Cruz: "It’s an honor to compete against the best teams from Central and South America"

BUENOS AIRES (DIRECTV Liga de las Américas) – Capitanes de Arecibo has perfect assistance in the Liga de las Americas, representing Puerto Rican basketball internationally. Therefore, it is impossible to imagine the continental league without the team from Arecibo, Puerto Rico. They are historically related.

However, Capitanes' commitment with the LDA regained momentum after the team captured the Baloncesto Superior Nacional title last season.

A team with players such as Renaldo Balkman, David Huertas, David Cortés, Angel Alamo, Denis Clemente and the Americans Donté Greene and D'or Fischer, deserves credit.

The team led by Pachy Cruz will face the 2017 edition with the same responsibility, facing a workload "out of time" for their national competition, but demonstrating unquestionable professionalism.

The coach himself analyzed the situation of the team, warning that the lack of competition is the biggest setback, but noting that the team, which in two editions of the LDA qualified to the Final Four, will try to be a protagonist.

The Liga de las Americas is a traditional tournament for Capitanes. Is there anything special about this participation as current BSN champions?
We always face this tournament very seriously and this year will not be the exception. Although with little preparation time, but with all the players, it consents to the great challenge. To arrive like champions gives us another mood, although our goal is to focus game to game, only thinking about this group in Buenos Aires.

How was the make-up of the team? What is the reality for the tournament?
In December we diagramed the preparation. The players started joining the practices and showed their professionalism, arriving in good condition. We focused on fitness and game pace. That is what complicates us most, since our BSN season starts in April and there are no other teams practicing. We just did a friendly against Ponce. The simulation of game speed is complicated for us, but we work hard to get as ready as possible for the LDA.

What do you think of the qualifying group, which appears to be the most demanding, with San Lorenzo (ARG), Hebraica Macabi (URU) and Bucaneros (VEN)?
It is usual for us to play very solid groups. In fact, we like the competition and this year we are again facing a big challenge. We want to see where we are and this challenge will be extremely interesting to evaluate our group. The team is hungry and focused on the challenge, which will force us to be intense from the start. Being a short event, we cannot leave the field with passivity, and then react.

Why do you think Puerto Rico basketball could never impose its good level in the Liga de las Americas?
In my opinion, I insist, that the LDA and the local tournament not coinciding in the dates is the biggest impediment for the teams of Puerto Rico. Right now we have less than a month of preparation, having only one exhibition game. The pace and condition that the other teams have is much greater than ours. But that is no excuse, we are going to play against great teams and we have to raise our level of play. Being in the LDA is a great challenge for us, and it is an honor to compete against great teams from Central and South America.

FIBA