In basketball, there’s an old saying that goes, “you can’t teach size.”
It’s the same line of thinking that’s duped countless general managers and front office executives into shelling out millions of dollars to undeserving big men and splurging on elusive seven-footers in the draft lottery when they weren’t deserving of such stature.
But that old phrase also holds a certain level of validity even in today’s ever-changing game and in Spain’s 93-56 rout of the Czech Republic at EuroBasket Saturday, it rang true.
Behind big men Pau and Marc Gasol, and Willy Hernangomez, Spain outrebounded the Czech Republic 50-28, shot an efficient 27-47 (57%) from two-point range and had Washington Wizards’ guard Tomas Satoransky and his side in a stranglehold from the opening tip.