The Spanish men’s basketball team will take on Canada this Thursday (9.30 p.m. La2) in the first of the two games of the Granada tournament, the last stop in preparation for the 2023 World Cup, with a commitment to take another step forward physically to make and play
Sergio Scariolo’s men continue another hot stage of the summer at a good pace and with good feeling. The big event in which Spain will defend the title starts on August 25, and the champions have back-to-back wins over Venezuela and Slovenia and a loss to the United States last Sunday in Malaga.
The appointment of Martn Carpena was undoubtedly the best benchmark yet for the Italian manager, with two challenging duels in which the side responded. Against Slovenia with Luka Doncic, Spain showed that they are a great team as a whole, even if they were weaker than their rivals and had great defense and attack that worked.
The European champion does not lack points, as in other preparations, work and cohesion are also not negotiated. Santi Aldama is a big contributor in his debut with the Absolutes, and Juan Nez, who sits at the reduced point guard position after the loss of Ricky Rubio, also appears to have played in the seniors for many years.
Against the United States, big favorites for the World Cup despite having fewer names than is scary in the NBA, the hosts feuded into the final minutes of the FEB Centennial tournament. With that, Scariolo’s side is proving they have a good basis to continue working on, as there are still those two stages ahead where Usman Garuba will feature again after being injured against Slovenia and Sergio Llull will make his debut after special preparation.
Canada will be at their highest level at the Palacio de los Deportes in Granada, putting the finishing touches on Saturday against the Dominican Republic. The North American team is among the favorites to snatch the title from Spain, with a young, powerful team of NBA talent led by Spanish coach Jordi Fernández this summer.
The Canadian team is starting a project with the World Cup in mind—the goal of the Paris 2024 Olympics—but the quality is already there, despite a significant drop already confirmed. That same Wednesday, Jamal Murray, the brand new NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets, confirmed his absence because a “long and demanding” season left him feeling unable to “compete at the highest level.”
Spain: Alberto Abalde, Santi Aldama, Daro Brizuela, Victor Claver, Alberto Daz, Jaime Fernández, Rudy Fernández, Usman Garuba, Juancho Hernangómez, Willy Hernangómez, Sergio Llull, Joel Parra, Jaime Pradilla, Juan Nez, and Sebas Saiz.
Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Dillon Brooks, Dwight Powell, Kyle Alexander, Alexander-Walker, Bell-Haynes, Kenny Chery, Zach Edey, Melvin Ejim, and Philip Scrubb.
Pavillon: Sports Palace of Granada
