Inherits San Pablo Burgos and Movistar Estudiantes, two applicants in trouble
In all the previews of the 2022/23 season of the LEB Oro, the names of three teams were repeated as the main candidates for promotion: MoraBanc Andorra, Hereda San Pablo and Movistar Estudiantes. And of them, only the team from the Principality is meeting expectations, since the block from Burgos and the one from Madrid are not being able to overcome the rest of their rivals in direct confrontations. Both have lost four games against the leaders of the table and in several of them they have not given a very dignified image, a fact that is preventing them from becoming serious candidates for promotion.
In the case of Hereda San Pablo, the failures against rivals who share the goal of jumping up a category began on the second day against Real Valladolid (75-61), fifth ranked; they continued with the first defeat at the Colisem, against Alicante (98-101), sixth, and against the two leaders of the standings, MoraBanc Andorra (83-74) and Zunder Palencia (84-69); and they have had their last precedent against Força Lleida (85-79), which is the fourth classified. Five resounding failures in five attempts to which must be added the unexpected setback against Ourense (95-91), which in this way, fattens the list of defeats to six.
That is, without a doubt, one of the pending tasks for the newcomer Curro Segura, who must find the key that allows his squad to treat the most ambitious teams face to face during the 40 minutes, something that until now has not been possible. has achieved, far from it. The only joy against an opponent in the middle of the table or higher came at the Coliseum against Guuk Gipuzkoa Basket, which is eighth, in a very tight game that was resolved 83-74 but that does not serve to forget the harsh defeats, with stretches of shameful party, before the cocks of the LEBOro.
In this way, Hereda San Pablo only needs to face Movistar Estudiantes itself to have measured the first five classifieds of the LEB Oro. The block from the capital is in third place in the classification having suffered four defeats, all of them against rivals for promotion to the Endesa League. A better balance than the one from Burgos but, by all accounts, could be improved.
The squad coached by Javier Rodríguez made its debut by falling in the Lleida pavilion by a wide and surprising difference of 30 points (96-66) that attracted the ghosts of the previous campaign, in which they also started as candidates to make the leap to the maximum category, but in which they finally saw Marc Gasol’s Basketball Girona took that honor.
However, after that setback, the reaction was immediate: six victories in a row, including a highly commendable one against Real Valladolid at the WiZink Center (81-70), which was the most important of them and also the only one against the strongest teams in the competition since, later, Movistar Estudiantes lost against HLAAlicante at home (89-85) and against MoraBanc Andorra (72-79) at home.
Two consecutive setbacks that responded by improving sensations and balance, as they won five consecutive days. However, in his next direct duel, which took place last weekend, he was unable again. Zunder Palencia won easily (73-83) at a WiZink Center that has already suffered the same disappointments as last season, which reveals the same problem suffered by Hereda San Pablo: none have been able to compete and to win against their direct rivals for promotion.