Bayern is gearing up for the upcoming EuroLeague season with a significantly revamped roster compared to the previous one, and with Pablo Laso at the helm.
Following a (relatively) unsuccessful basketball year, largely marred by numerous injuries, Bayern decided to make some summer changes and turn a new page when it comes to the team’s roster and head coach.
With the arrival of Pablo Laso, it’s clear that ambitions are set much higher than they were in the past year. The Spanish expeert has brought in a few NBA reinforcements, with expectations that they will transform Bayern into a serious playoff contender in the coming period.
Revolution in Munich
Bayern is entering the new season with a new coach. Andrea Trinchieri departed Munich after another disappointing end to their Bundesliga campaign, making way for Pablo Laso. One of the most successful European coaches of the 21st century aims to make significant strides with the Bavarians, and several changes were made to the roster during the summer.
It all began quietly with the arrivals of Danko Brankovic, Sylvain Francisco and Leandro Bolmaro, followed by the signing of the duo from Fenerbahce – Carsen Edwards and Devin Booker. To cap it off, Bayern made a big splash by bringing in Serge Ibaka, plus Dino Radoncic, who had previously worked with Laso, also joined the team. Among the returning players are those who bring value to the roster. Vladimir Lucic‘s primary goal will be to avoid injuries, which he struggled with in previous years, while Andreas Obst had a fantastic World Cup. Freddie Gillespie has much greater potential than he showed last year, and Isaac Bonga and Nick Weiler-Babb are expected to play crucial roles.
While it appears that Laso will have a more talented team on paper compared to what Trinchieri had at his disposal in the previous season, it’s still challenging to believe they can reach the playoffs. Securing the 10th position and a play-in spot would be a fantastic outcome, but it’s more realistic to expect this in Laso’s second season.
Euroleague Preview – Bayern: Roster for the upcoming season
Carsen Edwards /180cm/ – USA
Sylvain Francisco /186cm/ – FRA
Nelson Weidemann /190cm/ – GER
Andreas Obst /191cm/ – GER
Nick Weiler-Babb /196cm/ – GER
Leandro Bolmaro /198cm/ – ARG
Niels Giffey /200cm/ – GER
Ellias Haris /203cm/ – GER
Vladimir Lucic /204cm/ – SRB
Isaac Bonga /204cm/ – GER
Devin Booker /206cm/ – USA
Freddie Gillespie /206cm/ – USA
Jan-Niklas Wimberg /206cm/ – GER
Serge Ibaka /208cm/ – ESP
Danko Brankovic /216cm/ – CRO
Departures: Corey Walden, Zan Mark Sisko, Zylan Cheatham, Paul Zipser, Ognjen Jaramaz, Cassius Winston, D.J. Seeley
Arrivals: Carsen Edwards, Sylvain Francisco, Leandro Bolmaro, Devin Booker, Serge Ibaka, Danko Brankovic
EuroLeague Preview – Bayern: Greatest success in the competition
Bayern Munich’s basketball club has historically lived in the shadow of its immensely successful football counterpart. It’s only in the last decade that the Bavarians started to seriously invest in their basketball team, which has yielded positive results both domestically and in Europe.
It all began in the 2013/14 season when EuroLeague gave a special invitation to Bayern, recognizing them as a project with great potential. Right from their debut, Bayern made it to the Top 16 stage of the competition, leaving teams like Montepaschi and Zielona Gora behind. The following years marked significant growth for the club, thanks to coaching names such as Svetislav Pesic, Aleksandar Djordjevic, Dejan Radonjic and Andrea Trinchieri.
Bayern achieved its greatest successes in the elite competition under the guidance of Trinchieri, who came tantalizingly close to reaching the Final Four on two occasions. The Munich club first entered the EuroLeague playoffs in the 2020/2021 season, narrowly losing to Milano 3-2 in the series. The next year, they were eliminated at the same stage by Barcelona (3-2).
The previous season ended much worse than the two before it, resulting in the dismissal of Trinchieri. Pablo Laso has since taken his place, and there are high expectations for him in the coming years, with hopes that his leadership will produce performances similar to those in the first two seasons under Andrea’s guidance.
Few words about the head coach – Pablo Laso
There’s no need to say too much about a coach who spent 11 years on the bench of Real Madrid, winning two EuroLeague titles, six national championships, and an equal number of domestic cups. Pablo Laso is undoubtedly the man most responsible for creating the modern “Royal Club,” which even in the season just past, climbed to the top of Europe under the coaching of his former assistant, Chus Mateo.
After a successful playing career, the Spanish strategist took over as the head coach of Castellon in the 2003/2004 season. Good results earned him a stint at Valencia, but he only stayed at the helm of the “Taronges” for a year. He spent the next two seasons with Cantabria and Gipuzkoa before taking the reins of Real Madrid in 2011.
Although initially questioned due to Real Madrid’s elimination in the EuroLeague Top 16, Laso justified the trust placed in him by the club’s management in the years that followed and restored the glory days to the Spanish capital’s team. The celebrated coach unfairly received his dismissal from Real Madrid after suffering a heart attack, from which he fully recovered in a short period.
During the summer, numerous clubs and even national teams showed interest in Laso, but he chose Bayern, believing that the team has significant potential in the years ahead.
EuroLeague Preview – Bayern: Expectations
Considering that Pablo Laso has only recently taken charge of the Bayern team, it’s not realistic to expect instant success in the first season. It will undoubtedly take some time for the pieces to fall into place at Bayern, but it’s clear that the team under the guidance of the seasoned coach mentioned above has significant potential in the years to come. It would be fair to say that, at best, Bayern Munich may find themselves in the play-in zone next season.
It seems that Bayern has made some excellent acquisitions in recent times, with special emphasis on Carsen Edwards and Serge Ibaka. It appears that the former Fenerbahce player didn’t get the opportunity he deserved under Dimitris Itoudis, and this season, he might showcase his full potential. On the other hand, there’s no need to emphasize too much what Ibaka brings to Bayern in terms of quality and experience.
There will also be high expectations this season for Andreas Obst, who, with his outstanding performances at the FIBA World Cup, demonstrated his potential to become one of the leaders of this generation of Bayern players.