Μorris: «We must match up Zalgiris' physicality» (Vid)
Olympiacos departed for Kaunas, where they will face Zalgiris for the 29th round of the EuroLeague.
Giorgos Bartzokas and Monte Morris spoke about the upcoming matchup from the Athens airport a little before take off. Meanwhile, Sasha Vezenkov and Nikola Milutinov were left out of the squad due to injuries, while Giannoulis Larentzakis and Omiros Netzipoglou will join the Greek National Team practices and were also not included in the trip to Lithuania.
The team’s head coach initially addressed the psychological aspect following the loss to Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup final: “Psychologically, we are obviously not at our best. We didn’t play well and we lost the Cup. There is certainly disappointment and frustration within the team, but life goes on and our next obligation is coming up immediately and it’s very demanding. As for our current situation, we also have absences since Milutinov and Vezenkov are not with us. Vezenkov couldn’t overcome his back issue; it’s not too serious, but there wasn’t enough time for further treatment. Milutinov, after suffering a fracture in his hand and trying to play in the final under special circumstances, is not feeling well at the moment and needs to stay out for a few days. So those are the facts; these two are out.”
Asked whether it is positive to have another game immediately after a bad result, Bartzokas commented: “Generally, that’s true. After a loss, it’s good to have a game right away to try to respond. However, the circumstances are a bit special. Zalgiris are a very good and tough team, especially at home. They play very physically, they’re hard to break and they have strong principles. Their results throughout the season, especially at home, prove that. We have absences, but we must be as good as we can, stay competitive, play our game and try to win.”
Regarding how easy it is for Olympiacos to bounce back after the poor Cup final performance, the coach said: “You won’t hear conclusions of that kind from me based on one game. Here, a team is labeled in or out of form because of one game. Obviously, we didn’t play well against Panathinaikos, it was one of our worst games, but many things happened. Dorsey was absent, we had both centers injured, and our team's overall structure was disrupted before the final. We made certain choices with the guards due to the foreign-player restrictions, and maybe they didn’t work out as expected. In practice, I haven’t seen any player who isn’t in good condition. I feel we’re in good shape, and that’s been evident in our previous games. Naturally, losing a Cup final has a bigger impact than any other match up. Now it’s up to us to prove whether we are in form or not.”
From his side, Monte Morris emphasized the team’s current mindset: “We feel good. We watched the video, analyzed some of the mistakes we made and started preparing for tomorrow’s game. We know they play well, especially on their home court. They play hard, and we’ll have to match their physicality and show up stronger.”
On the absences of Vezenkov and Milutinov, Morris added: “It will definitely be tough not to have them with us, but we’re professionals and we have to adopt the ‘next man up’ mentality. We need to be ready for our opportunity. There will definitely be a big gap without Sasha and Milutinov, but with the right mindset we’ll manage.”
Asked about how he sees Olympiacos in the final stretch of the season, Morris replied: “I feel we might have the deepest roster in the EuroLeague in terms of talent. If we come together and raise our defensive level … That’s our goal and that’s what we took from our meeting. We need to be tougher and want it more on defense. I’m preparing myself to be at my peak during the playoffs. That’s what I’m aiming for, and I know the rest of the guys will be ready as well. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing and collect wins so we’re in the best possible position when the playoffs arrive.”
You can watch the full statements in the VIDEO below.