7 p, 4.6 reb, 3.5 as, 55% 2p, 37% 3p , 81.2% 1p) is the court leader of Alba Berlin, he contributes almost in ever part of his team’s game and he is also the player who will take the ball in his hands during crunch time.
Both teams this season had a successful presence in European competitions. Bayern Munich qualified to the Euroleague Top 16 and almost made it to the play offs, while Berlin defeated from eventual champion Valencia in Eurocup’s quarterfinals.
Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin’s numbers:
Bayern Munich (2 championships, 1954, 1955):
29-5 record
Best offensive team in regular season (2940 points, 86.5 per game)
Best away game record (14-3)
They shoot: 37% 3p, 38% 2p
Per game: 17.2 as, 6.6 st, 11 t, 38.1 r, 2.4 b
Alba Berlin (8 championships, 1997-2003, 2008):
27-7 record
Best Defense (2375 points, 69.8 per game)
Best home game record (16-1)
They shoot: 35% 3π, 44% 2π
Per game: 15.5 as, 6.4 st, 13.2 t, 36.5 r, 2.5 b.