ALBA gets preseason camp going

ALBA Berlin was another Turkish Airlines EuroLeague club that hit the hardwood to start getting ready for a new season with the start of its training camp on Thursday. ALBA ranked 16th overall last season with an 11-23 record and underwent substantial roster changes in the off-season. ALBA has put together a very young, talented roster that should get its fans excited, led by third-year head coach Israel Gonzalez.

See ALBA's 2023-24 EuroLeague Games to Watch

World Cup absentees

ALBA has started its preseason camp without five players who are competing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup: forward Gabriele Procida and combo guard Matteo Spagnolo with Italy, center Yanni Wetzell with New Zealand, center Johannes Theimann with Germany and point guard Ziga Samar with Slovenia. Spagnolo is one of the team's four true newcomers. Matt Thomas, Justin Bean and Sterling Brown, who are already practicing with the team, are the other three. Samar returns to ALBA from having been loaned last season to EuroCup side Veolia Towers Hamburg.

As such, some of ALBA's youngest players have a golden chance to impress Coach Gonzalez in these opening days. Malte Delow is fully established in ALBA's rotation, Kresimir Nikic is also back after a season on loan, and Elias Rapieque has been promoted to the first squad. ALBA's most experienced players – like Jonas Mattisseck, Louis Olinde, Tim Schneider and Christ Koumadje – are set to play an important role early on to establish a good team chemistry.

Preseason schedule

ALBA has scheduled a first preseason game against Hamburg on Sunday, September 3 at MBS Arena in Oranienburg. A week later, ALBA plays on the road against Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. Up next, ALBA plays a four-team preseason tournament, the MagentaSport Cup 2023 in Munich, with three other Turkish Airlines EuroLeague teams: FC Bayern Munich, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Virtus Segafredo Bologna. ALBA opens the EuroLeague season playing the German derby on the road against Bayern at BMW Park on October 5.