Bartzokas: «This team has character, whoever says otherwise is wrong» (vid)
In the press conference following Olympiacos’ win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, head coach Giorgos Bartzokas emphasized the importance of finishing first in the regular season, highlighting the contribution of all players, staff, and everyone involved in the team.
In his opening statement, he said: "We’ve finished a very tough, intense, and exhausting Euroleague regular season. We ended up in first place, which to me is remarkable, considering how many players have spent time on the bench, in the stands, or even in the hospital. I really appreciate the effort and contribution of all the players in helping the club finish first, as well as the work done by the staff, doctors, trainers, equipment managers, everyone who played a role in achieving this result. I also want to thank our fans, who were truly supportive throughout the season. I take nothing for granted in life, and I read in the media and on social media that finishing first in the most competitive Euroleague is considered easy, but it's not."
Before taking questions, the Greek coach referred to the passing of someone especially meaningful to him and to Greek basketball: "Today, Vangelis Nikitopoulos passed away, my coach, a legend of AEK and Sporting, and I’d like to say goodbye to him from this platform and dedicate this season’s journey to his memory."
When asked about Moses Wright’s performance, Bartzokas said: "Imagine he was out for four months and was supposed to only play five minutes in his first two games, according to the medical plan. If someone had told us we’d be playing such important games without Milutinov and Fall, without our main playmakers (Walkup, Vildoza), and with Keenan Evans - who was in our plans since last year - still not having played, everyone did an amazing job. But especially the management, who gave us the opportunity to have such a deep roster, allowing us to withstand these absences."
On what Olympiacos needs to do to reach the top of Europe: "We need to continue with the same mindset we’ve had so far. First, we need to get through the playoffS. We need to be healthy. We're waiting for the rest of the players to return. I don’t know how many we’ll have in the end, but I hope as many as possible. We need 10 solid days of practice so we can present a better version of ourselves than what we’ve shown recently. In our last three games - in Berlin, against Panionios, and tonight - we had a lot of assists (30 tonight), which shows that when we play together, we score a lot, even if our free throw percentage was low. We’re waiting for our front line to return - tonight we were lacking in rebounds - and we must avoid giving the opponent easy second chances. So, the key is to stay healthy. This team has character, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. We’ve shown it many times this season. We had 11 away wins - a record in the club’s history - despite not having our full roster available, so I’m very satisfied."