The Blaugrana are looking to make their fourth straight Final Four appearance
Case for the Final Four: FC Barcelona
Artículo
4 Min lectura
Can we make it simple? FC Barcelona currently has the second-best record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. And could be about to add Ricky Rubio. 'Nuff said.
A championship-caliber roster
Let’s dig a little deeper. The starting point is that Barcelona knows what it takes to get to the Final Four. It has been to three in a row and brings back nine players from last season, including seven who featured in the Final Four. The most significant change from last year is at head coach, though Roger Grimau brings with him championship-winning experience as a player. Among the key additions to last season’s roster, Willy Hernangomez, Jabari Parker and Dario Brizuela have all delivered some of their best games since the calendar switched to 2024, showing that they – and, as a result, the team – are trending up.
So far, so good
Barca is second in the league with an 18-8 record. The last time a team finished in the top two in the standings and did not reach the Final Four was… never. This is the eighth season under the current round-robin format and every team to finish the regular season in first or second place has won its playoff series and reached the Final Four. Barcelona has a two-game gap over the teams tied for third.
The one-two punch in the paint
The success has come following a simple plan: Use its powerful frontline to wear down opponents. Barcelona, which is second in the league in average PIR (95.6), leads the league in two-pointers made (22.2 per game), is third in rebounding (36.1 rpg.) and tied for third in assists (19.3 apg.). All that despite not having a player in the top 20 in rebounds and with its assist leader, Nicolas Laprovittola, ranking 10th (5.1 apg.).
The duo of Jan Vesely and Hernangomez is as good a center pairing as there is in the league. Vesely leads the charts with 5.0 two-point baskets per game and Hernangomez is eighth with 4.2. On a per-minute basis, Hernangomez leads the league (10.0 over 40 minutes) and Vesely is second (9.6), which means that opposing defenses must always account for them inside – and that creates opportunities elsewhere. But it’s not just about their scoring threat; Hernangomez is the league leader in per-minute PIR (31.7 over 40 minutes) and Vesely is second (31.5).
Palau Blaugrana excellence
Barcelona has won six straight home games and is 13-1 at Palau Blaugrana this season. Its lone home loss came in Round 14 against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Among the teams currently in the top 10 in the standings, Barcelona has a 7-0 record with games remaining against AS Monaco and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. With such an outstanding home-court record, as long as Coach Grimau’s men finish the regular season in fourth place or higher, they will have a huge home-court advantage.
Is Rubio going to play?
All signs are pointing to yes, especially after he returned to action with the Spanish national team on Thursday night. Alex Abrines, who has played alongside Rubio for Spain in the past and has been practicing with him in recent weeks with Barca, dropped a teaser in a recent interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 by saying that playing in Round 27 against Monaco is “the idea [Rubio] has in mind.”
Assuming that’s true, what does Rubio bring to the table? In his first appearance with Spain against Latvia, Rubio looked quite rusty early before picking up the pace late and finishing with 11 points and 5 assists. Not too shabby for his first game in nearly a year.
It may not be fair to expect him to step in and play major minutes right away for Barcelona, but when on the floor, Rubio brings premier playmaking ability. He has always been a fantastic penetrator and a wiz at breaking down defenses. Rubio should be able to help all those around him get good looks, whether in the halfcourt or in transition, and his defense has always been top-notch. The odds are that as the season continues, Rubio’s role will grow, which could make Barcelona a lot more dangerous come the playoffs.