The playoffs that will lead to the assignment of the 91st championship in Italian basketball kick off tonight with Roma-Reggio Emilia and Sassari-Cantù, tomorrow the other four teams will take to the field with the matches between Milan-Siena and Varese-Venice. The 2013 playoffs are expected to be uncertain and hard-fought, deriving from a regular season that did not have a true and proper undisputed master as was the case in recent years with Siena, even if Varese must be given a few points more than the others at the start, given the amazing (and unexpected) championship made at the top of the standings from the beginning and deservedly finished in first place (25 years after the last time). In fact, the pairings of the quarterfinals present all challenges on paper, given the trend of the season, very balanced, with only the leaders of the tournament starting with the favors of the prediction on Venice, while for the other crossings it is really difficult to give a few more percentages of passage of the round to each of the contenders.
Grid of the first round that has not received sensational changes following the results of the last day played last weekend, in which there were no surprises. In fact, with Varese and Sassari already sure of the first two positions, Rome maintained its third place (best result of the last 4 years), while Milan managed to defend its fourth place (four positions more than the eighth at the end first leg), keeping Siena behind and earning home advantage in the quarter-final against the Tuscans, who finished far from the top after numerous seasons. The big surprise of the season Reggio Emilia even finished sixth, leaving Cantù behind in seventh place, with its worst placement in recent years, while Venice was already certain of the last position valid for the post-season from the previous week.
So tonight we start with the lower part of the scoreboard: the opening match will be that of Rome between the hosts and Reggio Emilia, with ball two at 20.30, while half an hour later Sassari and Cantù will also take to the floor. As for the first meeting, the two surprises of the championship are certainly challenging each other, with Rome protagonist of an incredible second round, despite a drop in the final, and which can boast the MVP of the regular season Luca Datome (elected 5 years after the last Italian to win this prize, it was Danilo Gallinari in 2007), while on the other side we find the fairy tale of this tournament, but which has shown that it did not get here by chance (it had been missing from the playoffs for 14 years) and that it no intention to stop amazing. A solid team, which relies entirely on the strength of the group (Dalla Salda was recognized as the best manager of the year), and which can count on the triples of the American Troy Bell, devastating if he is in the day.
Sassari-Cantù promises to be another certainly fascinating challenge, with the Sardinians who this year are presenting themselves in these playoffs with a few more chances than the Brianza. In the ranks of the islanders, fresh from a championship always conducted in the top positions and from the prestigious victory on the field of Siena on the last day, one cannot fail to mention Travis Diener, the former Indiana Pacers point guard, soul of the team in the last three seasons with cousin Drake. This year he achieved the record for assists in the tournament (7,5 on average, becoming the king of this special classification for the first time, after two consecutive second places behind Marques Green), and he reaches the decisive phase of the season in an extraordinary form, demonstrating that he is not only a great game constructor, but also that he has excellent finisher skills (33 points against Siena!), a factor that further increases the islanders' already excellent offensive capacity (best attack in the championship by average points scored). For Sassari also two more reinforcements arrived for this final rush: the Slovenian point guard Sani Becirovic and the young American big man Drew Gordon.
Facing the best attack of the tournament will be the team that has conceded the fewest points per game during the regular season, the Cantù team which however this year has had too fluctuating a trend (only six victories in the second round) and which is this first round with a few less credentials than in recent years. Never, however, give up for dead the men of coach Trinchieri, who can line up decisive players such as Tabu, Smith and also the latest arrival (but already positive) Ragland, in addition to the Pianella factor (but the environment of the Pala Serradimigni is not less).
Tomorrow the most awaited challenge between Milan and Siena will conclude the first round and the debut in these playoffs of Varese against Venice, the only team this year to be ahead 2-0 in the direct clashes with the Lombards. Playoffs which from this year already present the novelty of the new format from the quarter-finals with the passage of the round to the best of 7 matches, with consequent tight and exhausting rhythms. It will be played every 48 hours (first two matches on the field of the best classified, third and fourth on the field of the worst classified, then alternating up to the eventual seventh challenge), with the possibility of reaching up to 21 games in the space of 44 days (the the date for the eventual race 7 for the assignment of the tricolor is set for 21 June). All this will further enhance the balance and uncertainty of the various pairings and will guarantee enthusiasts and fans a month and a half of great entertainment.
