Barztokas: "We will not use it as an excuse"
Following a week of inaction, Olympiacos returns to action tomorrow (26/11, 20.00 CET). The ‘reds’ will be hosting Baskonia at the SEF, for the 11th round of the Euroleague.
Asked about how his team is coping with being ‘struck’ by COVID and how ready they are for the game against the Basques, the coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, stressed: “It’s a question that I think will be addressed to all the coaches during the season. It’s mathematically going to inflict or is already impacting everyone. We cannot be using this fact as an excuse. It’s a game factor that is going to be of course be playing a role, since we are going to be playing without five players tomorrow including Harrison whos is injured. Therefore, we are going to need to be doing some other things in a way that will allow us to be competitive and win the game”.
Talking about the competitive profile of the Spanish team, the ‘reds’ coach said: “There are no surprises in regard to how Baskonia plays. They are the number one team in possessions, that always plays up-tempo and this is prevalent in Spanish basketball in general, but it’s also due to coach Ivanovic. They are a team that obviously pays up-tempo and you saw what happened in the last game they lost. Their coach complained that the opponent matched their tempo and that’s what cost them the game at the end. So, obviously, if you attack the bucket at random and without patience, you don’t move the ball correctly and don’t do all the things that are important to basketball, you are always going to have a problem with this team”.
In relation to the coronavirus and which position has been impacted the most, he replied: “Our front line is very limited right now. You will see that tomorrow. That’s our problem, that some players need to step up one position so as to cover for the total sum of playing time”.
Finally, about the presence of many young players from the developmental team participating his team’s practices and if some of them are included in his plans for tomorrow’s game, he stressed: “They participate our practices and have helped us a lot to have a descent preparation all this time. For me, our problem, beyond the absences and apart from the fact that we haven’t practically practiced for a week due to guaranteeing and successive COVID cases, it’s been long since we played a game. That’s a problem. We played a friendly game on Monday that helped us into that direction, but it’ still a problem that we haven’t played a game of Euroleague intensity”.
«A particular game»
Giannoulis Larentzakis pointed out the many particulars of tomorrow’s game: “It’s a very particular game tomorrow, since we are coming from a week without any games. Baskonia is a dangerous team, they play at high tempo and we need to be very careful”.
On what it is he and his team mates need to be doing despite the many absences in order to get the positive result, he said: “We are going to be giving 100% of what we’ve got. We are going to be play for the guys that will not be with us. We have worked quite well and we really believe in getting the win. We definitely want this game. We are short in the front line. But all of us here are equally capable of covering for the absentees and their void”.