Bartzokas: "Evans returning is very important for us"

Olympiacos beat Karditsa 102–82 in the 6th round of the Stoiximan GBL, and Giorgos Bartzokas spoke at the post-game press conference about the victory and the return of Keenan Evans to action.

In his opening statement, Giorgos Bartzokas said: “I’d like to mention two things about today’s game. The first is Keenan’s return, which is very important for us. I want to wish him good health, because his talent and basketball quality are undeniable. The second is the great atmosphere. Once again, in a midday game, we saw families and children in the stands who I think enjoyed the game; it was quite entertaining, and obviously Karditsa contributed to that. They played very well, and I wish them all the best in their European and domestic games.”

The Olympiacos coach then answered a question about Keenan Evans, saying: “This whole process has gone through many stages, as is natural. For a long time, he was more of a patient than an athlete, and feeling like an athlete again is very important. His entire last season was about rehabilitation, so essentially, we were waiting for him to play this year.

The injury he came back from is a very difficult one, as everyone knows, and he even suffered a relapse in the other leg, which set him back about a month and a half. Because he was putting more weight on one leg, the recovery was further delayed. That period was psychologically very hard for him; he was really struggling. I’m happy to see him smiling again, because doing what he does best, playing basketball, is very important for us and for the quality he brings to the team. Of course, he still needs rhythm and game time. The demands in the EuroLeague are not the same as in a Greek League game, but we have the right mindset and patience for him to gradually regain his form and return to full strength.”

You can watch the entire press conference in the VIDEO below.