What the win against Bamberg did for the Baskets – and what not

Three games within eight days: Before the basketball Bundesliga goes into its two-week international break, during which the national team will play in the two games against Israel (Friday, February 25, 1:30 p.m. in Tel Aviv and Monday, February 28, 7 p.m. in Heidelberg) wants to take a step towards the 2023 World Cup in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, s.Oliver Würzburg still has game stress. This Friday (8.30 p.m.) coach Sasa Filipovski’s team is visiting Hamburg, next Wednesday (16 February, 7 p.m.) Bonn, currently third in the table, is coming to the Main, and on the following Friday (18 February, 7 p.m.) shortly before Christmas unusual encounter at the second in Ulm made up for. The most important questions and answers about the situation of the baskets.

What did the surprise 90:89 victory against Bamberg bring?

In addition to the two important points in the fight against relegation, at first glance not so much. On the second already: The Baskets are still penultimate and therefore on a relegation zone, but with four successes they have now drawn level with the third-bottom Gießen, who played one game less. In places 15 to 13, Frankfurt is one win ahead of Würzburg, Heidelberg and MBC two. Since Wednesday and the 110:103 win in Frankfurt, taillight Oldenburg has also had four victories. Without the win against Bamberg, the Baskets would now be last. And after twelve competitive defeats in a row, the surprise certainly flattered the ego, especially since Würzburg was on the verge of losing the game like the two previous ones in the last few minutes. Ergo: New self-confidence should have been fueled.

Is that enough not only to be able to keep up in Hamburg, but also to win?

A lot of things would have to come together – at least according to human judgment. On the other hand: The Baskets have already defeated teams that are more promising three times in this round: Oldenburg (90:88), Munich (90:70), Bamberg. However, always at home. In a foreign country, they are now taking their ninth attempt (including the trophy) to pack a success in their luggage for the journey home. What the people of Würzburg definitely don’t like: The northern lights, who lost their last three Bundesliga games in Bayreuth, against Ulm and in Gießen and therefore slipped out of the play-off ranks, were also a bit Corona-stricken, but were allowed to compete internationally in this one But rest for the week because the EuroCup game against Lietkabelis Panevezys had to be postponed due to a corona outbreak among the Lithuanians. So the hosts will be well rested and prepared. Also: Your top power Caleb Homesley, who scored 22 points in the 100:88 first leg victory of the Towers in Würzburg and sank four threes, is also doing again after his apparently mild corona infection. And: At the beginning of the week, Hamburg introduced winger Trevon Bluiett, who last played for Besiktas Istanbul in the Europe Cup and is scheduled to make his debut against Würzburg. “Hamburg are a strong team that defend aggressively and are definitely the favorites on paper,” says Baskets coach Filipovski. “We have to try to prevent three points and our ball movement has to be good.” It couldn’t be more fundamentally different: Hamburg takes the most three-pointers on average in this league with almost 33 – the Baskets the fewest with a good 21 (although the success rate has recently increased).

What about the injured players?

Water level on Thursday: bad! Captain Felix Hoffmann has only been training and playing with painkillers for weeks due to a torn tendon in his foot. “At the moment, Felix is ​​basically playing with one leg. He is our leader, always gives his all and leads by example,” says Filipovski. William Buford (knee, averaging 12 points per game) and Desi Rodriguez (Achilles tendon irritation, over 13), so the two most accurate, will probably fail in Hamburg.

And what’s happening in terms of signings at center and point guard positions?

The same old routine as for weeks: nothing! At least nothing to say. Sports manager Kresimir Loncar and coach Filipovski are still looking. This week, too, the baskets were apparently about to report completion: The center Eric Buckner then canceled. Filipovski, who already had the 31-year-old under his wing in Monaco, confirmed the Baskets’ interest in the American to this editorial team. But it repeated the well-known problems again: some players waited for offers from the NBA during the season, clubs were reluctant to let players out of their contracts because of the pandemic and the uncertain corona situation, the market was pretty much empty, and ultimately it apparently failed again and again on the money. “We can’t compete there, even the bottom in the Turkish league pays more than we can,” says Filipovski. From what you hear, he makes quite high demands on newcomers – after the two ultimately unhelpful signings Tomaz Gielo and Kerron Johnson, both of whom have already (been) gone, rightly so, of course. “We need someone who can really help us and not just get a shirt number,” says the coach. Geoffrey Groselle, who was once in the service of Braunschweig and Bremerhaven, is currently said to be an issue. The 2.13 meter tall American turns 29 on Saturday and is currently under contract with Italian first division club and former Euoleague participants Fortitudo Bologna. Outlook? I don’t know anything for sure.