Bartzokas: «An outstanding game for 35 minutes»
Giorgos Bartzokas commented as follows at the press conference after Olympiacos’ game against Fenerbahce for the rescheduled game of the 14th EuroLeague round.
In his opening statement about the game, the Olympiacos coach said: “I would obviously like to congratulate our players because they delivered a very good performance today. It was a game under unusual circumstances. I mean the absences of key players on both teams. But both teams played well, and I think that for 35 minutes we played an outstanding game. Our fans helped a lot in that direction. I thank them very much.”
Regarding Thomas Walkup’s stats in today’s game, the coach commented: “I’ve been with the team for six and a half years in my second stint, and Thomas has been here for five. Usually, this discussion is about how important a player he is. I think everyone understands that. The way he defends, how he leads the team, how simply he plays, and how he makes his teammates better.”
When asked about how motivated Fournier is after the semifinal loss in Abu Dhabi, Giorgos Bartzokas replied: “I don’t know if it has made him more determined. An athlete who has played so many years at the highest level has motivation every day. The interview he gave to L’Equipe says it all. He said he works at 150% in practice, which is true, and I can assure you of that. This happens whether we lose a semifinal or win the championship. That’s who he is, and what we shouldn’t ask from players is to be superhuman. Sometimes they will play well, and sometimes they won’t. There are so many games. The positive thing for us is that we now have enough players, and even if someone doesn’t play well, someone else might. In general, I think this win solidifies our position among the top 6 teams. I don’t mean mathematically, of course, but I think it’s an important win. From there on, if we manage things well and keep the same approach, meaning focusing only on the game against Baskonia, we will aim for the best possible outcome.”
Bartzokas was then asked about preparing for the game against Baskonia: “There’s no fixed approach to this. We played a good game in Paris and a gave poor team performance in Monaco. Of course, we shouldn’t underestimate teams with absences. Often, they become more united, play harder, and have strong motivation. I repeat, it’s neither easy nor difficult. At this point, we have some players, and we need to understand that the points we gained from today’s win are the same as those we’ll gain if we win on Thursday. We need to reach the required number of wins to achieve the best possible ranking. Tomorrow we will review Baskonia’s defense, the day after their offense, and then play the game. The players who didn’t play today will train more than those who did. That’s our routine. With so many games, the influence of coaches gradually becomes smaller. The schedule is very demanding. Honestly, I feel exhausted; imagine the players. April will be a more manageable month for us. This month is very tough.”
You can watch the full press conference in the VIDEO below.