Real Madrid's second unit has increased its scoring output throughout pre-season, achieving a 74-113 victory against Unicaja in the Costa del Sol Tournament. Pedro Martínez is looking for consistency from the bench to tackle the double game weeks of Liga Endesa and EuroLeague.
The performance of the Real Madrid substitutes has improved during the summer preparation. The second unit started with inconsistencies in their setback against Río Breogán in Pontevedra (110-102), followed by a scoring exhibition against Baskonia in León (121-80), and concluded with a victory in the Costa del Sol Tournament after defeating Unicaja from Málaga 74-113, as reported by solobasket.com.
The pattern repeats in the friendlies: when rotations come in, the team does not slow its scoring and punishes the opponent's fatigue. This continuity in pace is what Pedro Martínez seeks for the second unit to maintain their level when the double game weeks of Liga Endesa and EuroLeague begin.
Pedro Martínez's tactical design is based on three pillars. In the direction, the alternation at the point guard position between Theo Maledon and Andrés Feliz maintains defensive pressure on the opposing ball handler without overloading the first unit with minutes or fouls.
At the four position, the rotation with versatile profiles like Gabriel Deck and Chima Okeke provides physicality in defensive rebounding and the ability to run the transition after a recovery. In the paint, Olivier Sarr's drive to the basket creates defensive fixations that free up the corners for the second unit's shooters.
The demands of a compressed schedule make bench production a determining factor. Maintaining an average close to 50 or 60 points from the substitutes would allow Pedro Martínez to manage his key players and arrive fresh for tight finishes.
The next step for the white team will be to transfer that scoring consistency from pre-season to official matches. The start of the domestic and European competition will determine whether the second unit confirms the performance leap shown in the summer.
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