Bartzokas: “I really like Mitrou Long, he is a safe choice”

Giorgos Bartzokas spoke about the acquisition of Naz Mitrou-Long, in his statements ahead of Olympiakos’ match with Zalgikirs for the tenth matchday of the Euroleague.

The coach of the “red and white” referred to the elements that the Greek-Canadian will add to the team as a whole, describing him as a safe choice.

In detail, what he said about the match against Zalgiris:

For Williams-Goss: “It’s nice to have returns, but we’re still not complete. Gosh is out, but we generally have returns. We believe we will have more depth on our roster tomorrow. Goss is improving, but he will need to have another MRI to see his progress and where he is at.”

On whether he is thinking of making a change in the league roster: “It’s not something we’ve thought about. We won’t do anything right away. We will have to reassess the situation of all the players and I don’t just mean his injury, but also the form they are in.”

For Mitrou-Long: “He didn’t start training, because he will have a medical in the afternoon. Yesterday he came, but he is here on the field to meet his teammates. I am very happy with this choice. He is safe in the sense that he will have a Greek passport because he is Greek and I consider that very important. But also competitively he is a player that I like very much. He plays at both ends of the court very well, so for me that’s always important.”

On how he came to choose Mitro-Long: “First of all, he is a player who plays with great intensity and energy. He is a player who plays for the team, he is a very good defender on the ball and he is also a very good shooter. Every team system is different. A player may or may not fit a certain system. Also, there are human relationships. A coach can match a player or not, it is neither the fault of the one nor the other. It’s purely a matter of human chemistry. I believe that based on the data at the moment, we had to make this move and of course the presidents also agreed to it, that we are taking a player, we are strengthening our Greek core, but he is a player who has the level. It’s clear. A player who was on the radar of NBA teams for many years, was between being NBA and not being. At the same time he is a very positive character. This information is from everyone I spoke to. A kid who is loved by everyone in the team. I think it’s a safe choice for me.”

For Zalgiris: “In the beginning, he lost to Panathinaikos, as he lost. He made five-six errors in the last attacks, to lose on the point. That means he controlled the away game. I think that anyone who knows basketball and watches the Euroleague, that it is a team that always goes to play for the win. They have a very good execution offensively, they make good screens, they have good plays, they have homogeneity with the coach and a body of players. And also defensively they are a team that attacks the ball. You also have to have good execution, be patient, stay on target and pass the ball well. Because it is a team, I repeat, that although it can be considered a home team, due to its audience and the field that is always sold out, it always plays well away from home. It’s a team that’s solid I’d say and you can’t under any circumstances underestimate them.”