Bartzokas: «We must step up defensively»

Olympiacos must leave behind the loss to Monaco and focus on tomorrow’s (31/10, 20:15 CET) game against Hapoel Tel Aviv at the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF), for Round 8 of the EuroLeague.

“The numbers never lie in this case,” commented our team’s coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, and continued: “Defensively, we are well below the level we want to be; and the level we’ve had in previous years. This requires good cooperation, but also self-sacrifice, determination, and doing all the little things that matter. At the moment, we’re not doing them consistently; only in certain stretches of the game. And of course, if the game goes wrong, as it did yesterday due to the opponent’s quality and various other factors, we lose. Now we’re facing the best offense in the league; they average 93 points per game. They rank first in many statistical categories. They rely on isolation plays, and they get scoring from their pick-and-roll handlers. Obviously, we need to step up defensively, both individually and as a team. Yesterday, we shot just 18% from three, we took disorganized shots, and played a very open game; yet we still scored 88 points. In these kinds of games, to be able to score effectively, you must start from the defensive end to build confidence, speed, and rhythm. Because in the EuroLeague, talent abounds; if the opponent feels comfortable, you pay for it. That’s what happened yesterday. It’s our job to fix it and to convince the players that this is something we must do consistently.”

For his part, Tyson Ward said: “It’s not a matter of tactics, but of physicality and how long we can sustain it at a high level. We need to start well and see how we can maintain that intensity. We must come out strong; toughness is the most important thing.”