The problem with the ACB and why Madrid and Valencia are playing a luxury final in the shadows.

The topic is quite open to discussion, to be honest. This lengthy subheading contains a large number of aspects worth discussing. First, and most important at this point, is that Valencia Basket and Real Madrid will play the ACB final starting Friday. The best teams in the competition , they have demonstrated, including during the playoffs, the necessary resilience to win their qualifiers without suffering more than necessary, which is certainly not a small feat.

The ACB is the best national league in the world, beyond the NBA, and I could argue that the NCAA, the complex American college league, doesn't match the ACB in quality either , despite its current context of abundant dollars. However, fan interest has to overcome significant barriers : while local parishes usually fill their arenas with a loyal and enthusiastic following , it's not exactly easy to keep up with the competitions (ACB, LEB) if you have to invest a good amount of money in pay-TV.

It was back in the 1990s when Canal+ acquired the rights to the popular Spanish basketball league , the ACB. They had plenty of money to do so, so the theory was that, since the television production of the games could clearly be improved , and they knew how to make it happen, the deal was a sure thing. But it wasn't. Spain wasn't used to paying to watch TV. Many learned to interpret the coded lines of soccer games and certain movies that were broadcast at night.

Football swept everything away

Fans thrive on viewership , and that plummeted overnight. Basketball, a worthy rival to the almighty soccer, disappeared from fans' radar . The King of Sports took the cake, and the other sports became anecdotal, except for the occasional appearances of our heroes: Indurain, Gasol, Nadal.

The problem already has a very complicated, almost impossible solution . Two Spanish teams, the most historic, are part of clubs whose emblem is football. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona generously fund their basketball teams because, today, it would be unthinkable otherwise. And their demands are extreme . But both clubs don't pursue maximizing the economic return of basketball: they subordinate it to football providing economic stability.

Other teams are well supported by generous patrons (Juan Roig), public institutions (Basque Country, Canary Islands) or financial institutions (Unicaja, Andorra), and private companies (which are always necessary). Spain has managed to build a league that is difficult to watch without paying a lot of money. The LEB, especially its first level, LEB Oro, demonstrates an interesting level of quality.

But it remains confined to a group of enthusiastic citizens , while others, who would be, have no option even to get information. The fact is that the ACB and its 18 teams have a dozen clubs, all of which are quite interesting. Even once the unfortunate promotion criterion is eliminated, it allows us to contemplate unique teams such as Burgos (two-time Basketball Champions League champion), Palencia, and Coruña. Other good clubs, such as Breogán, Girona, Lleida , and Bilbao, have competed worthily.

In LEB Oro, the promotion of Betis (the future Hereda Sevilla Baloncesto), along with San Pablo Burgos, has left major, historic clubs like Estudiantes, Fuenlabrada, Obradoiro, and Guipúzcoa stranded on the shore . Palencia, Tizona de Burgos, and Cartagena were also left on the same beach. All of them are clubs that would compete to win in the top divisions in other European leagues.

Basketball is the second most popular Spanish sport : the leader of the rest, so to speak. This means that young people, those who can escape the hypnotic attraction of kicking the ball, or who have a basket in their neighborhood, fall in love when they sink a couple of shots. That sensation of sinking a three-pointer, that when it comes out of your hand... you know it's going straight to produce that unforgettable sound.

There are plenty of youth teams in this country. And when someone excels, they end up at one of the major clubs. They all have their youth team structures, but the big ones have top-level youth teams. Scouts, coaches, solid educational offerings... numerous foreign kids end up on scholarships in Spain to play basketball, thanks to these impressive institutions: Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Málaga... Then, if they succeed, the recent changes in the NCAA (money galore) or the unprecedented appetite of the NBA can dynamite the development efforts of any club, whether European, Asian, or Martian.

This is no small matter. Clubs spend a lot of money creating structures for young players ( barely one in every hundred will make it), only to be snatched away by the insatiable American appetite. So, to put it mildly, Mario Saint-Supery, Dame Sarr, Hugo González, Eli Ndiaye, Sidi Gueye, etc., leave the Iberian ecosystem and stand to earn more money than the stars of their current teams.

This risk must be analyzed, assumed, and resolved by the various levels, management, and various supporters. That's why the termination clauses were created after the Bosman law, so to speak. Now, the innovative U-League for U-22 youth players will need some time to develop before it's proven effective.

Real Madrid and Valencia Basket, the best possible final

Well, this Friday the mess begins. They were the best. Valencia Basket was able to shine with ease against the Canary Islands teams. Real Madrid deservedly overcame that crazy quartet that included Málaga, Barcelona, ​​and Unicaja. Real Madrid arrives with sky-high morale , having gone almost thirty games without losing at the Coliseo de Goya, the Sports Palace. The team arrives without Gaby Deck, which has meant, as usual, a greater participation from Hugo González , whose performance has been most satisfactory.

After some setbacks, the leaders arrive in perfect condition: Facu Campazzo, Mario Hezonja, and Walter Tavares are perhaps in their best form of the year. Sergio Llull is also in a state of flux, and the rest demonstrate the tremendous power of Mateo's group. The Real Madrid coach has put on a brilliant display throughout the year. It's true that the team's performance hasn't lived up to expectations .

However, the connection between Mateo and his players is evident every day. It's a feat for the Madrid native to overcome the often vicious criticism in columns and on social media. He has instilled calm, positivity, and character in a squad that at times seemed to be failing . To date, the league's best defense by far has been complemented by increased confidence from the perimeter, which was a painful weakness throughout the year.

So the defense suffocates opposing circulation. And sometimes, that 2-3 zone, which they successfully try even against shooting teams, will face the predictable siege of the Valencians. Madrid's attack offers several interesting options: the first consists of rebounding and rushing out. If they play with three tall players, they usually dominate the captures, with some difficulty in the exit. When Musa is in the mix, he compromises the security in the rearguard, but the Bosnian's verticality brings Madrid many points.

The second option is low-post play with Tavares . As the team has improved its effectiveness from the outside, the opposing defense opens up advantageous situations for the Cape Verdean giant, who is unrivaled in those hot zones of the court. The third option lies in the forcefulness of the outside shot, or direct blocking and quick drives to the basket or openings to the corners. For this task, the scoring ability of the Madrid backcourt improves rapidly, and the team's three guards can execute from the outside and by penetrating.

Madrid's success will consist of holding Valencia to around 80 points, which is difficult, but a near-certain victory. To do so, they must dominate the rebounds well and slow down the pace of the game a bit (one thing leads to another). When Valencia goes into full Valencia mode, they'll be on their feet. With a terrifying average of 97 points per game, lightning-fast possessions, powerful rebounding, and a collective effort, the ACB has almost become too small for them.

In fact, it's a confirmed fact: next year they'll make the leap back to the top continental competition , the Euroleague. This season, the Eurocup has become too small for them, with a 16-2 record in the regular season, and only a tough semifinal against the powerful and innovative Hapoel Tel Aviv (the nouveau riche) prevented them from competing, even though they were the top favorites.

Martínez's roster has a solid foundation. Despite Ethan Happ's injury , whose career in Valencia has been a torment, the Taronjas maintain a competitive level of first-class quality, with 12 or 13 points in the mix. And the younger players are responding brilliantly to the more experienced players. Special mention should go to Dominican Jean Montero, who hails from Andorra, formerly from Gran Canaria, where there was some trouble. But the Caribbean talent is showing leadership qualities and has also renewed his contract.

While international Jaime Pradilla is progressing well, other players like Josep Puerto and López-Arostegui provide the group with extraordinary strength. Foreign players like Sestina, Ojeleye, Badio, and Chris Jones are arriving at the finals in their best form of the year. And the core unit is precisely one of Valencia Basket's strengths . Without any overly prominent figures , everyone is a protagonist. And it's true that they may not reach the same level of Unicaja's collective talent, which in a certain sense corresponds to a similar team design, but the numbers, like cotton, don't lie.

Valencia's success will depend on breaking down the Real Madrid defense with speed and accuracy, their specialties. High-scoring games will more likely correlate with victories . To achieve this , they will have to demonstrate accuracy from outside shots , because in the paint, while they are good, they seem inferior to Real Madrid.