The Palau, surrendered to a Joel Parra who leads the way
There are players who win over a fan base through talent and others who do so by leaving every last drop of energy on the court. Joel Vine He has managed to bring both things together at the start of the season. The Catalan forward is going through one of his best moments since he arrived at the Barça and has become, based on character, dedication and success, one of the most recognizable pieces of the Barça team.
His new role as captain has only strengthened his connection with the Palau Blaugrana. At 26 years old, the player trained at Joventut de Badalona It is being one of the most used in Aleksander’s scheme Sekulic and it is no wonder: he is living the best moment of a career that already pointed out ways from his first years of training, when he won the prestigious L’Hospitalet Tournament and was chosen in the ideal quintet. From the hand of Carles They lastParra debuted with the first team of the Joventut in 2017 and consolidated season after season until making the leap to Barça, where he has already accumulated four seasons.
Vine He is putting up numbers that are reminiscent of his last season in the Olympicwhen he left becoming one of the leaders of the green and black first team and one of the most outstanding players of the Endesa League. Then he averaged 9.6 points and 12.2 rating credits, figures that he now reaches again in rating (12.2), although he has taken a step forward in scoring, with 10.4 points per game. His percentages also reflect his evolution, especially from the perimeter, a facet that he has worked on during the summer and in which he is posting the best records of his career, with an excellent 58.3% success rate in triples.
Turning point in his career
Joel Vine It is character, sacrifice and example of leadership. But it is also improvement. After being left out of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as one of Sergio Scariolo’s last discards for the Pre-Olympicthe Catalan forward decided to turn that blow into a turning point and rethink his physical preparation. He lost 15 kilos to gain agility and energy on the court. “I was very clear and it was evident what I had to improve primarily, the physique, “If I wanted to continue here and be a very important player at Barça.”he then explained.
His evolution is also reflected in the numbers: in his first season in the Palau He averaged 6.4 points and 7.4 rating, practically half of what he signs now. Its reliability is also transferred to the Euroleaguewhere he is the player with the most minutes on the team (25), ahead of Kevin Pointer (24) and Tyrese Martin (23). In the top continental competition, his statistics have also taken a leap, with an outstanding 44% accuracy from the perimeter.
The Palau, surrendered to Joel
Last Friday, Vine unleashed madness in the Palau Blaugrana against him Valencia Basket. He scored four three-pointers in the third quarter, got the crowd out of their seats and set his best three-point mark in a game. Euroleague. His exhibition continued in Malaga, where he scored 17 points in just 19 minutes.
Sekulic trust Vine and the Catalan forward is responding with note, confirming in the latest quotes that his evolution has made him one of the most improved players in recent years at the Palau and a figure who seeks to make history in this renewed Barça.
