Roger Grimau’s team faces the first duel of the week against Punter and Obradovic’s Partizan
The arrival of the American point guard to Barcelona was taken for granted, but he ended up renewing with the Serbian team
FC Barcelona plays this afternoon (6:30 p.m. CET) the third game of the season in the Euroleague in the demanding Stark Arena, against Partizan. After also defeating at home Olympiacos on the last day and seal the second victory in two games, those of Roger Grimau They want to confirm the good line with which they have started the competition, in which it will be the third match in five days, after having played a match last Sunday. Endesa League Roger Grimau’s team faces the first duel of the week against Punter and Obradovic’s Partizan
The Serbian team’s track is one of the most ‘hot’ from the continent, and the atmosphere that is breathed in any Partizan match already gives an incentive to the duel. Today also, Barça will meet again with Kevin Punter who aimed to wear the Barça shirt this season, but which finally ended up being renewed by the team Zejko Obradovic.
An ‘advanced operation’ to sign for Barça that fell out
The arrival of Punter, who finished his contract last summer, was taken for granted after sources close to Barça confirmed that the operation was very advanced and that the player had an important offer, to become the leader of the team in every way. So, what happened for Punter to reject Barça and end up renewing for Partizan?
Money, a compelling reason
The first question is economic, although it is true that with nuances. The ‘Eurohoops’ portal has revealed the best salaries in the Euroleague for yet another season, and after its renewal for two more seasons with Partizan, Kevin Punter has secured a total of 5.2 million net dollars, that is, 2.6 per season, something that makes him the third highest paid player in the competition behind of Shane Larkin ($4 million) and Kostas Sloukas (2.8 million). Of course, the portal ensures that Barça’s offer was superior to the one signed with the Serbians, and that if accepted, Punter would surpass Sloukas’ figure in Panathinaikos, so the proposal was close to the 3 million ‘clean’ dollars by season.
The figure of Obradovic
Money is important, but taking into account how ‘attractive’ the two financial proposals were, Partizán had a factor that Barça could not match: the figure of a Zeljko Obradovic who already recruited Punter in 2021, after having reached the Euroleague Final Four with Olympia Milano, to sign for the Belgrade team and compete for the Eurocup, a slowdown in the player’s sporting progression.
Obradovic, key in the renewal of Punter by Partizan
| EFE
“I like the game that Obradovic proposes, I am the captain of the team. There was a lot of noise, but I decided to stay in Partizan,” explained the player last summer once his continuity in Serbia was certified. “They seek to be great, they want to win, play the best basketball as a team and improve your players to the maximum. And I like”, The player confessed in an interview a few months ago in ‘Gigantes’.
Partizan’s bet on Punter and LeDay
Partizan has lost important pieces from last season who have been practically impossible to retain. Dante Exum I come back to the NBA from the hand of the Dallas Mavericks Mathias Lessort has been one of the great bets of Panathinaikos in the market or the young Yam Madar has decided to emigrate to Türkiye with the help of Fenerbahce. Taking into account that the Serbian team had to distribute the money among its stars, the bets were Zach LeDay and Kevin Punter, something that has also been relevant when it comes to feeling valued by his current club.
Kevin Punter, at the Wizink Center
| EFE
Furthermore, after almost qualifying for the Final Four last season after leaving Wizink with a 0-2 in the quarterfinals, and seeing how the real Madrid was capable of turning the situation around in a tie marked by the unfortunate incidents of the second match, Punter, with that competitive nature that allows him to make a difference in Europe, will surely want to take the ‘vendetta’ and try to fight for the title one more season.
Punter, with the gunpowder wet in the triple
Partizan has started the course with a victory and a defeat in the first two Euroleague games. Pointer has scored 11 points in every game, but with a deficit important in its external launch: 1 triple converted after eight attempts. It remains to be seen if against Barça, the Bronx guard continues with the wet gunpowder.