Papanikolaou: «From now on, there are no easy or hard games»
Olympiacos faces Fenerbahce in the rescheduled 14th round game of the EuroLeague, and Georgios Bartzokas and Kostas Papanikolaou spoke about the importance of the matchup against the reigning European champions.
In his introductory statement about the game, our team’s coach said: “It’s a game under special circumstances. Any additions that teams made after that time cannot play. So Fenerbahce will also have absences, but we will as well; important ones. We will go with the roster we had back then, which, in our opinion, is strong enough to help us win. Fenerbahce rightfully sits in first place; they play the best defense in the league, both in points per possession and in points allowed. They are a tough team. They play with clear roles, and the players have accepted them. A key characteristic is that they have tall guards and mobile big men, which allows them to play different defensive schemes and make many switches. We need to be just as tough and, of course, play our own game. It’s a team that will try to stop our passing game. We must be very aggressive and execute our game plan.”
Regarding the absence of Morris, Joseph, and Jones, Georgios Bartzokas commented: “The positive for us is that Thomas Walkup has returned. Yesterday was the first time he played, and he will be available tomorrow. Also, Ntilikina will be available, so we believe we have two point guards, and the shooting guards we have are the ones available. I think our roster is good enough to compete in games like this. Of course, we recognize the difficulty of it, and we believe that here, in our arena with our fans, it will be a tough atmosphere for them. But it’s still a regular-season game. At the moment we are, if I’m not mistaken, in second place. We want to continue staying in the top positions. Every win counts and is very important right now. As the regular-season games come to a close, it will be important to collect as many wins as possible.”
When asked whether it’s a “crash test” since they are playing the league leaders or simply a home game that Olympiacos must win, the coach replied: “I think the latter approach is the most correct. The game against Panionios yesterday was also a crash test, or the game away against Paris, or against Monaco. Every game carries high expectations for the team. Articles are written afterward about what Olympiacos should change, even though we are first and undefeated in the domestic league and second in the EuroLeague. Then theories appear about what needs to change or improve, which is natural because basketball is very popular; there are so many shows and analysts and everyone has something to say, which is absolutely legitimate. Every team has its own plan. What can we really look at? Yesterday we finished a game in the afternoon and tomorrow we play again. Today’s training session is purely procedural. Those who didn’t play trained individually, and essentially the video session is the real practice. How can we properly practice when we’ve played Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday? That’s the reality. Many times, as I say, you don’t know what to expect even from your own team, not only from the opponent. You are taken aback by what happens, but I hope we’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
The team’s captain, Kostas Papanikolaou said about the game: “It’s certainly a very difficult game. We are playing against a team that has been extremely consistent throughout the season with very good performances. It won’t be an easy matchup. On the other hand, we’ve now entered the final stretch of the season, so there are no easy or difficult games anymore. Any win you can amass, you have to take it in order to have the best possible record. We’re coming from a loss in Monaco against a team that many people thought beforehand we would beat if we were even moderately serious, but we had a very poor performance. So, there’s no clever or special approach to the game. We’re playing against the top ranking team, and we also want to stay near the top, so we want to get the win.”
Regarding the energy he brings on the court even before games and practices, he said: “As you approach the end, you appreciate every minute you’re on the court even more. I realize it’s a very difficult and very long season. Time-wise, we see each other more than we see our families. It’s very important to have moments where we can relax a bit to get through the tough schedule ahead. If we’re constantly on edge, always serious, always focused, it can lead to burnout. Whenever the opportunity arises, there needs to be some relaxation, and that’s what I try to encourage among the guys. We all have a good atmosphere and are on the same wavelength regarding how we treat each other. It’s a huge season with many highs and many lows, lots of travel, and many hours together. You can’t always be about basketball, because burnout will come.”