So, can Xavi Pascual win this weekend his first tournament in his second stint with Barca

Xavi Pascual is, without any doubt, one of the best coaches in Europe, and a key person in the history of Barcelona's basketball section. This season, after a very bad start in the domestic league, he was tasked to return to what was his home until 2016, with a roster which has both many deficiencies and a lot talent.

The outlook:

Xavi's return sparked a very good winning streak, which saw Barca rise in the standings of the ACB and the Euroleague, however, in the past few weeks, it seems like the Catalan's engine has stalled. First came some close losses, then injuries, then some small losing streaks, and an overall downturn in the quality of play. Of course, the reason is quite easy to understand; Barcelona does not have a healthy roster, and while 1-2 signings are necessary, they do not seem likely. For Barca Nuñez has been injured the whole year. Laprovittola came back from a very serious injuries, and has missed about a month and a half this season due to other health issues. Punter (most likely to miss 2 Copa Del Rey in a row) and Satoransky both got injured in the same game, while Vesely also got injured in Barca's last Euroleague game before the Cup. To add to this, Fall has not been good enough all year long, and Barca needs to replace him. Both Alibegovic and Silva, which where rumoured to join, did not sign for Barca, in the end and Barca, as a result, has a very limited roster available. The depth Chart, as of now looks like This:

Laprovittola-Marcos

Brizuela-Cale-Kusturica

Clyburn-Parra

Shengelia-Norris

Hernangomez-Fall-Keyta

Even with 2 youngsters, the squad depth does not look numbers wise, let alone quality wise. Barcelona needs signings, but they did not pursue anyone.

What can stop Barca in their Cup run:

Basically everyone, that is the magic of the Cup. Murcia is always a tough team to beat, but on paper, they are the easiest opponent for Barca in a title path. A semi awaits either against a very experiences Tenerife team, which knows how to prepare a KO competition, or Baskonia, an Euroleague team with an upwards trajectory this year. Then a final vs Euroleague team and host Valencia, which is steadily in the top4 of the European standings, Unicaja, which has been the best non-Euroleague side for 3-4 years now, and of course, Real Madrid. Not easy at. Personally, I think Barca can get to the final, but, unless some of their injured players return, I think it is very unlikely they get a W vs Valencia, Real Madrid or Unicaja. Baskonia in the semi is another story, as they are an inconsistent team by nature, who can win and lose against everyone, a style which will clash with the calmness that Pascual brings. 

What needs to happen for Barca to lift the trophy:

The only way Barca gets to the Final and wins it, is if Pascual manages to dominate the games. Without 3 starters, Barca needs to be a disciplined, set heavy offense, only allowed to run in special circumstances. Willy and Fall will need to turn up on defence (which seems impossible), while Lapro and Brizuela will most likely be asked to play 30+ minutes due to the backcourt's lack of depth. Hopefully Keita and Kusturica can give some good mins from the end of the bench, as this competition is very, very demanding. Clyburn and Shengelia are players who have won a lot, so their "been there, done that" experience will be crucial. Cale, Norris and Marcos have to be the glue guys and give at least 15' each of grit and offensive efficiency. I would like to see Norris and Shengelia in the frontcourt as a closing lineup, going small ball, as I do not trust Hernangomez in the end of games. So, to answer to the title's question, Barca has chance albeit small ones. If the Copa happened in early January, it would be safe to say that the situation would be different, as Barca were flying. Now, it could be argued that there are 4 teams with a better shot than Barca (Baskonia, Valencia, Unicaja). Personally, I'd rank Barca as the third favourite, as I can see them getting a victory vs Baskonia, who struggle away from home to reach the Final. However, I do not think Unicaja can get B2B wins against Valencia and Real Madrid, which are for me the top 2 candidates for the Copa Del Rey.