Barça rebuilds with eleven signings and Sekulic in the face of urgency

The golden cycle of FC Barcelona with Jasikevicius on the bench is behind us. That stage of high budget and renowned roster contrasts sharply with the three subsequent years, marked by disappointing results that have little to do with the usual trajectory of the blue and claret team since its consolidation in European elite in the mid-eighties. The countless Final Fours played in the old European Cup and, since 2002, in the current Euroleague weigh heavily in the memory of Barça fans. The drought of titles during these three years generates a particular pain among the supporters, aggravated by the fact that the team doesn't even seem to realistically aspire to them.

The gap with rivals and the moderate expectations

When comparing the names of the new roster built by Barça with those of half a dozen rivals, the distance is evident. However, on the court, it's five against five, as they say. One would have to be very optimistic to envision the blaugrana team in the playoffs of the major continental competition, even fighting for a spot. The most likely scenario is to see them fluctuate between eighth and twelfth place in the standings. Nonetheless, it is up to the players to defy these predictions, as they manage roughly the seventh budget in the Euroleague, which demands that they compete against the best.

A project with eleven signings and a coaching change

On May 1, Barcelona had Shengelia under contract, two flashy signings like Mike James and Moses Wright, the prestigious coach Xavi Pascual, and Will Clyburn. Now, the coach is practically a newcomer: Aleksander Sekulic. Shengelia left upon seeing Pascual, Wright, and Clyburn depart from the project. The names that have come in are far from resembling those who left, and throughout this season, it will be unavoidable to think about what could have happened if James and Justin Robinson had remained as starting guards, Shengelia as the starting power forward instead of the almost unknown Evbuomwan, or Clyburn instead of Minaya to compete in the Euroleague, leaving the ACB for Umude and Ubal.

Had Shengelia continued, a quota player like Balcerowski would not have been signed, as he fits so poorly into Sekulic's playing philosophy, as seen in the Catalan League and the Supercup. The court will judge in a few months. There are so many games from now until the end of November that with about twenty played between the ACB and the Euroleague, it will be feasible to get a first impression of the team's potential. The Barça fan needs to feel excited and witness entertaining moments at the Palau, a certain spectacle and competitiveness.

The likely starting five and its uncertainties

With Robinson, Punter, and Martin in a possible starting five, Barcelona has three good outside players. Josh Nebo seems to be a solid center, but with Makoundou and Balcerowski as backups, it is easy to foresee a mid-season signing in this position. Tyrese Martin, Kevin Punter, and Justin Robinson form an exterior line that generates hope, although defensive solidity and offensive consistency must be demonstrated on the court.

Regarding Evbuomwan, consulting NBA scouts speak well of him, with the caveat that he would have fit better as a backup for Shengelia or another more established power forward in the Euroleague. The Englishman is a debutant, and in the Euroleague, the competition at his position is extremely high, both among the main title favorites and the candidates for the play-in, even among the teams that will likely be at the bottom.

The bench and secondary pieces

Coming off the bench, Joel Parra offers good guarantees. Brizuela tends to be inconsistent but contributes. Umude is more of a defensive specialist than a significant offensive asset. Nkamhoua has shown interesting things in the preseason tournaments. It remains to be seen if Gibson meets expectations as a backup point guard; he performed well in the Eurocup with Cedevita, but the Euroleague is another matter.

Juan Núñez is not comfortable on the court after two years of knee injuries, and in addition, he will have few minutes, something already noticeable these weeks. The hope is that he regains the level he had in the German Ulm. Agustín Ubal was signed as a versatile quota exterior and it is logical that he will be used in the ACB and not in the Euroleague. Minaya hardly played any minutes in the Supercup, although he had only been with the team for two weeks; it is assumed that he should adapt and pick up rhythm in the coming weeks. Balcerowski must soon prove if he is ready to be Nebo’s backup center or if Makoundou surpasses him when he returns from his injury in mid-October.

The time factor in a merciless Europe

When eleven signings are made and only four players from the previous season remain — one of them Núñez, who barely played a few minutes in the final stretch of the last season — and there is a new coach, it is clear that time must be given. The problem is that in Europe, there is no mercy. When a team struggles during the first months, patience is rarely afforded. The upcoming games, especially until the end of November, will be crucial in determining whether this reconstruction project has viability or if the moderate predictions come to fruition. Barcelona needs the court to speak soon and for the new players to find the necessary harmony to compete on two demanding fronts.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Barça reconstruye con once fichajes y Sekulic ante la urgencia