This season’s Real Madrid is completely different from last year’s team, not only because of the statistics, but because of the tension in the locker room. Chus Mateo’s men have had their worst start in the Endesa League for 21 years, in the 2003/2004 season with Julio César Lamas at the helm. Madrid has lost two of the three ACB games, both away from their home field. The first, in the debut of the competition with the recently promoted Leyma Coruña (86-85) and, the second, last Sunday against Bilbao Basket (83-79). In the Euroleague they have also started on the wrong foot, losing in two of the three games played, both away from home against Bayern (97-89) on the first day and Baskonia (76-72) on Tuesday. Furthermore, the whites face what could be their worst record in Europe since the 2002/2003 season. This Thursday they host Panathinaikos at home, a club that beat them to the Euroleague final last season. The Greeks have strengthened themselves this year to retain the title. They have won the first two games against Alba Berlin and Bayern and lost on Tuesday against Paris.
Madrid’s statistics in the first three games can be greatly improved. The triple has been one of the most used resources in recent seasons by the whites, who have great specialists. But at the beginning of the campaign they are being condemned in some games. The impatience to come back from games in which they are losing is forcing them to shoot from three. In the League he is seventh in three-point shots with 36.7% conversions and in Europe he is 12th out of 18 with 32.9%. One of its specialists, Sergio Llull, has only scored five triples out of 26 attempts —3 of 15 in the League and 2 of 11 in the Euroleague.
If the three-pointers are being a liability, the free throws are a pending matter for Chus Mateo’s men. In the League they are the thirteenth team with 74.1% of converted shots. In Europe they do improve somewhat more, rising to seventh place with 76.1%. To this we must add the losses, especially in the Euroleague, where they are the third team with the most lost possessions in the championship, with 43 in three games.
In addition to the poor records on the field, the locker room is tense. Proof of this was the clash of statements between Hezonja and Mateo in the last League game against Bilbao Basket. The Croatian blamed the Spanish coach in a statement made at half-time and in reference to the team’s performance in the first two sets, when they left losing by 12 (46-34). “We started well, but (Chus) changes us and we don’t pick up the pace with the new guys. We are going to have to sweat a lot if we want to do something this year,” commented Hezonja in the Movistar+ microphones. The Spanish coach answered the player at a press conference. “I can understand that you have suffered a certain moment of frustration. But the things we have to talk about we talk among ourselves, we are not people who like to air them. Tranquility and continue working.”
In the press conference prior to the match, Chus Mateo said that he expects a very tough match. “Although they have just lost in Paris, they have all their star players from last year and some additions that reinforce their squad.” However, they have shown confidence when playing at home. “With the support of our fans we hope to take that step forward to start adding victories.” Point guard Facundo Campazzo, who will return to play after the sanction – a game out due to “lack of respect for the referees” – has given great importance to this match. “It is a game that is going to demand one hundred percent of us. “We are still in the process of searching for our game.”
Real Madrid has already accumulated the same number of defeats as last year since the season began until January 14. In fact, in the last eight seasons, Real Madrid had started undefeated in the first three league games. Yabusele’s departure has hurt the team, with Ibaka as a substitute who is going from less to more at the start of the season. Feliz’s injury and Garuba’s physical problems are also affecting the team. We will have to see the team’s reaction this Thursday against Panathinaikos to certify if they break that bad streak or if they complete that disastrous record at the beginning of the season, as happened 22 years ago.
