Jasikevicius, beyond anger

• Opinion Barcelona, ​​great favourite... or maybe not so much?

Perhaps everything is much simpler.

Perhaps everything can be summed up in a question and an answer.

-Talent without effort is good for something?

-No.

No way.

responded

to EL MUNDO before the 2021 Final Four. Then the Lithuanian coach, leading a Barcelona as full of talent as it is innocent in the capital moments, lost the final against Efes de

,

and

.

That return of

, despite his incidence in the ACB final, affected the balance of the team.

A year later, and despite further strengthening a squad that costs the club

in wages , the Barça team crashed against an underplayed Real Madrid in the Euroleague semifinals despite the superhuman efforts of

.

"I don't know if this team needs another coach," challenged the coach, sowing the doubt that he could squeeze his players even more.

That last continental defeat, which had been brewing after the irregular series of quarterfinals against Bayern

, caused concern in the president

and his large court.

They did not expect in the box that Barça, after having dominated the regular league of the maximum continental tournament with solvency, would return to being halfway in a competition that Barcelona has not won since the times of

(2010).

Although there are no doubts in the entity regarding the work of a Jasikevicius who has won a League and two Copas del Rey in these two seasons, both in the Palau and in the offices of the Camp Nou they have been convinced of the need for a new remodeling of the team.

The Czech

and the Brazilian

should arrive to load the paint in exchange for

and

, who end their relationship.

With whom a decision will have to be made is with the point guard

, with a contract until 2023 and irregular performance this season despite being decisive in the semifinals against Joventut.

The Greek-American player, in fact, was key in the last two wins in Badalona and played 26 minutes on average, more than anyone else.

The ex Barcelona

would be one of the alternatives.

Small forward

, disappointing, his contract ends and there is no interest in renewing it, no matter how much Jasikevicius prioritizes his presence ahead of

, the non-community player ruled out for the classic.

The continuity of the captain,

, is not clear either , invisible this course.

Barcelona and Real Madrid, thus, meet again starting this Monday at the Palau in their natural habitat for the ACB final.

, head coach of the white team in the face of

's heart problems , manages a squad that, after losing the Euroleague final against Efes by one point, has not missed a single one of its

games after getting rid of

Manresa (2-0) and Baskonia (3-0).

mental toughness

Much harder has been the path of a Barcelona that, after beating Gran Canaria (2-0), had to apply themselves to knock down a Joventut who stole home court advantage at the Palau (3-1).

A tie in which Jasikevicius put aside the reproaches to his players to extol his mental strength - the key to recovery for

' cause -.

And also to get on the nerves of the Joventut coach,

, who did not think it was right that the Lithuanian did not praise the Verdiblancos' effort.

«The Barça coach does not value us.

He only talks about his team and him.

From his and his team.

He is rude ».

Beyond anger, his own and others, Jasikevicius has other reasons for vigilance.

Like

out of the cave

.

Or that service record against Madrid with an impeccable appearance (he has won 11 of his 15 classics), but questioned in the Final Four.

This season, beyond the European loss in Belgrade, they already had to sweat blood to beat Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final and fell in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Jasikevicius, yes, has won the seven knockout series that he has played as coach of a Barcelona that is not allowed to fail.

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