Bartzokas: «The wait until we found Morris was worth it»

Giorgos Bartzokas spoke at the press conference following Olympiacos’ victory over Kolossos at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

In his opening statement, the team’s head coach said: “I would like to thank the fans who come in such large numbers on a Sunday morning. It turns out that this time slot, which we believed was the right one for our home league games, is very appealing to families, children, and our supporters. With all the events taking place around the court, I think it’s a nice experience for every family. As a team, we need to take a more active part in this process by playing better. As I’ve said before, we actually play better away from home in the Greek league. At home, we sometimes think we can win by just walking onto the court, and each time we rely on the goodwill of two or three players who show more desire than the rest; like Tyler Dorsey did today, along with a few others. I wish Kolossos the best of luck going forward, and I wish all of you happy holidays with your families and good health.”

Then, when asked about Monte Morris’ debut, the Olympiacos coach stated: “The truth is that he’s in better shape than we expected, considering he had been out for a month. I’m extremely pleased with him; he’s exactly what we need. A playmaker who plays for the team, who looks to give the ball to the open player, to the one who’s hot. He understands the game very well, and in my opinion, the patience we showed in finding the player we believed would help us was ultimately worth it. You understand that once he finds his rhythm in several aspects of the game, he will only keep getting better. Overall, he’s a very positive player, he’s had a career in the NBA, and he’s at a very good age, something no one can overlook.”

Afterwards, Bartzokas answered a question related to Giannis Ioannidis, whom he surpassed in games coached with Olympiacos in the Greek league: “I don’t think there’s anyone involved in Greek basketball, of a certain age, who hasn’t seen the impact Giannis Ioannidis had wherever he was, with Aris, Olympiacos, AEK, the National Team. That’s why he was loved. He was a man with incredible passion for this job, and that’s also why many people ‘hated’ him. Those two emotions go together. Obviously, there are more games in the Greek league now than there were in the past, but I would say that for me it’s a great honor simply to have my name mentioned next to his. Everyone follows a path that will be evaluated when it’s over, positively or negatively, once the emotions fade; emotions that are very intense when you’re with Olympiacos, both for me and for others who have worked here.

For now, a big thank you to the Presidents for giving me the opportunity to be here for so long, and a big thank you as well to the fans. Little by little, we’ve grown into a family, and I would say that all of us at Olympiacos now share a basketball philosophy that’s a bit different from the usual one. The fans are more patient with the team, more supportive, because they recognize that there is a very high level of work being done here.”