AXA FC Barcelona in Top 16 phase of Basketball Euroleague
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
AXA FC Barcelona will play in Group G of Top 16 phase together with CSKA Moscow, Unicaja Malaga and Lottomatica Rome and knows it is time to give its best from now on. The team overcame injuries and a slow start to finish third in Group C of first phase right behind Panathinaikos and Real Madrid. Coach Ivanovic has been loyal to his style of basketball, featuring intense man-to-man defence and a patient offensive based on a rock-solid attack and the inspiration of a star-flooded defence. As such, Barcelona enters the Top 16 as one of the best teams in two-point percentage and assists. Barcelona found a reference player in Roger Grimau, whose aggressiveness, intensity and superb driving skills has allowed players like Gianluca Basile or Jaka Lakovic to get more open shots throughout the season. Lakovic has been more comfortable playing shooting guard alongside pass-first playmaker Pepe Sanchez, who has tried to keep everyone happy with his superb court vision. Players like Ersan Ilyasova and Alex Acker have not lived up to the big expectations, however, but they have the most important games ahead of them to prove all the critics wrong. Acker and especially Ilyasova have improved in the last month of competition and are ready for more. Barcelona has had a major attack reference in Mario Kasun, who was sidelined in the final regular season games. Whether he will be fully recovered or not remains to be seen. As such, experienced big man Denis Marconato, do-it-all forward Jordi Trias and especially centre Fran Vazquez have to step up right when it matters. Above all, Barcelona has a package of experience, talent, depth and athleticism that turns the team into a potential nightmare for all its opponents. Therefore by sure that for the three matches that Barça will play at Palau tickets will be sold out.