LEB Oro: Ten players who exceed expectations

This article is not about LEB Oro stars and it will not resonate how MoraBanc Andorra fulfills its role as favorite or how Zunder Palencia wants to dream freely, nor the great season of Carrera, Pantzar, Dos Anjos, Larsen and company. Nor is it intended to talk about veterans like Óliver Arteaga, whose DNI “lies in age”, nor about Spaniards who play a great game like Aleix Font or Miguel González, to name a few examples, or about other players who are below expectations. , being even complex to find some “revelation” in templates top when the performance of the team is choral and the trajectory of the players speaks for itself.

A few weeks ago Carlos Mirás reflected on his blog about the numerical explosion of some Spaniards and my idea is to highlight some players who, in the absence of finding a better way to express myself, “have exceeded expectations” or “are breaking down the door.” Rather than looking for a good performance or looking at projection, in most cases I have decided to base myself on continuity, directing my gaze towards the national player, with a greater tendency towards teams from the lower-middle zone, which usually remain unstressed for that reason. qualifying situation. In this way, we left out some foreign players or players with a Cotonou passport, such as Kevin Bercy, one of the positive news from Cáceres this season.

The ten names chosen

German Martinez and Manu Rodriguez
Zunder Palencia

The duo from Granada in Palencia, made up of two players who came to the second unit with two heavyweights like Wintering and Schmidt on the front line. However, they remain on the track for a good number of minutes, 20 (Martínez) and 17 (Rodríguez), being fully integrated into Rivero’s system in the upper zone. Martinez spoke a few days ago for Ideal of his change, and it is true: in addition to his defensive intensity, his shot from three and his confidence from the free kick, he has experienced a progression in his game as an organizer, assisting and creating from the start Q&A, from which practically half of his game is born (a growth data in this regard). On the other hand, Manu Rodríguez is the experience, the perfect shooter to open defenses, who responds behind and reads forward. Fully adapted to Schmidt since his time in Cáceres, the combination does not fail and the already veteran shooting guard plays a weighty role in this LEB Oro.

James Wolf
ICG Força Lleida

An injury cut short his brilliant start (17.0 points after the first two days); He came back a little short of pace, but his 20 points to his former (Cáceres World Heritage Site) mark the upward line. There could be doubts as to whether the howls of the Wolf They would have a place with so much competition and with a coach whose players must defend and attack, but Jaume has been able to adapt. A discordant note at times, he continues his learning process in decision-making, but with his innate ability to slip between defenses, score from any distance and with the words “without fear” engraved between his eyes, he will give afternoons of joy in the Espai Fruita Barris Nord.

Agustí Sans and Alo Marín
Alega Cantabria CBT Group

Putting them here maybe seems a bit of a platitude. However, that two players take the step of going down to LEB Silver and then return to Gold like that, is commendable, because not all of them achieve it. Sans is the extension of Mangas, an indispensable player (28 mi), a key player in defense, with a game that we all know, and who has made a qualitative leap in attack, breaking defenses with his 1×1, assisting or looking for the pass to the player who cuts. The magic of Alo is back: two years ago he was in Círculo Gijón as national MVP in Silver, Cantabria bet heavily on him and behind that national block he made his place, which he has made even more remarkable this season. His game is the same as always: capable of creating with the ball or moving without it, reaching the basket or threatening from the outside, recent MVP of the day, his return has been the best proof that he should not have left.

javi lopez
Melilla Sport Capital CMB

After standing out in LEB Plata, he spent a season in ACB as a third baseman, without many minutes, after which he reached Gold “to try”. Ferrando’s departure, after the end of the assignment by taroja, has left him as the starting point guard with Pablo Rodrigo as a companion. The canary is one of the best men in the Autonomous City team, exhibiting all his virtues. Base of good plant, mastery of Q&A, high pace transition, dangerous from triple. López is a base to stay and have high sights. We don’t want to lose sight of Guille Mulero’s irruption in this team, arrived from LEB Plata with the season already started and a clear candidate to be cited in the future.

Sergi Costa
BarValencia CB Almansa with Afanion

With Robinson Idehen KO due to injury, who had shown himself to be a physical and reliable pivot in the finals, our eyes must be directed towards the Catalan point guard. After he passed through the Penya structure, his departure from his comfort zone was difficult for him and, like other level point guards, he ended up in LEB Plata waiting for another new opportunity. Prat gave it to him last year and in Almansa he has confirmed all the good omens. Another mastery base of the Q&A, without fear of having the ball in hot moments, looking for assistance and being dangerous from the triple, especially from the left side. In a year where in Almansa there were several bets to take a step forward, Costa stands out for his safety, skill and reading of the game.

Marc Penarroya
Alimerka Oviedo Basketball

A very young player, from 2002, he came from a difficult first season in Oro, as it was the debut season and the relegation season for Palma. In fact, at the beginning of this course he was still in the discipline of Manresa pending loan. The debacle in the form of injuries to the Asturian team made him arrive in the midst of a spiral of negative results, but with his work he has managed to go from temporary to key player in Poch’s squad. In addition to the defensive work that they ask of him, his arrival has freed Crouch (more comfortable of two) and Peñarroya himself has been free to assume command, pace of play and create as a generator. Very consistent in the game Q&A and reliable from midrange with his trademark shot after the dribble, he doubles his averages and has shown that he is confidently a top performer. We insist: still very young, we must not lose track of him.

ivan aurrecoechea
Good Arenas Albacete Basket

Together with the dynamic point guard Blat, he had already been mentioned by Carlos Mirás in the article reviewed at the beginning. Pecháček’s departure left the five orphaned and, without a substitute these months, the one from Torrejón, after two years out after his NCAA tour, took “the bull by the horns”, along with Juanjo Santana who is also performing at a high level . The game of aurre is the same as always: contact, posting, footwork, attacking the offensive rebound, movements without the ball and aggressiveness in the roller. He still has to iron out the rough edges of his game, improve from the free throw line as a player who takes a lot of free kicks, but no one doubts that in this “military service” he has scored highly.

Manex Ansorregi
Juaristi ISB

The Basque squad is having a hard time finding an identity and building a stronghold in their fiefdom, but the youngster from 2002 continues to produce. Not even not having the surprise factor anymore has influenced his off-road game, very upright in his actions, skilful in the post game, aggressive on the rebound, skilful without the ball… His wrist will mark his limit, but that intensity that he prints on both sides of the track will certainly open doors for you.