ESP - Abrines gives Orenga something to think about

BARCELONA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - He's young, he's talented and he's on one of the best teams in Europe.

Twenty-year-old Alex Abrines also just ripped apart Real Madrid with a 20-point explosion to lead Barcelona to an 86-75 victory at the Palau Blaugrana.

Nailing four of his five attempts from behind the arc in the weekend clash, the sweet-shooting and athletic Abrines shone on the big stage of the Liga Endesa against a team he and Barca are going to face in Milan on Friday in the semifinals of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague.

"We went 100 percent from the beginning," he said.

"Things have gone well, and we have maintained the intensity until the end of the game.

"Now we have to prepare for the next game, which will be completely different."

Does Abrines have a chance of making Spain's roster for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup?

Of course he does.

The 1.98m forward has done nothing but enhance his prospects of playing for coach Juan Antonio Orenga with some dynamic performances this season.

If he doesn't travel to the World Cup, it will be because of Spain's already crowded and incredibly talented and experienced squad.

Abrines has been a big part of Spain's future since 2011, when he led the country to the U18 European Championship title and was named MVP of the event.

He has averaged seven points in 17 minutes per game in this season's Euroleague, and 7.3ppg in 19mpg in the Spanish Liga Endesa.

Those numbers would be substantially higher if coach Xavier Pascual didn't have to find minutes for some many good players in his squad.

The points haul against Real was a season-high for Abrines, who had scored 17 in back-to-back games against UCAM Murcia and Cajasol Seville earlier in the campaign.

He has made seven of his last 12 shots from long range in Spain and was also five of 10 from the arc in Barcelona's 3-0 sweep of Galatasaray in the Euroleague playoffs.

In Barcelona's 77-76 Copa del Rey final defeat to Real back in February, Abrines only played 6:54 minutes but hit both of his three-balls.

Abrines is also sure to be raising eyebrows in the United States. He was drafted 32nd overall last year by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

FIBA