Bartzokas: “The match against Panathinaikos is particularly important – It is too early to talk about home advantage”

His mark for the derby (14/3, 19:45) of Olympiakou by Panathinaikos for the 29th matchday of the Euroleague, he gave George Bartzokas through the Media Day of Piraeus.

The coach of the “red and whites”, after expressing his optimism for his participation Thomas Walkup in Thursday’s match, he emphasized that this is a match with particular importance.

“Every game is very important, right now we don’t have home advantage as our goal, we haven’t even qualified for the playoffs. Our goal is if possible to be in the top six to avoid the play-ins, if we don’t manage that, to be in the top eight. But definitely, if we get the home advantage we will go after it“, pointed out the 58-year-old coach.

In detail what he said:

For the derby with Panathinaikos: “A game with particular gravity, as everyone obviously understands. Mainly because we are getting close to the end of the regular season, we had and have a very difficult schedule, with teams that have goals, to get to be with a good chance for the playoffs. We had, in my opinion, three very big wins, in Munich, Valencia and Kaunas, we also got Bologna here, which is a very difficult team, without Walkup. So now, again with injury problems, we have to take on another team that is above us in the standings. A very good team, without a doubt, its position proves it. Of course, it goes without saying that the people there have done a very good job. So it will be another difficult game for us, demanding, without our preparation conditions being the best, I mean with the injured. But we are in a good position, we think we have serious luck to win».

For the injured: “Walkup and Williams-Goss will both try to do team training today. Yesterday they didn’t, they took out an individual part. On this occasion, I would like to make a reference to our team doctor and physiotherapists, who are on the field until 10.10-11.00 in the evening and on days off, to do double and triple treatments on Walkup. The grade 2 sprain that he has, requires about 3 weeks to recover and Thomas, if he plays tomorrow, will play after almost ten days, he and the physiotherapists have put in a lot of effort to get his leg back to normal . I would like to make a report about them, because they are more than professional. His leg is still swollen and bruised, but since it’s Walkup we’re talking about, hopefully he’ll play. He’ll put effort into training, I’m not sure, anyone else I’d tell you he wouldn’t play. Gosh is exactly the same situation, he hasn’t done team training, he will try today and maybe tomorrow.”

On what will decide the match against Panathinaikos: “Every game is very important, right now we don’t have home advantage as our goal, we haven’t even qualified for the playoffs. Our goal is, if possible, to be in the top six to avoid the play-in, if we don’t achieve that, to be in the top eight. But definitely, if we get the home advantage we will go after it. At the moment it is too early, I think only Real has managed to qualify and mathematically in the playoffs, there are still many games. Six games, all very important for everyone. Of course it’s a very important match, if Panathinaikos wins we’ll be two points ahead, but if we take it simply, it’s just a match we have to win and we’ll see what we have next.”

For the solutions to the tall ones, when Milutinov also returns and if they are a headache, or disturb the balance of the team: “Both are valid. It’s a question of team chemistry to absorb the shocks of such a situation, it’s a question of the player’s character, not to create a problem. It’s a 100% problem when there are a lot of players who deserve to play. We have a very good team, a very good front line, but unfortunately we never had them all together. So the headache, yes, is pleasant, but it hasn’t occurred to me yet, because when Moses came, Nicola was out. In life you never know what’s going to happen, I never think what’s going to happen in a month when Nikola comes back, so let’s stick to the now».

For which Panathinaikos player would… be locked in the locker room: “Panathinaikos has very important and good players. It seems from the course he has so far. I think it would be a mistake, I never see it that way, I see the coach has done a very good job there, the team is good. They win overall during the year, I don’t see it that way, I think there are many key players in Panathinaikos. You could say that Nan is the best scorer, but Grigonis is having a great year, Slukas always has the quality, Lessor is also having a very good year, Mitoglou. I can’t say, honestly they are very good players».

For the Cup final and the defense of Olympiakos: “It was a game that was decided on defense, offensively we were not good at all, but having some solids in defense, we managed. I think defense always plays a very important role, how tough you are going to be».

On what he’s seen of Petrusev and Wright finishing games together: “I have seen what you have seen. That we become with this front line more flexible, maybe a bit faster and also, no one knows who is “5” and who is “4”, they are two players who can play both face and back, have speed in transition. I didn’t do it on purpose, Petrusev finished the match getting 4-5 very important defensive rebounds and an offensive one, he was very pivotal in the game. I don’t make decisions in advance that someone will finish, it’s a bit of instinct and how things are going on the pitch, and of course how the opponent is playing».