The main round in the basketball Bundesliga only ended on Wednesday, and the playoffs begin this Friday.
“That’s unusual,” says Bavaria’s managing director Marko Pesic. The preparation time is short, which is one of the reasons why there is pure excitement right from the start.
ALBA Berlin – Brose Bamberg
The classic used to be in the final. But in recent years, the paths of the two traditional clubs have parted. While ALBA has remained at the top of Germany, the Franconians have also lost clout due to a smaller budget. Nevertheless, the experts expect an exciting series because Bamberg has improved significantly under the new coach Oren Amiel. However, ALBA remains the clear favourite, brimming with self-confidence thanks to eleven wins in a row and the most recent success in Munich.
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – ratiopharm Ulm
The Baden-Württemberg duel is completely open. The MHP giants from Ludwigsburg were recently heavily burdened because of the final four in the Champions League and only ended the main round on Wednesday with a win against Heidelberg. The Ulmer have been plagued by major personnel worries for a few weeks. It will be a special series for Per Günther. The Ulm veteran ends his career after this season. The duels with Ludwigsburg should not be his last appearances.
Telekom Baskets Bonn – Hamburg Towers
Telekom Baskets Bonn have never celebrated as many wins as this season. And that in a season in which much is in the balance because of the withdrawal of Telekom as the namesake. But the new coach Tuomas Iisalo has managed to form a strong team that, led by MVP Parker Jackson-Cartwright, can do anything in the playoffs. The Towers, on the other hand, are uneasy about the announced departure of coach Pedro Calles. That’s another reason why Bonn is the favorite in the series.
Bayern Munich – Niners Chemnitz
The fact that coach Andrea Trinchieri was ailing before the start of the playoffs somehow fits in with the Bayern season. The Munich team had to deal with setbacks again and again, Corona in particular caused Bayern a lot of trouble. Nevertheless, they just missed the Final Four of the Euroleague. With the Niners Chemnitz, a very unpleasant opponent is waiting for Bayern. The Saxons won all three duels in the season so far and are Munich’s feared opponents. The great quality in the squad speaks for Bayern.