But in the end, without McGee, how is Cantù doing? The American guard from S.Bernardo was injured during the third quarter of the away match in Livorno, which Cantù managed to win 80-83. He then missed another four matches, with Cantù having two victories (against Cento and Avellino at home) and two defeats (away to Cividale and Vigevano).
The forecast, after all the necessary examinations, was a five-week stop. All things considered – and assuming his return on December 1st in Pesaro – Cantù will be without McGee for a little longer. If the timing is confirmed, Brienza will have to do without its star for tomorrow’s midweek match against Fortitudo Bologna and for the away match in Forlì on Sunday, considering that Cantù will not play on Sunday 24th, due to the postponement of the match to 11 December against Juvi Cremona.
Broadening the scope, Cantù played only one full match, the first, which coincided with the defeat at Orzinuovi. He then had to do without Baldi Rossi for five games and, once the captain returned, he lost McGee. A small load? Not exactly, because an extra was requested from the rest of the team which, in the long run, could have an impact. Especially with a few full weeks of gym work.
The dilemma of whether to return to the market to replace McGee with a foreigner engaged the company right from the start. And, by osmosis, the topic has also taken center stage on social media. The truth is that the company threw itself headlong into looking for various profiles – and some would also have been identified – among EU citizens and Americans with passports. Right from the start, however, it was decided not to waste the US visa, which Cantù still has as a gift, in case of injuries close to the end of the season. The obstacle – this must also be said – was finding players interested in playing a few matches and then being liquidated.
And, to be honest, Nicola Brienza himself – at least publicly – never mentioned that a replacement for McGee was an emergency, on the contrary. He has always defended the group, making it further responsible, saying that the roster at his disposal could have made up for it, with new ideas and alternative solutions.
In conclusion? Between procurement difficulties, the need for an “extra-budget” and the manager’s sense of responsibility, in the end, McGee’s replacement never arrived.
