Ready for a northern mini-tour that starts in Orense

They are a couple of events full of difficulties and which one is more important than the troops of Gonzalo Garcia from Vitoria will face the loss of Sasha Cvetkovic (grade two sprain in the left ankle) and the news of Hansel Atenciathe 1.78 meter, 27-year-old Spanish-Colombian point guard who the club has signed as a replacement for the Serbian for one month. He has been registered with the Tercera FEB subsidiary.

The Balkan had become in his own right one of the most decisive players for Betis Baloncesto and the club this time has gone to the market to reinforce the team in a key position during the time he remains off the court. Even with the arrival of Attentionfrom Real Valladolid Baloncesto, with whom his contract ended this week, it is assumed that youth player Pablo Marín will increase his quota of minutes in the rotation. Cvetkovic’s absenceBy the way, he joins the already long list of injured players this season. Fortune with Betis Baloncesto is proving to be most elusive in this sense.

Incidents have accumulated in a particularly sensitive stretch of the season, with a lot of busyness in the calendar and complicated away games, like this one that will take place against the COB. A match between two candidates for promotion that is loaded with spice due to the past as a shareholder of the Galician club. Pedro Fernandezcurrent president of Betis Baloncesto. It will also be a very special meeting for Gonzalo García de Vitoria, since he coached the Orense team for eight years, between 2013 and 2021. To the COB, who came to lead the competition in the first days and is now sixth with a balance of seven victories and five defeats, it is also directed by Ferrolano Moncho Lopezwho has spent many years in Portuguese basketball and was coach of the former Caja San Fernando in the second part of the 2006-2007 campaign. Now he has returned to his homeland and is doing really well at the helm of a team that surprised in the first four rounds with a brilliant takeoff, winning everything, and then has added three wins and five setbacks in the following five games.

In fact, he comes from losing, and by a lot (114-81), on the court of the Super Agropal Palenciaso taking advantage of the visit of Betis, and pushed by the encouragement of the Pazo fans, he will want to get rid of that thorn to return to the winning lane. As has been written in previous home appearances, the first commandment that the green and white team must comply with will be to reflect themselves in the mirror. Be himself. That is, a competitive teamwho does not wrinkle or despise the defense, but quite the opposite, because in the strength in his basket he has cemented many of the victories he treasures. For example, the last one, when they demolished Valladolid in a match that was already practically broken at half-time.

The power of defense

The Betic defense, with just 71 points on averageis the second least permissive of the First FEB, only surpassed by the leader, Flexicar Fuenlabrada. As long as you maintain those parameters, there will be many more times that you will leave games with a smile from ear to ear. Of course, the Betis that makes an appearance at the Paco Paz will necessarily be a different team in the generation of the game. Because it won’t be Cvetkovicwhose clairvoyance, mastery of tempo and passing ability in the pick&rollwas paying him many dividends. That feeding route is lost for now while waiting for the role that the debutant Atencia can develop, a player with a good hand and the ability to make his own shots. Pablo Marinwho brings a lot of physical ability coming off the bench, also has the opportunity to assert himself and fulfill what Gonzalo García demands of the younger players, like Kulishenko: energy.

Obviously, command responsibility grows to Renfroethe starting point guard, and even for Benite. In short, it is about tweaking the rotation in an obligatory way without changing the essence of Betis Baloncesto. Its competitiveness, it is understood. Which, it is true, does not seem to be at the same level at home as it is at home, although in Santiago, without shining at any point, he could have taken the victory if he had been a little more accurate from the personnel line. Jelinek already did the warm-up session against Real Valladolid and today he is expected to play a few minutesalthough logically he is injured and must regain his rhythm. In the Pazo, the COB has five victories and two defeats. It is an almost airtight team in its lair.

Moody and Gill

Like Betis, they have also suffered problems with injuries in recent times although they have gradually been recovering elements. The most unbalanced is Aanen Moodyan American shooting guard debuting in professional basketball with averages of 12.8 points and 47% shooting from three. Between Javi López and Rafa Lisboa They guide this very solid COB on the court in the position of three (Brito, Sergio Rodríguez), experience in the four (Mendicote, Rosa) and height and intimidation in the five, with Gill (eight points and six rebounds on average).

A well-built squad that Moncho López is making compete at the best level to have it among the top eight, in the play-off zone for promotion. The car that you don’t want to get off of Betis Basketballwhich aspires to the maximum and trusts that the strength and versatility of its squad will put out the fire of the numerous setbacks, what bad luck, that it is suffering in the form of injuries. Before Christmas Eve and Christmastwo more efforts. The first, in Orense.