After the recent news about the lockout, it seems very likely that the NBA will not have a season this year. That's the reason why every European team is trying to convince some NBA players to spend a season in their roster , where they can keep in shape and make money.
Real Madrid is allegedly trying to get Toronto Raptors' guard Jose Manuel Calderón, who has played in the Spanish league before under Caja Laboral's team. And that's not all.
Real Madrid defeated Unicaja Málaga last Sunday, but our team has already shown its weaknesses. Forward Carlos Suárez is not playing at the level he showed last season, and Martynas Pocius was signed as a defensive asset for that position. That being said, Real Madrid's firepower is being held by Shooting Guard Rudy Fernández. The former Portland Trail Blazer is fulfilling his fan base's confidence in him, many of whom believed he could still play as a star in the Spanish league.
Real Madrid's point guards don't know how to control the tempo of a game, but Calderón, who will liking be signed, would solve that problem. The really important issue, if Súarez could wake up and play like he did last season, lies in the center position. We have Ante Tomic, a Croatian player who is a Gasol-like center. That means he can score many points, but he needs some help in the low post when facing the likes of Schorsanitis, Pekovic, Ndong or Fran Vázquez, some of the most important and physical centers in Europe.
Mirza Begic is not this kind of defensive player in the low post, and Serge Ibaka is a power forward, so we need a true dominant defensive presence in the center position. Marca reported a month ago that Real Madrid was interested in signing Marc Gasol. That would be a perfect signing, since he already knows the league and fits perfectly into that role, but it's hard to believe that Marc and Pau Gasol are going anywhere but Barcelona.
Adidas is reportedly wanting to bring that extra player to Real Madrid, so Dwight Howard would be the perfect target for Real Madrid. AS reported today that the team would be more interested in Blazers' power forward LaMarcus Alridge, who could play in the center position in Europe.
It is still unknown whether Real Madrid is interested in bringing a center or just any kind of player, but expect Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith and even Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan to be linked to Madrid. They all are Adidas players and would fit into the obvious gaps in our team. If Real Madrid wants to compete for the Spanish championship and Euroleague against the Gasol brothers, Schorsanitis, Pekovic, Teodosic and the like they will need to bring some more NBA reinforcements for the remainder of the lockout. It could be risky since no one is sure how long this situation will last, but Florentino Pérez is surely evaluating his options to make the Real Madrid basketball section powerful again, at least for one season.
Real Madrid plays their fourth Euroleague game against Efes Pilsen tomorrow in la Caja Mágica, home of Real Madrid's European games. The game can be watched in Spain's Teledeporte at 20:45 local time.