Basketball | Alba Berlin's new serenity

Jonas Mattisseck (3rd from left) and Co. won an important victory in the Champions League against Bilbao on Wednesday. Photo: imago/camera4+ A year is an eternity in sport. Almost exactly twelve months ago, the uncertainty among Alba's basketball players was almost palpable. After just one win from the first four games of the 2025/26 season, unpleasant questions arose: Is the quality of the revamped Berlin squad sufficient? Is head coach Pedro Calles the right person to lead the change? Or is the former series champion in danger of falling into mediocrity after his financial shrinkage in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL)?

In October 2026, these questions could have been asked again in a slightly different form. In the current season, the Berliners started just as badly as a year ago with only two wins from the first five BBL games. The emphasis is on “would have” because so far there has been no trace of uncertainty among Alba despite the renewed stumbling start. Instead, the Berliners are still brimming with self-confidence after their sensational championship coup against FC Bayern Basketball in June.

»We are at the beginning of the season. It's about growing together in the end. And phases like this are part of it now,” explained Malte Delow after the weak start to the league. In fact, the 25-year-old winger and his teammates are well on their way to achieving a turnaround. In the round of 16 of the BBL Cup, Alba recently knocked defending champions Bamberg out of the competition. And after the home win against Bilbao on Wednesday evening, the Berliners are undefeated at the top of Group G in the Basketball Champions League after three match days.

The 103:100 win against the Spaniards in the Arena at Ostbahnhof was a prime example of everything that is going well and everything that needs to be improved for the reigning German champions. Under the baskets, Alba had problems with Bilbao's physicality without the 2.18 meter tall Norris Agbakoko, who will be out for months due to a broken ankle - also because the new center Yankuba Sima, who was hired just two weeks ago, still needs time to properly integrate into the team.

In addition, Wednesday's game once again revealed how difficult it is for Alba to control games and deliver a consistent performance over the entire 40 minutes. In the second quarter, the Berliners hardly found any answers in defense. And after the break they came out of the locker room too timidly, which led to a 48:61 deficit.

“Then we somehow found a way to turn the game around. That's a quality that we had last year too," said Malte Delow, pleased about the continued stand-up mentality that carried Alba to the title last season and ensured the next successful comeback against Bilbao. Nevertheless, the national player sees his team still far from being at the top level: “We still have to take steps forward defensively,” demanded Delow.

The fact that it was still enough to achieve a deserved victory against a European Cup participant from the strong Spanish league illustrates the great potential that still lies dormant in this Berlin team. Playmaker Martin Hermannsson saw it similarly: "For me, it's always a good sign when we don't play perfectly but still win," said the 32-year-old veteran, who was on the floor for a few fewer minutes than usual against Bilbao after recently recovering from a muscle injury.

On Wednesday, two new additions took over command of the offensive line. The lightning-fast Jordan Ford contributed 21 points and six assists to the victory. His American compatriot Brandon Angel was even more successful, converting all of his ten throws from the field and scoring a total of 24 points. However, the final point once again belonged to an Alba veteran: Justin Bean, the most valuable player in the final series against Bayern, sank the decisive three-point throw eleven seconds before the end to make it 102:98.

The mix of experienced top performers and accurate newcomers is growing ever better together. If the team is spared from further serious injuries, a lot should still be possible for Alba in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Especially if Jack Kayil returns after his calf injury in the coming weeks. The 20-year-old, who was an important piece of the puzzle on the way to the championship last season, is still considered one of the greatest German basketball talents. His planned jump into the NBA in the summer didn't work out, but that doesn't change his importance for the Berliners.

Kayil will definitely be missing from the away game in Bonn on Sunday. If Alba still manages to win in one of the loudest halls in the BBL, the trend reversal would finally be complete in the Bundesliga. And if there is a defeat, they won't worry about the champions either. After all, the season is still long - and only at the end does everything really have to fall into place.

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