Jaime Pradilla and Real Madrid under Pedro Martínez: The running and passing game begins with one question

Real Madrid went through a rare, empty season. For a club with that winning culture, finishing without a trophy was not just a bad year. It was proof that the old structure had reached its limit. The response came through a full overhaul: Pedro Martínez took over as head coach, new players arrived from European competitions and the G League, and among them was Jaime Pradilla. At the official EuroLeague Media Day, Pradilla spoke to Eurohoops. He did not talk about pressure. He talked about how Real Madrid will play. “Everyone knows Pedro. He likes a dynamic, joyful game. We will see a team that runs a lot, passes the ball and creates many transition situations,” Pradilla said. On the surface, that sounds like a safe answer from a new signing. But within context, it is a message about revolution. Last season, Pradilla won the ACB with Valencia Basket and reached the EuroLeague Final Four. He arrived at Real Madrid with his value high. He is not a traditional low-post center. He moves constantly, runs the floor and reads space well. That style fits Pedro Martínez’s philosophy perfectly. At Valencia, Pradilla was not asked to finish every action with one shot. He helped create tempo. When the ball moved quickly, opposing defenses stretched. When the team ran in transition, Pradilla ran to the rim, dragged a defender and created space for teammates. He describes himself with the phrase “dynamism, energy and positivity”. He seems to understand that he does not need to score a lot for Real Madrid. He needs to make everyone around him play better. Real Madrid changed more than the coach. They changed how they see strength. In previous seasons, they depended on star moments. Pedro Martínez wants a collective team that attacks and defends together. That is why players who read the game quickly are so valuable. The market had many big names this summer, but Real Madrid quietly added someone who can translate the system to the rest of the roster. Competition in the frontcourt is intense. There are different types of big men, and Martínez may need different solutions on different nights. Sometimes he will want a classic center protecting the paint. At other times, he will need a mobile forward like Pradilla who can run, screen and make quick decisions. The system is built on flexibility, not fixed roles. Pradilla was asked whether Martínez had asked him to do something new. “No, it is the same thing we have been talking about. He has a dynamic game, many transitions. That is what we are building. I know him from before, so I can give my point of view to my teammates and help them adapt as soon as possible,” he said. He was not signed simply to play for the coach. He was signed to connect the coach to the rest of the team. Fans are often attracted to big contracts. But a new team cannot work on talent alone. Someone has to make other players’ talents shine. Pradilla is one of those players. He may not appear in the most spectacular highlights, but he will be in the most important spaces. Modern basketball works this way: not everyone needs to score, but everyone needs to create space. Based on my experience watching Valencia last season, I remember how Pradilla pulled opposing centers out of the paint so his teammates could cut to the rim. His numbers were not impressive in those plays, but his impact was obvious. Real Madrid need that kind of sacrifice to build their new identity. Pedro Martínez is known as a demanding coach who values team play. He wants an offense with rhythm. That takes time, but Pradilla already understands the language. He is not starting from zero. He is starting from the moment where new teammates are still looking for answers. His value will be measured by how quickly the whole team improves, not by his scoring average. Of course, life at Real Madrid will be more competitive than at Valencia. Every practice is a test. Pradilla may have to fight for minutes. But the way he talks about last season shows a player who has been prepared. “That season helped me improve in game and in personal maturity. I gained experience in a Final Four and in another ACB final. It gives me more experience in key moments,” he said. Pradilla does not speak about winning trophies with anxiety. He speaks about it with an understanding that Real Madrid competes to win. When asked about his goals one year from now, he said: “Personally, I want to keep growing and improving as a person and player. About titles, the season will answer.” That is not a promise of statistics. It is a promise of process. In a new team, process matters more than instant results. Real Madrid’s first test may come in Abu Dhabi, in the EuroLeague Super Cup. There will be mistakes and missed connections. But the way Pradilla repeats the words “transition” and “movement” is a clue that they are heading in the right direction. The biggest question is not whether Real Madrid will dominate immediately. The question is whether they have the patience to build something sustainable under pressure. Every result is a deliberate lie if we only read the final score. But basketball never ends with the buzzer. It ends with a question. Jaime Pradilla just asked the first one: are you ready to run faster, share the ball and trust each other? The answer starts in Abu Dhabi.