Bartzokas: “It was just a win, we don’t have to be too optimistic”

Olympiakos impressed at SEF, did what it wanted against Panathinaikos OPAP and turned the 30th EuroLeague game derby into a role-playing show. Despite the general euphoria that prevailed in Faliro, George Bartzokas kept a low profile when it came to the sequel.

Details of George Bartzokas’ statements:

“Congratulations to the players and the fans. It was a complicated game for us beforehand. We only had one day and a bit of training to prepare the players. We invested a lot of energy to win in Kaunas, including the journey. It was questionable for us what kind of energy we would have in this game. The motivation in such games against Panathinaikos is always huge. Especially to our fans who are always urging players to play louder. I want to say it’s just a game and a win down the road for the postseason. We have three games left to finish the regular season, starting with Monaco“.

On how difficult the game was at half-time to convince the players it wasn’t over yet: “The job of a coach is always difficult. If you lose or win big, it’s the same. Players are not machines, they have the right to relax. Anyone who is in sport and does serious analysis and doesn’t say what everyone wants to hear knows that you can lose anywhere and any way. It’s like the NBA. As you can see, the champions lose by 30 points, which can also be seen here. I repeat that in the second ten minutes Panathinaikos defeated us with the offensive rebound, this is how we went into the third where we showed some relaxation. As soon as the difference fell below -20, we reacted well and the difference disappeared sharply“.

Whether he was surprised by the start of his team: “Nothing surprised me, we made others such first ten minutes, like Maccabi. If defense is our constant, there’s a lot we can do. In no way do I want to convey that I recommend that the mother remain inactive. Provided we have a good team“.

Whether the picture with Zalgiris and Panathinaikos is the Olympiacos of the future: “I have no idea, I don’t know. Of course I would like that, but I can’t assume that at the moment, in the sense that – as you know – there is a human factor. It’s not like chess, you just move the pieces. The players have a lot in the season. They don’t know how they will react. In general they have shown stability, which makes me optimistic that we will remain at a similar level in the final months of the season. Our goal is to be serious, we don’t know our upper limit. We don’t need to be too optimistic, because that’s how you get lost. At the end of the year we will give an assessment of what we could and couldn’t do“.

How important is the fact that only three players have played more than 25 minutes in the derby: “The previous game was probably commented negatively that I played basketball in the 90’s, I made a few changes to that. Coaches work with instinct and know the psychology of the players better than anyone. Journalists and the public should comment negatively or positively depending on the result. There are races that give you this ability, others that you cannot change. I don’t know if we have the Barcelona or Real Madrid squad, but we’re very happy and we think it will take us far“.

Whether it is one of the most widely read Olympic Games: “We put pressure on the defense of the most important Panathinaikos players. We built up the opponent’s defense well, we reacted correctly. We have responded to every concern he raised with us“.

On how important it is that Hassan Martin has improved his performance in recent games: “Everyone does their job, I won’t tell you how to do it. If someone is unfair in their criticism of someone, that’s always a nice motivation. The challenge is part of the sport, nobody likes it. We have to stay calm and keep our heads down. Hassan is lighter, healthier and the team trusts him“.

Whether home advantage is the new goal: “We’re clearly going game by game. When I came back, the administration asked me to be back at eight. The way the event is this year, if we finish 5th or 6th, will it be a failure? We want to be ready wherever we play“.