ARG – Granada’s Gianella firmly in contention for Argentina place

BUENOS AIRES (Olympics) - You’ve heard of Pablo Prigioni, Pepe Sanchez, Antonio Porta and Alejandro Montecchia.

All of the point guards have been instrumental in the success of Argentina on the international stage in recent campaigns.

A far more anonymous player, however, Nicolas Gianella of Spanish side Granada could prove to be a difference maker for the defending Olympic champions this summer at the Beijing Games.

With Montecchia, one of the heroes of the 2004 gold-medal winning team, long since retired and Barcelona’s Pepe Sanchez’s decision a few weeks ago to stop play for the national side, Coach Sergio Hernandez is weighing up his options and the 30-year-old Gianella is a leading candidate to fill the void.

Prigioni is the starting playmaker who has continued to thrive at Tau Ceramica this season, helping them reach a fourth consecutive Final Four this week.

But with no Montecchia, no Sanchez and possibly no Porta as the Spartak St Petersburg playmaker attempts to recover from knee surgery, Gianella is getting serious consideration from Hernandez.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people who told me Nicolas has been one of the four or five top guards in Spain for the past two seasons,” Hernandez said to Ole in Argentina.

“We would have problems if we ask him to do what Pepe did.

“If I name him, we should take profit from his virtues. He likes finding holes, using his legs. He has improved his shooting. In Spain, they are used to him being the guide and he is more mature on some of his weaker points.

“I’m calm because I am watching another high-quality guard in him.”

Gianella has averaged 11.5 points and 3.4 assists per game this season with Granada, who are 13th in the very competitive ACB, arguably the strongest league outside the NBA.

Hernandez had hoped that the soon-to-be 31-year-old Sanchez would spend one more summer with Argentina but he decided it was time to shift all of his focus on his club career.

“Pepe was a crucial member of the team,” Hernandez said. “He was the best guard in Japan (at the past World Championships) despite (Theo) Papaloukas being named in the all-tournament team.

“If you can’t count on the best point guard of the last World Championship played just two years ago, it hurts, but I am not hurt by his decision. We must accept that players do not play forever.”

Porta played for Argentina last summer at the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas, when Hernandez’s team reached the final to qualify for the Beijing Games.

”I was aware of Porta’s injury,” Hernandez said. “He thinks he can get to the training camp (July 2) in time, but we must follow his evolution because, beyond physical recovery, we should analyze how the injury affected his basketball form. It’s been a difficult season for him.

“Chicho (Porta) did more than what I expected every time I named him to play in the national team.”

Prigioni is a player that makes Hernandez smile when the name rolls off his lips.

”However, I’ve seen Prigioni in a superlative level when I was in Malaga, proving he still is one of the best guards in Europe. Many people maybe do not consider him a lot, but (Luis) Scola left Tau and he still guides a winning team by being one of the best in assists and steals.”

FIBA