Bartzokas and Lee talk about Baskonia
During Olympiacos’ departure for Spain, ahead of the Euroleague’s first, and double-game week against Baskonia and Real Madrid, the team’s coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, as well as Saben Lee, spoke to the Media, commenting on the upcoming European debut.
The Greek coach, when asked about the team’s level of readiness, noted: “I can’t give you percentages. To be honest, I’m also very curious to see how we’ll perform, how the opponents will perform, especially since they, like us, had absences during their pre-season. We don’t even know how many of Baskonia’s injured players will be available. So, it’s best to wait and see how things play out on the court.”
Regarding Frank Ntilikina, who is included in the squad, he clarified: “We have one practice session there tomorrow (30/09), and another after the game, and since our goal is for him to play in the Greek league game on Sunday, he needs to get in some practices with the team. That’s why he’s traveling with us.”
When asked if the game against Baskonia poses any risks: “Without a doubt, 100%. Neither I nor anyone in our team sees this as a game with a clear favorite. It’s a tough Euroleague away match. Things are uncertain regarding what the teams will actually show up. We don’t think of ourselves as favorites. We genuinely have to work very hard on the court to beat a team that pressures all over the court, traps, plays man-to-man press, and imposes a tempo that we’ll need to control. I don’t think there’s any risk of underestimating our opponent; that’s simply not in our mindset.”
On what Ntilikina will bring to Olympiacos' game: “First of all, obviously he brings playmaking, because that’s his position. He’s a point guard, but due to his excellent athleticism and physical profile, he can defend multiple positions beyond the '1'. But he’s also very smart; even in the individual practices we did yesterday and today, he already understands the game very well. I believe he’ll adapt very quickly and be ready to play. From the beginning, we said we wanted to make our team younger, more athletic, and faster; and I believe he will serve that purpose in the best possible way.”
From his side, Saben Lee, when asked what he expects from the Euroleague opener, said: “Just a tough game. They’re a strong, aggressive team. We just have to keep following the coach’s game plan.”
And when asked about the team’s level of preparedness: “I think we made great progress during training camp. I trust this team. The coaching staff has prepared us very well, and I’m excited to get started.”