Bartzokas and Peters on Monaco (vid)
Aiming to its 4th consecutive Euroleague win, Olympiacos will be hosting Monaco at the SEF tomorrow (04/01, 20.15 CET).
"Tactically, it's a totally different game compared to the one vs Armani. On the other hand, its importance is the same", was what the 'red & whites' coach, Giorgos Bartzokas pointed out. "Each game is significant at this point in the season, when many teams battle to be among the ten ones that are going to contest for their qualification. We have nothing else to do than readjust our plans a bit, mainly in regard to tactics, what it is we should be doing, what are the keys to the game that we need to focus on. Of course, we expect a competitive game with a team that has lots of talent, that is second in points scored in the pain, with players with special talent like Mike James and Okobo obviously are, but also like the rest of their guards. They also have athleticism. The games against Monaco are always difficult for us. I hope that tomorrow we are who must be to win".
Asked about the massive and uninterrupted support the team has been enjoying from their fans, he stressed: "I think it's important. It's a huge feat for Olympiacos. Since when I came back to the team, four years ago, we dealt with covid the first one, but then, we created a trusting relationship with them. Or if you prefer, the show we put on is good for those who come to see us. People 'fight' to secure tickets to our games. We see that too".
On his part, the American forward, Alec Peters, pointed out: "The games vs Monaco are always tough, with the exception of last season's final four semi-final. We haven't always had the results we wanted to against Monaco and we want to change that tomorrow".
Asked whether there is a specific defensive plan to take Mike James 'off his game', he replied: "Stopping Mike James is one thing. I don't think though that we have to approach the game this way, that is thinking of how to stop him. What we can do, is to make it hard for him as a team, play group defense. It's not a one-on-one game, it's Olympiacos against Monaco and we want to play our best game tomorrow".
WATCH EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID DURING THE MEDIA DAY IN THE VIDEO THAT FOLLOWS…