In this way, the summer has served to completely change the team's appearance. Casademont have brought in eight players and opted for a blend of ACB experience, offensive talent and the ability to adapt to different situations. Of the squad that suffered until the very last second of last season, only Trae Bell-Haynes, Miguel González and Jaime Fernández remain, along with Gabriel Olaseni, who joined during the final stretch of the previous campaign. It is a revolution with which the club has sought to learn from past mistakes and build a project with more resources to compete throughout the season.
The preseason has served to begin putting all those pieces together and has produced positive and encouraging impressions, although it has also highlighted several areas that, as is normal for a virtually new team, still need time. García de Vitoria has been able to assess the character of a squad that has shown hunger, the ability to react and different offensive options, with players such as Justin Jaworski, Laurynas Birutis, Guillem Vives and Nico Brussino making a positive impression at different stages.
However, everything changes now. The friendly matches are behind them, and the red-and-black squad will have to perform and show what level it is at in the top division. The immediate objective will be to carry the positive impressions from preseason into the Liga Endesa, especially at the start of a campaign that will force Casademont to open away from the Príncipe Felipe.
TENERIFE, FIRST TEST
Standing in their way will be La Laguna Tenerife, a team with experience in the top division that is also entering a new era following Txus Vidorreta's departure and Jaka Lakovic's arrival on the bench. The Aurinegros finished last season in eighth place in the Liga Endesa and reached the playoff semifinals after eliminating Real Madrid, meaning Casademont will begin against a team that knows the league's competitive level well.
The Tenerife side have also completed a demanding preseason, with victories over teams such as Gran Canaria and Bilbao Basket and defeats against Casademont themselves, Unicaja and Real Madrid. Their final friendly ended in a 96-89 win over Surne Bilbao Basket, with Kyle Guy leading all scorers with 18 points and Tenerife coming back from a 21-point deficit.
