Morris: «The coach and my teammates have embraced me» (Vid)
Olympiacos hosts Bayern Munich for Round 21 of the EuroLeague, with Giorgos Bartzokas and Monte Morris making statements ahead of the first home game of 2026.
Giorgos Bartzokas was initially asked about the status of the injured players and replied: “Milutinov is returning. Ward and McKissic have joined full team practices. We still have one more practice tomorrow and then we’ll see and decide who will play. Jones will have his first team practice today. Ntilikina is doubtful. He’s as doubtful as he was the day before yesterday.”
Regarding Jones’ debut, the head coach said: “It’s not the same situation as with Morris. He was playing official games and practicing, which means he’s in good condition right away. Our plan is to bring him in as early as possible, without creating issues in terms of our chemistry. I don’t know when exactly that will be. To be honest, our first practice with him is today, and we’ll see how he adapts. I’d say that an ideal scenario would be for him to play in Karditsa on Sunday. Of course, the next game is against Partizan (note: he is not eligible to play), but the team will keep you informed day by day. There are players coming in and out, so it’s a bit difficult not to miss the mark.”
Speaking about the game against Bayern, Bartzokas stated: “Bayern is playing well. They’ve mainly changed their defensive philosophy under Coach Pesic. They apply more pressure on the ball, even with players who aren’t used to doing so. They’re tougher defensively. They have two big men, Gabriel and McCormack, who are good defenders. They are mobile players. In general, it’s a team that looks different from the Bayern we’re used to. Of course, they also have offensive talent. They have good shooters, experienced players, and a very experienced coach at this level. They’re coming off a win and have one day less to prepare for the game, but we’ve all accepted within the team that respecting the opponent, neither underestimating nor overestimating anyone, leads to good results. A short while ago, when we were leaving to play 4 away games including the League ones, everyone was saying it was a ‘mountain of a schedule.’ In the end, as it turned out, it wasn’t. But things aren’t just as easy now when we’re playing at home. It’s a difficult game and we need to treat it as such.”
The Olympiacos' coach also spoke about integrating injured and new players, saying: “No coach wants players constantly coming in and out. One would like to work with a core group, but that’s the situation. Someone asked me, ‘What’s better, winning a title or being champions of the transfer market?’ Here in Greece, we get excited; mainly our fans. As soon as we sign someone, we think our team is unbeatable. Obviously, it takes a lot of work on the court for that to happen. I would honestly say our roster is very strong. We believe we have the human resources to work at a high level, but that’s a long way from being translated into results, titles, and wins. It takes a lot of work for that to happen.”
Monte Morris also got to speak about his first days of living in Greece: “I really like it here. The food is great, the team, the people. The coach and my teammates have embraced me. I’m trying to get better every day and learn the system every day. I’m adjusting day by day. I’ve been learning since day one and every single day. I’ve only played a few EuroLeague games. We have many games ahead of us, and I’ll try to improve so I can help more.”
The American guard was then asked to comment on the main differences he has noticed between European basketball and the NBA, saying: “There are definitely many differences. The court and the paint are smaller. In the NBA, there’s the 3-second rule in the paint, and there’s more space. It’s about adaptability. Basketball is basketball anywhere you play. The key is making quicker decisions in a smaller space.”
Watch the full statements in the video below...