Real Madrid opened its EuroLeague season with a 78-77 loss on the road against Dubai Basketball, blowing a game that had looked to be under control —the Spanish side led 71-77 with three minutes to play—. Much like what happened a week earlier in the EuroLeague Super Cup, the matchup between the Spanish and Emirati sides was decided by the finest of margins.
The step forward Dubai Basketball has made this summer under Xavi Pascual is already evident, making them a legitimate Final Four contender from the outset. Unless geopolitical circumstances force a change, that Final Four is expected to return to the United Arab Emirates, with Abu Dhabi once again set to host the event.
Real Madrid, of course, will have its sights set on getting there as well. The team has undergone significant changes this summer, starting with the arrival of Pedro Martínez on the bench, followed by the departures of two key players from last season, Mario Hezonja and Trey Lyles. The roster has also welcomed plenty of new faces, although none of them came with the kind of star power attached to some of the biggest names who changed teams during the offseason.
As a result, the Spanish powerhouse is going through a rebuilding process not only in terms of personnel, but also when it comes to its style of play and the distribution of roles. And across the three games they have played so far —the two EuroLeague Super Cup games and the opening EuroLeague matchup— one thing has become increasingly clear in Pedro Martínez’s decision-making: Andrés Feliz is going to be one of his go-to options when games are on the line.
After a genuinely difficult first few months in Madrid, when his adjustment to the club proved challenging, the Dominican guard has steadily grown into one of the team’s pillars. His contributions at both ends of the floor have been highly valued by all three coaches who have led Real Madrid during his time there: Chus Mateo, Sergio Scariolo and now Martínez. At the same time, his offensive responsibility has increased season after season, proving that he is not afraid to take big shots when the pressure is at its highest.
There was perhaps no clearer example than last season’s EuroLeague final against Olympiacos at OAKA. With just seconds remaining, Feliz had a chance to send the game to overtime with a three-pointer. He missed it, but the Dominican did not hesitate to take responsibility again one week ago, when his basket against the Piraeus side proved decisive as Real Madrid became the first-ever EuroLeague Super Cup champion.
Then came the EuroLeague opener against Dubai. Once again, Feliz emerged as the go-to guy on a large share of Real Madrid’s late possessions. He scored five of the team’s final seven points, hitting a three-pointer to make it 70-75 before attacking the basket for a 71-77 lead.
He was then given the green light on four of Real Madrid’s final six shot attempts. Facundo Campazzo and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot took the other two. This time, however, none of Feliz’s attempts found the bottom of the net.
It is true that Feliz may have rushed a couple of decisions in crucial moments against Dubai —most notably when he opted for a quick shot in transition with Real Madrid up 73-77, rather than allowing the clock to run down, only to be blocked by the home defense—. But there is little doubt that Feliz’s determination has convinced Martínez to make him one of his clearest bets in the clutch, that stretch of a game when the ball suddenly feels heavier than its 650 grams and not everyone can keep their heart rate under control.
In that sense, after having Jean Montero as his offensive spearhead in Valencia last season, Martínez appears ready to entrust another Dominican with a starring role. Real Madrid already has several players capable of taking —and making— big shots, although much will depend on how recent signing Nick Smith, who has yet to make his debut, adapts to the team.
Feliz’s rise, however, has been meteoric.
After playing college basketball in the NCAA, the ‘Tiger’ from Guachupita arrived in Spain in February 2021 to join Prat, a LEB Plata team in the country’s third tier. From there, he moved on to Joventut Badalona and, now in his third season as a Real Madrid player, has established himself as a genuine two-way force.
It is a progression that few could have imagined during those first weeks in Madrid.
So, even if Feliz has missed some important shots in recent weeks, there is one thing he has never lacked: the determination to take them. Nor has he lacked the confidence of his coach to keep putting the ball in his hands.
If, when May arrives and the trophies are on the line, we see Feliz knocking down a game-winning shot for Real Madrid, those mistakes along the way will look less like failures and more like part of the construction process.
Because Pedro Martínez’s plan is becoming increasingly clear: ‘The Tiger’ is taking on a bigger role in his system, with the aim of eventually becoming a problem for opposing defenses. Just as Montero was last season.
