Barcelona play host to Cantu on Thursday in Group H of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and you can watch all the action live online.
Two teams with rich European histories enter the Top 16 with much different agendas. Barcelona, the Euroleague champion just two seasons ago, will not be satisfied with anything short of another crown.
Cantu has already exceeded many’s expectations simply by reaching the Top 16 in its first season back on Europe’s central stage after decades away.
Accordingly, the pressure is on the Barca team, which was splendid in the regular season with a 9-1 record. Cantu impressed with its total team effort and placed this in Group A with a 5-5 record, but did lose its last two games.
Scoring king Juan Carlos Navarro suffers from plantar fasciitis on his left foot, which will likely keep him out this week. Cantu signed Greg Brunner to take the place of Marko Scekic, who is sidelined with a knee injury.
This Top 16 battle between teams that have twice clashed for European trophies figures to be a low-scoring, physical battle. Barcelona’s defence has been one of the best the Euroleague has seen, but Cantu has two veterans that know Barca inside-out: centre Denis Marconato and guard Gianluca Basile, who both played for the Spanish champs in recent years.
The two teams share many of the same characteristics, including very clever, all-around team-oriented players on the wings. Barca starters Chuck Eidson and Pete Mickeal and their Cantu counterparts Manu Markoishvili and Vladimir Micov could all have major impacts on the outcome.
Another match-up worth keeping an eye on is at power forward, where Erazem Lorbek is enjoying a brilliant campaign for the hosts and he will go against Euroleague rookie Maarty Leunen. Both are excellent long-range shooters, but the questions that will come into play are whether Leunen can handle Lorbek in the post and what will happen to the Barca team defence if Leunen is hot from downtown and forcing Lorbek out.
In the midst of an impressive season, Cantu centre Giorgi Shermadini will also be tested by Boni Ndong and Perovic. Of course one advantage that Barca has over most another team is at point guard, where when a play needs to be made, it can turn to trusty playmaker Marcelinho Huertas.
At home, the advantage is certainly with Barcelona, but to underestimate Cantu has been shown to be a foolish idea.
