Slovenian sensation Jaka Lakovic has signed on with Regal Barcelona for two more years. Having reached the Euroleague Final Four and liffting the ACB championships, Barca have handed the shooter a new deal – the perfect tonic ahead of Poland.
GB Group opponents and Gold Medal favourites Spain have revealed their warm-up schedule ahead of Poland – including a game against GB who will play in the Madrid tournament
14/08 España-Cuba (19.30)
Torneo de Madrid (Palacio de Deportes)
19/08 España-Lithuania (20.30 h)
20/08 España-Slovenia (20.30 h)
21/08 España-Great Britain (20.30 h)
Torneo de Zaragoza (Pabellón Príncipe Felipe)
26/08 España-Israel (20.30 h)
27/08 España-Poland (20.30 h)
30/08 España-Irán (20.30 h)
03/09: Lithuania-España (19.30 h)
Worthing Thunder have appointed Dave Titmuss as their head coach for the 2009-10 BBL season.
Titmuss joins the Thunder from Reading Rockets, who he coached to a perfect season in 2008-9, and he is also a former Great Britain Paralympic coach.
Titmuss said: “It is going to be tough. But if the guys commit to doing what it takes to win, then we’ll have a team the supporters can be proud of.”
Great Britain veteran Nate Reinking will stay with his national team coach Chris Finch for another season after Mons revealed the shooter will be with Mons for the 2009/10 season.
The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have extended a qualifying offer to restricted free-agent forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.
In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its rights of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent it must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal in favour of the NBA team for which the player last played.
Mensah-Bonsu averaged 5.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 13.8 minutes in 19 games with the Raptors. He was signed as a free agent by Toronto on March 6.
If Great Britain center Joel Freeland decides his best option is staying at Gran Canaria, he will be working under a new coach after the club decided to bring Pedro Martinez back to the Island. The Coach worked a miracle at Cajasol last season to salvage a car wreck of a season and keep Seville in the Spanish top flight but was replaced last week by ousted Real Madrid play-caller Joan Plaza. Martinez replaces Salvo Maldonato in Granca who ironically had guided Freeland and the team into the play-offs and one of their best ever finishes in their history.
However as we EXCLUSIVELY revealed weeks ago, we believe Freeland will be on the move to Unicaja to link up with National team-mate Robert Archibald
29/06/09 Paul Nilsen Malaga: As I picked up the Marca (sports) newspaper in Andalucia this morning the news of Sergio Scariolos squad had already broken and the 12 players heading to Poland were accurately revealed. As I travelled back to the UK I pondered over how strong this Spanish team actually is – after all, they are the favourites and gold medallists.
A few things struck me.
Firstly, Scariolo recently assessed his team and said that there was a concern over the 3 spot. Now that was an understatement to say the least. Having Alex Mumbru as your main guy is not good. He has not let anybody down in a national team vest but has been below par with the Whites in Madrid all season.
Secondly, the backcourt is not as strong as it should be. Without Calderon they are weakened significantly. Rubio is a potential NBA star but at this level is still very much a beginner while Cabezas has been out injured and Lopez is experienced but pedestrian at best. Navarro is a good bet for Eurobasket MVP but there is not a lot of three point shooting outside of ‘La Bomba’. Cabezas and Rubio both like to penetrate while Lopez (who incidentally is being bombed by Real Madrid) is in my opinion a good passer and can make an occassional shot – and that is it. I rate the back up guys that Scariolo has in the likes of Saul Blanco of Fuenlabrada who could solve that perimeter problem if an injury arises.
Finally I am intrigued by the decision of Fran Vazquez to not make himself available for Poland. Perhaps it is just me but the timing is a little suspect to say the least. He wants to be in and then as soon as Pau apparently reverses his decision and declares he will probably go, Vazquez withdraws, I think, merely to save face in case he was again omitted. Interestingly a journalist in Marca absolutely slaughtered him for his decision and it is easy to see why. Spain will miss his athleticism with or without Pau.
MADRID, June 29 (Reuters) – Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio were included in the Spain squad on Monday for the 2009 European Championship (Eurobasket) in Poland.
Forward Gasol has just helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA championship, while 18-year-old Rubio hopes to join him in the United States next season if he can negotiate a release from his contract with Spanish side DKV Joventut.
Point guard Rubio was selected fifth in the NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
New Spain coach Sergio Scariolo brought in Carlos Cabezas for injured Toronto Raptors guard Jose Manuel Calderon, and Victor Claver for retired captain Carlos Jimenez.
World champions Spain were runners-up to Russia in the last Eurobasket final in Madrid two years ago. This year’s tournament is in Poland from Sept. 7-20.
Luol Deng also has been working at the Berto Center to rehabilitate a shin stress fracture that shortened his season to 49 games. Forman said he does not expect Deng, the captain of Great Britain’s national team, to play overseas this summer.
”It’s his decision what he wants to do,” Forman said. ”But he’s now into his offseason program and lifting on a consistent basis and getting on the floor as far as running and shooting. The last we talked to Luol, I don’t think he’s going to participate [with Great Britain] this summer. He may join the team to be around them because he is a leader for them. But I don’t think he’s going to play.”
Devastating news for GB, and a massive blow to our chances of getting through the preliminary stage.
Three potential Spanish stars at EuroBasket 2009 in Poland were drafted. Wonderkid Ricky Rubio was selected fifth in the overall pick by the Timberwolvs after avraging 9.8 points and 5.8 asists per game last season in the ACB while also having been crowned as defensive player of the year.
Victor Claver was perhaps surprisingly drafted in the first round by Portland as 22nd pick. The Pamesa Valencia player has been sidelined almost all season with a serious injury and is not guaranteed to bag himself a spot in Poland but if he does, will showcase his high flying skills.
Finally Real Madrid point guard Sergio Llull was initially drafted 34th by the Denver Nuggets who then traded him to Houston Rockets. Llull was the main bright spot in a disappointing season for Real and is seen along with Rubio as the backcourt future of the Spanish National team.
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