Baskonia: Another Hectic Summer for the Azulgrana Club
Either out of necessity when the previous season ended with discreet results and below expectations or, failing that, when it is depleted by the greats of the Old Continent always determined to reinforce themselves with the white blackbirds of the Buesa Arena, Baskonia is experiencing another hectic summer. Something that, on the other hand, is not new and to which its fans are already accustomed.
A Deep Face Lift for Baskonia
With five confirmed new faces (Nico Mannion, Codi Miller-McIntyre, Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Chima Moneke, and Khalifa Diop) and a sixth on the way, the azulgrana club undergoes a deep face lift again regarding a past course that ended up leaving a residue of bitterness after the brilliance and overflowing offensive joy accredited during many stretches.
Tradition of Reconstruction
Each summer market is synonymous with reconstruction, and this time the tradition has remained unchanged. And it is that during the last decade, since the 2013-14 season to be exact, Baskonia has always introduced a minimum of four novelties in its squad.
Valued Pieces with Expiration Dates
The remarkable performance of its sports management, headed by Alfredo Salazar, means that its most valued pieces sometimes have an expiration date. The latest example has occurred with Darius Thompson, for whom an auction was launched months ago, ultimately won by Anadolu Efes. The consolation is the much money invoiced in the form of transfers for the Barcelona coffers. On the other side of the scale, if the level has been lower than expected, it is usually Baskonia who cuts to the chase and tries to make a clean slate through new exciting bets.
Season 2013-14: New Faces and Exciting Bets
Ilimane Diop will live his baptism in the elite, and the other new faces at the beginning of the summer for Sergio Scariolo were the controversial Lamont Hamilton, the quota Leo Mainoldi, Adam Hanga, and Walter Hodge. With the hostilities already unleashed, players like Rimantas Kaukenas, Thomas Kelati, Daniel Clark, Peppe Poeta, the media Lamar Odom, and Alex Renfroe joined.
Season 2014-15: Busy Summer and Little Devils
Another busy summer with the bet on Toko Shengelia, Orlando Johnson, Colton Iverson, and Davis Bertans. The favorable inflection point, yes, would be the arrival of two little devils at the helm as Darius Adams and Mike James. That convulsed course was also worn by the elastic Barca player Scotty Hopson, Mirza Begic, Haukur Palsson, Ben Hansbrough, DJ White, Sasha Vujacic, Doron Perkins, and Ryan Gomes.
Season 2015-16: Success and New Additions
A very successful year with the qualification for the Final Four in Berlin, for whose passport a Vietnam veteran like Ioannis Bourousis was decisive. Guerrillas like Jaka Blazic, Adam Hanga, and Darko Planinic were other novelties, in addition to the triple player Alberto Corbacho. In the middle of that campaign, Kristjan Kangur reinforced the position of ‘four,’ and facing the ’play off’ for the title, Michael Roll joined.
Bourousis, key in the Baskonista ticket for the last Final Four of the Euroleague in 2016
DNA Writing
Season 2016-17: Notable Movements
The most notorious movement of the summer was undoubtedly Andrea Bargnani, although the Italian pivot did not materialize due to his physical problems. Shane Larkin did, a point guard who was catapulted to fame in Vitoria.
Historical Signings of Baskonia
During its rich history, Baskonia has made several significant signings that have shaped the team’s success. Let’s take a closer look at some of these key acquisitions over the years.
Season 2017-18
In the 2017-18 season, Baskonia welcomed Luca Vildoza as a valuable addition to the squad. The club also decided to bring back Marcelinho Huertas for a second stint in Vitoria. Joining them were Jayson Granger, Vincent Poirier, Patricio Garino, Jordan McRae, and Janis Timma. While Matt Janning showed improvement in the Baskonia perimeter, temporary players like Kevin Jones and Carlos Delfino did not make a significant impact.
Janis Timma’s Challenging Season
Unfortunately, Janis Timma faced more challenges than triumphs during his time with Baskonia in the 2017-18 season. It was a difficult period for the talented player.
Season 2018-19
In the 2018-19 season, Baskonia made big bets on Shavon Shields and Darrun Hilliard. They also acquired the towering Youssoupha Fall, although he was later loaned to Strasbourg. However, the team struggled to find a suitable power forward to complement Shengelia, as Ajdin Penava failed to make an impact and Jalen Jones did not deliver significant contributions.
Season 2019-20
The 2019-20 season will always be remembered for Baskonia’s triumph in the Valencia bubble, where they clinched their fourth ACB title after the interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The team strengthened its interior with the additions of Fall and Micheal Eric. Notably, Zoran Dragic, Achille Polonara, and Pierria Henry proved to be valuable signings. However, Nik Stauskas struggled to make an impact, and Semaj Christon and Sergi García had limited contributions.
Season 2020-21
In the 2020-21 season, Baskonia made four notable signings: Rokas Giedraitis, Tonye Jekiri, Alec Peters, and Khadeen Carrington. However, Carrington did not even play a single official match for Baskonia after failing to impress in the preseason. As the season progressed, the team brought in Quino Colom and Frantz Massenat to strengthen their roster.
Season 2021-22
The summer of 2021 brought significant changes to Baskonia’s lineup. Wade Baldwin IV, Jayson Granger, Simone Fontecchio, Vanja Marinkovic, Matt Costello, Steven Enoch, and Landry Nnoko joined the team. However, Nnoko’s time in Vitoria was short-lived due to disciplinary issues, and Lamar Peters struggled in his role as a point guard. Yannick Wetzell was also added to the team later in the season.
Season 2022-23
In the most recent season, Baskonia introduced new faces such as Darius Thompson, Markus Howard, Daulton Hommes, Dani Díez, Maik Kotsar, and Pierria Henry. However, Henry faced a suspension by FIBA for suspected use of synthetic urine in an anti-doping control, leading to his replacement by Max Heidegger in Vitoria.