May 21, 2013
Road to playoffs: key facts – FC Barcelona Regal
Xavier Rabaseda - FC Barcelona RegalFC Barcelona RegalKey win: After cruising through the regular season with a 9-1 record and getting tested at home in its Top 16 opener, Barcelona faced a daunting trip to Tel Aviv. And through three quarters, it was anybody’s game. However Erazem Lorbek stepped up as Barca took over in the fourth and finished the game on a 6-22 charge to register the win. From that day, Barcelona became the clear Group H favorite and did not let up in finishing the Top 16 undefeated.

Key stat: Barcelona is on pace to set the single-season Euroleague record for fewest points allowed per game. Head Coach Xavi Pascual's team appears to give a defensive clinic each game as it has held teams to just 61.4 points per game. The full-season record belongs to CSKA Moscow, which allowed just 63.1 points per game during the 2008-09 season, during which it edged Barcelona 78-82 in the semifinals at the Final Four. Not surprisingly, Barcelona also leads the league in opponents’ two-point (45.2%) and true-field goal (43.1%) percentages and fewest assists (10.6 apg.).

Key player: Even though Barcelona made a number of significant additions over the summer, the biggest difference between this season and last has been the incredible level two-time All-Euroleague big man Erazem Lorbek has been playing at. He is on pace for a career high in scoring (14.2 ppg.) after leading the team in scoring in more than a third of its games. His fantastic efficiency while doing it in a team setting has been one of the keys to Barcelona’s success thus far.

Key fact: Barcelona is 5-1 this season against teams that eventually made it to the playoffs. And in its five wins against Unics Kazan, Montepaschi Siena and Maccabi Electra, the average margin of victory is 15 points per game! No team this season has as many wins against teams that eventually made it to the playoffs.

Key intangible: One of the many things that strengthen the feelings of Devotion the Euroleague’s dedicated fans have for their favorite teams are the number of homegrown talents they can identify with. For Barcelona, that number is off the chart with superstar and the Euroleague’s all-time leading scorer, Juan Carlos Navarro, Victor Sada, Xavi Rabaseda and super talent Josep Perez all hailing from the club’s academy. Head Coach Xavi Pascual is also a local. With so many Catalans, the connection to the city only lifts FC Barcelona Regal to greater heights.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Euroleague.net
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