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2023-24 Roster Rundown: Real Madrid

2023-24 Roster Rundown: Real Madrid

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20 September 20236 Mins read

Last season went as good as it possibly could have gone for Real Madrid, with Los Blancos winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the 11th time. In Chus Mateo's first year as head coach, the former assistant to Pablo Laso guided Real through a tricky playoff series against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade before knocking off FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus at the Final Four. Expectations are always high at Real, and the club's leaders will be expecting the team to lift the club's 12th EuroLeague title in Berlin, Germany, next May.

BACKCOURT

Sergio Rodriguez showed in last year's postseason that, despite celebrating his 37th birthday over the summer, he can still affect games at the very highest level. At the 2023 Final Four, El Chacho brought his A-game, averaging 13.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals across the semifinals and the championship game. Another veteran who still has the clutch gene is Sergio Llull, who scored the championship-winning basket last season. The 35-year-old posted 6.1 points per night in the 2022-23 campaign, the lowest average of his career, but he is still entrusted to step up with big shots in late-game situations.

During last season, Real was strongly linked with a move for Facu Campazzo, but in the end the Argentine's return to WiZink Center had to wait until this summer. Campazzo, who won two EuroLeague titles with Real in his first stint at the club, brings his highlight-reel plays back to the club and further strengthens what was already a very strong roster. Carlos Alocen, 22, fills out Los Blancos' hopes to regain an important playmaking role after returning from injury.

There may just be four natural guards in Real's backcourt , but there are several swingmen who can also play at the "two" position: Dzanan Musa, Fabien Causeur, Rudy Fernandez and Alberto Abalde. In his first EuroLeague season as a full-time starter, and his first campaign at Real, Musa shined with a team-high average of 14.8 points per game. Causeur, meanwhile, averaged a career-low 4.0 points per night, but he came up big – as he often does – in the championship game with 11 points. The 38-year-old Fernandez also posted a career-low of 4.3 points per contest last season and was there using his experience and game smarts when it counted most in the championship game. Abalde had a limited role last year, which he plans to build on.

FRONTCOURT

Mario Hezonja came on strong late last season and established himself as a key player for Coach Mateo, which should put him in good stead ahead of his second year as a Real player. Let's not forget just how impressive Gabriel Deck was during the 2022-23 campaign, too, as he posted career highs of 12.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. An injury prevented him from appearing in Game 5 against Partizan and then at the Final Four, so he will be determined to lead Real back to that stage once again.

Another player who missed the Final Four, as well as Games 3, 4 and 5 against Partizan, is Guerschon Yabusele. The Frenchman received a five-game ban for his part in a brawl between the two teams in Game 2, but with that suspension now served, he has the chance to put himself in the headlines for the right reasons in the coming campaign.

Starting center and EuroLeague Best Defender Walter Tavares was incredibly impressive at the Final Four with 16.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and a 29.5 PIR across the semifinal and championship game. At 31, Tavares is at the peak of his powers and should be in store for another dominant campaign. Vincent Poirier will once again act as his backup, with the Frenchman proving over the last two seasons that he is the perfect deputy for Real's Cape Verdean starter. Also, Eli Ndiaye will be looking to do his best to force his way into the starting lineup, having started both the semifinal and the championship game. The 19-year-old, who can also play at the "four" position, is highly regarded by Coach Mateo and should be given more opportunities to shine in the 2023-24 season.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Facu Campazzo is a player who is beloved by Real supporters, with the Argentine point guard wizard having established himself as one of the EuroLeague's best players during his first stint at the club. Now 32, Campazzo made his EuroLeague debut with Los Blancos in the 2014-15 season, a campaign that saw him win his first EuroLeague title.

However, it wasn’t until the 2017-18 campaign, following a two-year loan away from the club, that he began to wow the supporters at WiZink Center on a regular basis. He remained at Real until late 2020, as he played 10 games in the 2020-21 season before heading to the NBA.

Campazzo returned to the EuroLeague last season with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, averaging 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals in nine games to close the campaign. His magical play saw him quickly become a fan favorite at Zvezda, but now he returns 'home' to play for Real once again. Los Blancos won the EuroLeague last year, so bringing in Campazzo to garnish an already strong roster should make Real's games a must-watch next season.

OUTLOOK

It is hard to improve on winning the EuroLeague championship, but that's the task ahead of Real and Coach Mateo. There are not many holes in Real's roster, if any, so the expectation will be that the team once again has a season that goes all the way into May. The addition of Campazzo brings more excitement to the team, while several of Real's key players, such as Musa, Hezonja, Deck and Tavares, will be looking to build on impressive individual seasons last year. Don't be too surprised to see Real in this season's Final Four in Berlin, Germany, given the wealth of talent available to Coach Mateo.