Bartzokas: "We are ready for a strong game"
Olympiacos traveled to Munich today (October 22), where tomorrow (23/10, 20.30 CET) will face off Bayern for Euroleague’s 5th round.
Talking about the German team, that has a record of three wins and one loss, the ‘reds’ coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, stressed: “It’s not a surprise when a team wins three back to back road games against very strong opponents like Maccabi, Fenerbahce and Alba. The results obviously prove their level. They are a team with players that play more than one position. They can have a very tall line up with perimeter players that have the size and that gives them the ability to play 80 – 90% of the opponents’ offensive players with switches, hence breaking the rhythm. They are a team with some particular strengths, but the also have weaknesses. I believe we are ready to play a strong game and win it if we can.”
Asked whether the presence of Andrea Trinchieri in the bench, during a particular moment for Bayner, since their budget was significantly reduced, combined with many changes in the roster, he replied: “II think the coach has a very big contribution, like always, in both the success and the failures. They are a team that has played well, despite the coach joining them late in the summer, while they did not also perform well during the pre-season. When the season started, nevertheless, they were more than ready! I think his mark on the team is obvious. They are a team that targets the games where the coach believes they have a mismatch, they have a lot of post ups with all their players exactly due to size in the perimeter and they have signed experienced Euroleague players, if we take out Wade Baldwin. For Baldwin, despite this being only his second season, it’s obvious that he has both the talent and the potential. Raynolds, Thomas and practically all the players that wear Baynern’s jersey have been playing at this level for years”.
On his part, Kostas Sloukas, pointed out: “Bayern has very good momentum. They have won three big games and are very high seed. This is extra motivating for us. I think that whoever controls the tempo and is more focused will win tomorrow’s game”.
When asked whether three back to back wins against Panathinaikos, Armani Milano and Maccabi Tel Aviv have boosted the team’s psychology, he stressed: “Wins build a good atmosphere and character. It’s something really important and we have indicated so from the start. We are fine, healthy, we have been working well at practices and we are optimistic about tomorrow’s game. But when we talk about the Euroleague, we talk about a marathon, and whether we have to deal with wins or losses, our emotions should not be particularly swayed”.