Spain refines its set-up for the Eurobasket with a 'window'

Spain refines its set-up for the Eurobasket with a 'window'

Sergio Scariolo's team starts the second qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup against Iceland at the Navarra Arena

The Spanish men's basketball team will return to official activity this Wednesday with a visit to the Navarra Arena in Pamplona (9:00 p.m./Teledeporte) in Iceland, the rival against which they begin the second qualifying round for the 2023 World Cup.

Spain debuts in the Eurobasket on September 1st against Bulgaria, but before this duel they will have to face a 'FIBA window', with important double commitments against the Icelandic team and against the Netherlands, next Saturday, to later focus entirely on mainland rendezvous

The current world champion will begin this second qualifying phase against the two most 'accessible' theoretical rivals, somewhat less the one that will visit the Navarra Arena, which is with the same balance (3-1), so the victory seems key to seal as soon as possible the ticket to the defense of the title.

The third team in the group that will face Sergio Scariolo's team is another European power like Italy, but when both have to face each other in November and February, they will not have their Euroleague and NBA players, with some of whom they will The national coach has been able to count on this occasion.

"We have not dedicated too much time to the special preparation for this match because we have dedicated more time to be ready for the Eurobasket", recognized Scariolo in the preview of a match that will serve to continue fine-tuning things for the European Championship and to try to return to the path of victory that gives confidence to the most inexperienced.

And it is that the national team has left mixed feelings in their friendlies against Greece and Lithuania, in which they have added a victory, against the Greeks, without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and three defeats. On the positive side, it has been the competitive capacity of a team immersed in the obligatory generational change.

In any case, and more so with the support of the Pamplona public, Spain starts as a favorite against the modest Iceland, more focused on this 'window' for not being classified for the Eurobasket and which will be the penultimate test for those who seek to convince definitive to Scariolo to be in the final list.

Quino Colom and Yankuba Sima have been the last two discards of the coach who has already stayed with 14 players, of which two more will fall. Everything indicates that they will be a 'small' and a 'big', so players like Darío Brizuela, Jaime Fernández, Juan Núñez, Jaime Pradilla or Fran Guerra will want to give their all; while Xabi López-Aróstegui and Joel Parra will rest against Iceland.

"This is a game that will help us to continue growing. It will be difficult because they have a very big '5' and in our team we don't have such a big one. In addition, the rest can play outside in any position and it's going to be a complicated match. Playing here and being Spain there is always that pressure of having to win, but they know that they come to compete against a very powerful team", Jaime Pradilla pointed out.

Iceland signed a good first phase, where they were able to win at home against Italy, against which they also added the only defeat in a group from which another power such as Russia was eliminated due to the invasion of Ukraine.

The team led by Craig Pedersen bases a lot of its game on speed and outside shooting, although inside it has a level center and is known in national basketball as Tryggvi Hlinason, a Casademont Zaragoza player. In any case, you should note the loss of another 'ACB' like the Valencia Basket point guard Martin Hermansson, seriously injured in the knee. In history, a duel, in the 2015 Eurobasket, with a Spanish victory by 99-73 and from which Llull, Rudy and Willy Hernangómez survived.

DATASHEET.

--EQUIPMENT.

SPAIN: Brown, Rudy Fernández, Juancho Hernangómez, Garuba, Willy Hernangómez, Brizuela, Jaime Fernández, Guerra, Llull, Núñez, Pradilla and Saiz.

ICELAND: Frioriksson, Palsson, Petursson, Vilhjalmsson, Gudmundsson, Jonsson, Acox, Bjornsson, Hlinason, Steinarsson, Thrastarson, Thorbjarnarson and Nathanaelsson.

--PAVILLION: Navarre Arena.

--TIME: 9:00 p.m./Telesport.