Casademont, who lost at Barcelona's Palau Blaugrana in the last round after a dreadful start to the second half, will host Girona at a moment of maximum parity in the ACB. As many as nine teams are tied with a 3-2 record, and the coming rounds will begin to shape the future aspirations of all the teams before the next international break, which arrives at the end of November.
In this tightly packed scenario, the red-and-blacks' chance to string together two home wins inspires optimism within a squad that will not have all its players available. Caleb Homesley will definitely miss the game against Girona, while Trae Bell-Haynes' possible involvement will not be decided until the last minute. The Canadian point guard remains under assessment regarding his physical condition, and the coaching staff will wait as long as possible to determine whether he can be available in a squad that will be completed by under-22 players.
Casademont lost in the last round in Barcelona. Photo: ACBPhoto/Victor Salgado
Despite the impact of the absences, Príncipe Felipe will have to play a crucial role in these two consecutive games. Ahead of the clash with Girona, García de Vitoria said the fans' support will be especially important to offset the squad's physical problems and turn the energy of the Red Tide into an extra boost to get through two matches that could prove decisive.
THE OPPONENT: GIRONA
The first obstacle in this run of home games will be Girona, who share Casademont's record and have shown themselves to be particularly dangerous when they manage to impose their pace. The Catalans have won all three of their home games against Murcia (84-77), Coruña (110-90) and Joventut (101-87), while their two defeats have come away from home against Baskonia (118-78) and Breogán (115-92).
Moreover, their style of basketball has one clearly defined feature: playing at full speed. Girona are the team that commits the most turnovers in the competition, averaging 17 per game, but they also make the most steals, with 10. The statistic reflects their commitment to speeding up the game, pressuring opponents and looking for points from mistakes. In that setting, Casademont will have to take care of the ball and prevent the game from becoming a constant exchange of possessions.
There is also no shortage of individual threats on the Catalan team. Jassel Pérez has become the ACB's leading scorer at the start of the season, while Martinas Geben, David N'Guessan and Mac McClung provide more offensive options to a squad capable of causing damage in different ways. Casademont will therefore have to contain that arsenal to make a strong start to a week that could give them a significant boost in the standings.
