By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
Sports, in general, are characterized by their impatient nature. Success is fleeting, and the focus is on the final result. This need to show what one is capable of, to satisfy the fans and meet expectations, is even bigger in the top-level basketball that is the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. And, many times, it’s difficult to grow amidst doubts, to develop while being surrounded by murmurs that question your quality.
Against many odds, Real Madrid guard Andres Feliz has done it.
Months of inconsistency, a sort of ostracism at end of the bench, had defined Feliz’s run with Madrid for the large part of the season After a year full of confidence at Joventut Badalona, the Dominican point guard arrived in the Spanish capital not only to wear a jersey that weighs as heavily as few others, but also perform at the level of those who occupied his position in previous seasons. In other words, to become a valuable member of a championship-aspiring team.
The “Tiger of Guachupita” didn’t get off to a good start. He found it difficult to fit into the team’s dynamic, struggling to make the transition from being a starter at Joventut to having a lesser role off the bench with Los Blancos. Two additional reasons why his game didn’t translate to his new surroundings were what looked like a lack of self-confidence and trying to do a couple of things on the floor that didn’t fit his style.
Real Madrid itself was in a state of transition, as legends like Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez are now retired and absent from the locker room. The team is certainly rebuilding for the future while the obligation to win in the present is as demanding as ever. A peculiar environment compared to previous seasons while Feliz tried to define himself and become an important member of this storied team.
The games against Crvena Zvezda and Paris Basketball that confirmed the change
Feliz’s true metamorphosis has arrived in recent weeks and during the most important stretch of the season. It has been marked by an improvement in different areas of the game.
Belgrade was the key to the transformation, the moment of a change of direction, and the clear demonstration that, even if it didn’t initially seem to be the case, the Feliz who dazzled in Green and Black is still here.
He played key minutes in the fourth period of a crucial game for Real Madrid against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, scoring points and creating before fouling out with 6:28 remaining and his team up 50-61. Overall, he pulled the squad out of the fire on several occasions and carried Los Blancos on his shoulders during multiple possessions.
In the EuroLeague, Feliz had never scored more than 9 points until Round 20, which came in a big win at Zalgiris Kaunas. In the last few games, he has matched or surpassed that figure, capping his recent solid stretch with a season-high 15 points in a crucial clash and very close victory over the ever-dangerous Paris Basketball.
Feliz’s gradual growth within Chus Mateo’s system is also credited to his attitude and mindset, both of which are completely different from what he had previously displayed.
Able to guard players like Isaiah Canaan, TJ Shorts, and Theo Maledon when the ball is hot and applying heaps of pressure on the opposing guards, Feliz has earned his place in the rotation with both his legs and courage. At a time when star guard Facu Campazzo hasn’t been the best version of himself the last couple of weeks, it’s not unreasonable to predict that Feliz’s importance and role will increase as the days go by.
The game against Paris could be a defining one for Feliz. He was entrusted to be on the floor during the last six minutes and helped Madrid build a 96-86 advantage with 2:49 to go, a lead that proved to be decisive in crunch time. He was the highest-scoring guard of the team with his 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.
More importance and more solutions
Feliz’s growing importance translates into minutes. In the last five EuroLeague games, he’s averaged 18.5 minutes on the court, double the number (9.3) he had in the previous 28 contests. In the most important stretch of the season, when Los Blancos are playing for a playoff spot, things are going well with him on the court. These five games have resulted in five wins.
Adapting to sharing the court with Facu, Feliz occasionally provides Coach Mateo with a solution at the ‘2’ spot, as we saw in the final quarter against Paris Basketball. With Dzanan Musa’s irreplaceable presence and Xavier Rathan-Mayes not included in most of the rotation plans, another off-ball player could be key to solving some of the team’s struggles to get additional contribution from the guard position.
His well-known penetrations, his ability to find Edy Tavares, Bruno Fernando, or Serge Ibaka when the screen comes and the pick ‘n’ roll is initiated, and his physicality on defense speak for themselves. He fits in with the unselfish philosophy of the highest level, always finds his teammates, and sometimes becomes a valuable resource in one-on-one situations.
The arrival of Dennis Smith Jr. could have raised doubts about Feliz’s continuity or impact on the court, but it only strengthened the Dominican’s determination, as he is unleashing the tiger within him. A metamorphosis not often seen so rapidly in elite sport, much less on a Real Madrid team that, obviously, demands results and the best in every game. Because effort is not negotiable, and Feliz has understood this perfectly.