Can this man save Madrid?
Devoted BallinEurope reader Radallo dropped us a note the other day to pass along an intriguing little rumor, namely that Real Madrid would be making a play to sign Asseco Prokom’s Qyntel Woods before the ACB playoffs.
Through Radallo’s Italian source for the rumor, Basket Net, BiE was able to track down the original story at Spain-based national sport daily AS. The entire piece detailing Ettore Messina and Madrid’s apparent drive to sign Woods goes something like this:
After eight games with the Regal Barcelona so far this season, Real Madrid has drawn several lessons. Among them, one is very clear: We must find a way to stop Pete Mickeal. The club is trying to sign a scoring forward as an antidote to Mickael. And it has a clear goal before the ACB playoffs: Qyntel Woods of Asseco Prokom, whose adventure with the Polish Euroleague club ended last week against Olympiacos. Real Madrid wanted to sign Woods for the next season.
Woods’ arrival would force the team to release a non-Spanish player to clear roster space.
Woods is the very best that can be found in the international arena. His numbers do not lie: Woods averaged 16.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 31 minutes per game in Euroleague play with Prokom. On 28 October, Woods went for 22 points, six rebounds and four assists (19 rating) against Real, and scored 27 points to go with five rebounds for a 25 rating in the second meeting between the club: Good enough credentials so that Madrid noticed him, considering him a potential antidote to Mickeal. Better late than…
Unfortunately, this rumor does not have, as they say, legs. No other Spanish-language media is reporting this “news” item nor has any other non-Spanish source aside from Basket Net, and no Madrid front-office source has said “yea” or “nay” to this possibility. And while there’s no denying Qyntel would definitely provide something of a boost against the Barcelona machine, one wonders exactly how much Madrid needs to compete with Europe’s baddest team right now.
Ah well, BiE supposes we’ll have clearer answers to both questions after this weekend…
