Juancho Hernangómez or the star that Spain is looking for

• Live Montenegro - Spain (16.00)

"I have seen that, among the first 15 players of the championship, no star of the Spanish team appears. I would like that when I finish there is one on that list,"

slipped a few days ago.

A vindictive message before FIBA, but also a loud challenge for those who want to grab him by the chest.

Spain, which today, after the bad feelings against Belgium, plays a game with very little net against Montenegro (4:15 p.m., Four), needs its headlamp.

And the gaze inevitably falls on

.

In the fireworks Eurobasket, in which more NBA stars have attended after five years without the tournament being held, the one led by the last two MVPs of the best league in the world (

and

), in the Slovenia of

, young talents are taking a step forward in their first experiences with their national teams.

(21 years old, Orlando Magic) shines in the undefeated Germany (19.3 points),

(21, Washington Wizards) stands out in Israel with 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds after his disastrous afternoon yesterday against Poland),

(25, Utah Jazz) puts the Finnish impetus on her shoulders (25 points, 8.5 rebounds),

guide the Turkey against which the national team will play tomorrow.

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EuroBasket.

The Eurobasket of trouble: Turkey threatens to leave after an attack on Korkmaz in the locker room tunnel

• Writing: LUCAS SÁEZ-BRAVO

The Eurobasket of trouble: Turkey threatens to leave after an attack on Korkmaz in the locker room tunnel

All promising NBA values, comparable in status to Juancho.

But the former schoolboy, who in the defeat against Belgium on Sunday barely shot six times (the balance with him on the court was -10 for the team), averages 11 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, far from those to those who could look each other in the eye.

“There are players who have to climb that rung.

Someone still has to get there and that is a challenge.

The challenge is excellence », launched, without citing, the coach himself.

Juancho, in action. ZURAB KURTSIKIDZEEFE

It is true that the new Spain tries to base its power on the team, that his brother

has emerged as an offensive benchmark - he is the top scorer (16) and the one who has thrown the most times (29) for the national team - on the connection that forms with

, that the distribution of minutes has been a constant in Scariolo's rotation, but in moments of truth Juancho has not yet been able to grab the burning ball, to infect his inexperienced teammates.

No games

The man from Madrid, on his way to turning 27, who will play for the Raptors next year (his fifth NBA team in the last year), missed the last Games at the last minute, due to an impediment from the Wolves who owned his rights, because of doubts about his shoulder injury.

A setback that he could seem like a goad.

Unique due to physical and technical conditions, capable of performing as a small forward and power forward, he is one of the few with previous experience in major tournaments.

If he was an essential secondary in the gold of the World Cup in China, his role as a main actor is still not meeting expectations.

Another of those awaiting better performance is

, NBA rookie (along with the Hernagómez, the only Spaniard in Tbilisi who plays in the US), in his second summer with Spain after his good notes in Tokyo.

But the former madridista's ankle injury that occurred with the Rockets in the Summer League, just before the concentration with Spain, has made him lose his tone.

Scariolo uses him as a five -- a position he continues to adapt to -- in the second unit.

Two fundamental pieces that the team appeals to in the two days that everything is played in the Eurobasket.

Today against Dubljevic's Montenegro and tomorrow against Turkey, the team needs at least one win to be in the round of 16.

With two, if Belgium lose one, they could even go to Berlin as first in the group.

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