Javier Gancedo goes into what makes Valencia the favorite, not just in its series against Hapoel Tel Aviv but also overall
Why Valencia can win the EuroCup
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3 Mins read
Sometimes, things are meant to be and the best team takes home the trophy. It's as simple as that.
Valencia Basket has consistently proved to be the best team in the BKT EuroCup this year. It comes into the semifinals with just two losses to its name, which came when the team was already on the right track to be first in its regular-season group. It has dominated the competition in style, playing great basketball. It has scored 100 points or more in 11 of its 19 games this season and even reached 127 points in the Spanish League this past weekend, a new club record. Good momentum is everything in a playoff series, and Valencia heads into the most decisive games of the season at full speed.
Sure, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has the star power and a two-time EuroLeague-winning coach like Dimitris Itoudis. It managed to bounce back from Patrick Beverley's departure by bringing back homegrown hero Yam Madar, a former EuroLeague Rising Star award winner. Valencia has everything else in its favor: know-how, depth and home-court advantage.
This is Valencia's 10th EuroCup semifinal appearance and it is aiming to lift its fifth title. No other team has won the EuroCup more than twice. Every time Valencia played a semifinal under the current format, it went through: against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem in 2017 and UNICS Kazan in 2019. Valencia means serious business when is this close to the goal.
Valencia has a really deep roster and the fact that I didn't mention any of its players until now is not a coincidence. Anyone can step up and contribute. As many as nine players average over 7.0 points per game, led by small forward Semi Ojeleye (12.8 ppg.). Matt Costello and Jean Montero have stepped up in recent games, but it could be just anyone. Hapoel has very well-defined scoring options and in that sense, coach Pedro Martinez's team is way more unpredictable... in a good way.
Home-court advantage means a lot to Valencia as it has won 86.6% of all EuroCup games played at La Fonteta. Only four teams have ever beaten Valencia in postseason action: Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in the 2013 semifinals, Khimki Moscow Region in the 2015 quarterfinals, Unicaja Malaga in Game 3 of the 2017 Finals and Virtus Bologna in the 2022 semifinals. Valencia rarely loses at home, and it has an extra motivation.
At the end of this season, the club will move to the bigger, brand-new Roig Arena. There is no better way to say goodbye to La Fonteta than winning the EuroCup and opening Roig Arena in the EuroLeague, the best stage possible.
Coach Martinez is looking to reach his third EuroCup Finals. In 2008, his Akasvayu Girona side lost against Joventut Badalona in Turin, Italy. In 2017, his Valencia squad had everything in their favor, leading by 13 points with 9 minutes left but ended up losing a do-or-die Game 3 against Unicaja Malaga. This is the kind of painful memory that never goes away, and I think Valencia can use it as an extra motivation, like it did in the 2019 Finals against ALBA Berlin. Given Valencia's strength at home, it is unlikely that it loses twice against any opponent this season.
If you want numbers, Valencia has them all. It leads the competition in scoring (96.5 ppg.), defensive rebounds (27.7 drpg.), assists (23.6 apg.), three-point shots attempted (34.6) and accuracy (39.1% 3FG). The faster Valencia plays the better chance it has to win, and with such depth and physicality, it will make sure to speed up the game tempo as often as possible.
Four excellent teams made it to the EuroCup Semifinals and any of them could lift the trophy at the end of the season. But, personally, I would be surprised if that team is not Valencia.