By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Competing in the Regular Season of the Basketball Champions League for the first time in team history, Joventut Badalona was immediately included among the frontrunners to contend for the championship in Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL. Looking to meet those expectations, a 3-0 start in Group C has similarities to the introductions of Iberostar Tenerife and Unicaja. Both fellow ACB participants went on to be crowned champions, but there is a catch.
In Gameday 3, the team coached by Daniel Miret was comfortable in defeating Bursaspor. The difference settled at 27 points, making it three in a row on victories by a margin higher than 15 points, following triumphs in Gameday 2 against Hapoel Netanel Holon and Gameday 1 against Cholet.
“I think we deserved this victory from the beginning. We set the tone, and a very good standard from the defense, being focused on their strengths, best players,” said 40-year-old play-caller Miret in the postgame press conference.
“When we defend like that, it makes the offense really easier. I think we had a great mentality,” mentioned 23-year-old Dutch winger Yannick Kraag.
Looking back, only Unicaja in 2021 and Tenerife in 2016 previously started their respective BCL journeys with three straight wins by a margin higher than 15 points.
Championship runs
On the first occasion, back in the inaugural edition of the Champions League, Tenerife wrapped up the Regular Season at 11-3 to rank first in Group D. After eliminating PAOK in the Round of 16 and ASVEL in the Quarterfinals, Txus Vidorreta’s side defeated Umana Reyer Venice and Banvit to prevail in the season-ending Final Four held in Santiago Martin Arena. Five years later, they captured the second title in team history.
The second case featured Unicaja topping Group C of the Regular Season with a 4-2 run, advancing as the second seed of Round of 16 Group K, and being eliminated by BAXI Manresa in the Quarterfinals. The titles started two years later for the reigning back-to-back champions.
Considering the above, Badalona and Ricky Rubio can be on the way to winning the BCL as well, either in the current or future seasons. With the 35-year-old point guard up to 10.7 points and 4.0 assists per contest over the first three appearances in the top-tier club continental competition of FIBA Europe, he is certainly focusing on getting the job done this year.
Here is the catch
“We are happy with what we saw, but we want to continue with this mood,” stressed Miret, talking about the team’s performance on Wednesday.
At the midway point of a six-game double-legged round-robin schedule, the latest, more than solid, 3-0 start has yet to secure anything at all. La Penya would require more success to advance to the Round of 16 as the top seed or get a second opportunity in a best-of-three series as the second or third seed. From there to another six-game sprint for a ticket to the Quarterfinals, from there to the Final Four, and from there to a championship. Especially with an expanded field of contenders in the 2025-26 season, it is way too early to place Badalona above the rest. Such streaks create momentum and can prove crucial, but on the other hand, history and previous similar achievements do not play basketball.
The peculiar observation on those impressive beginnings of Tenerife and Unicaja is that both sides lost their fourth game, opposite SIG Strasbourg at home and JDA Dijon on the road! Finally, some good news for Bursaspor heading to a return meeting against Badalona in Tofas Arena on November 5.