Javier Gancedo spoke to the Gran Canaria forward in the leadup to the EuroCup Finals
Miquel Salvo: 'We are ready for this challenge'
Interviews
8 Mins read
Dreamland Gran Canaria has reached the BKT EuroCup Finals for the third time and has a chance to win its second title, after going all the way in 2023. Do-it-all power forward Miquel Salvo is one of five players that remains on Gran Canaria's roster from that championship-winning team.
Salvo has a reputation for doing a little bit of everything on the court and has the numbers to prove it, averaging 5.2 points on 85.0% free throws, 2.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and a PIR of 7.4. He ranks third all-time in two-point shooting. Salvo has hit 137 of 207 shots inside the arc (66.2% 2FG), only trailing 2009-10 EuroCup MVP Marko Banic (68.0% 2FG) and Ivan Zoroski (66.5%).
Ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 EuroCup Finals, Salvo spoke with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo about the season so far and what lies ahead against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv.
Hello, Miquel. First of all, congratulations on reaching another EuroCup Finals. Let's talk about Game 3 of the semifinals against Bahcesehir. You were very solid and didn't lose control when you were trailing. Was that consistency the biggest key to this game?
"Thanks a lot. Yes, we were expecting a game like this. We were aware that it would be a long game, a game where we couldn't make many mistakes. I think that we already approached Game 2 really well. We prepared against their switching defense really well and how to attack it. I think that in Game 3, we played close to perfection for 40 minutes."
In Game 2, Caleb Homesley literally kept Gran Canaria in the competition with a game-winning three-point play. What do you remember about it?
"Well, I had no doubt about the and-one free throw. I trust Caleb a lot. As for the play, it is one that we have done many times since Jaka arrived, in practice and some games. When I saw he was drawing the play I thought, 'Look, here comes this play again!'. After the game, I had former teammates texting me, AJ Slaughter and some others, saying, 'Wow, he tried that play!'. In the end, when you repeat it so many times in recent years, it sticks in our minds, and it worked in the best moment, in the best scenario. It is a very good play, you make the opponent focus on something else and what happens is completely opposite."
You are one of five Gran Canaria players who won the EuroCup title in 2023, plus Coach Lakovic. How that experience a factor, even when the format is a bit different?
"Exactly. As you say, the format is different. It has changed. It looks like a new competition. It has nothing to do with the single-game quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. The experience that we have reaching this far in the competition should be useful for us. It can give us a plus of tranquility, not just to us but also to the rest of the teammates who have not been in a similar situation."
You lost twice against Hapoel this season. Is that a factor? Can you get something positive out of it in this situation?
"It can go both ways. I hope they are a little bit overconfident after beating us twice and can do it again easily. That way, we would have a bigger chance. On the other hand, we can watch the games that we lost against them and try to improve. We know what to expect from them, they are a team that plays a little different from the rest, with a lot of physicality. It's important to have the right focus, like we did against Bahcesehir, to play two good games, three if needed."
You have won a lot of close games both in the EuroCup and the Spanish League. In the EuroCup, you won the last six games decided by five points ot less. What makes you so solid in the last minutes?
"You have to believe until the end. There have been games that have been difficult for us, in which the other team took a three- or four-point lead in the final minutes. Another team would give up but we didn't. I would say that's it, we have not stopped believing at any time. That's what we did in the quarterfinals and semifinals, playing on the road. We have been able to turn it around and won in very difficult fields. Like you said, we also won close games in the ACB. We know how to fight until the end and had some incredible game finishes, with winning shots in the last second. I think we got to the finals in the best moment of the season, both physically and mentally, and we are ready for this challenge."
Credit to Coach Lakovic, then. How is Jaka as a coach?
"He is very demanding. He doesn't let us relax at any time. He is demanding until the end. He talked to us after Game 3 against Bahcesehir or after our last home win against Unicaja [in the Spanish League] and said he is so demanding because he believes so much in us, and that he lives for these moments. The way he is, how he talks about it and all the basketball that he has inside made all these years with him so good. If you look at his time here as a whole, it has been great."
The core of the teams has been together for many years: you, Nico Brussino, John Shurna and Andrew Albicy. You have been to a thousand battles, winning some and losing some. How important is it and how much of an advantage it is in a situation like this?
"It is very important to have a core of players, like we do. We have seen a lot of teams that have been successful keeping the same core of players for many years. It is not only important for us, because we understand each other by just looking at each other, but for those players who arrive to the team. We have share this club's values, how we work and how we are, how things are done in Gran Canaria. They cannot just come here and do whatever they want: we are here guide them a little bit and have that responsibility to help new players adjust as soon as possible."
Mike Tobey also won the EuroCup with Valencia and Mehdy Ngouama lifted the trophy with Paris. That's seven players that know what it feels like to be a EuroCup champion. It has to be a huge motivation to win it again, right?
"Obviously. Whether it is the EuroCup or any competition, when you lift a trophy and the emotions you feel, it is like a recognition to all the work behind, to the effort you made all season, all the work that the staff did, even our families. We are very far from everywhere and spend many days away from our families. They are here alone for a long time, so it is a reward to all the work we do. Lifting a trophy is like the ultimate recognition to a great season."
Hapoel has changed a lot throughout the season. Which are the main strengths right now?
"Patrick Beverley left and another great player like Yam Madar arrived. We cannot highlight one player in particular. It is a very deep squad, they have 10 players with incredible talent. We have to watch their games carefully because they do have some new players even when they play very similar. Since Itoudis arrived, they play really good basketball and he has succeeded at improving their defense, too. We will see what kind of defense they play. I don't think they will switch as much as they did at the beginning of the season, or like Bahcesehir did in the semifinals, but the way that they play, it stops you from playing our own basketball style, play at our usual pace."
Speaking about your playing style, what do you have to do well to win the EuroCup?
"It all starts with good defense, stop them and control the rebounds. I think we have to run, play at a high pace. We have done this very well against Bahcesehir, and I think it is the way to go. When we run, we create mismatches, disadvantages on their defense, and that's when we feel comfortable. We have been sharing the ball well in this final part of the season. That will be crucial, too."