Sphairopoulos: “Olympiacos is hungrier, Red Star is the best player in the Euroleague this year”

In the “keys” to the conquest of the Adriatic League, the championship and the Serbian Cup by Red Star, the Yannis Sfeiropoulosspeaking on the show “Slam Dunk» his Stoiximaview.gr on YouTube. At the same time, the experienced coach spoke about the new season and the plan of the Serbian team, as well as the finals of the Basket League, between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos.

In detail, Yiannis Sfeiropoulos spoke on Stoiximaview.gr’s “Slam Dunk”, about:

– this year’s course of Red Star and the three titles it won: “It was a great year. It wasn’t easy, we had a lot of injuries, we didn’t have a dozen to take down in the end. It was important that we managed to cope with the injuries, we won the cup, we won the ABA League, with 3-0 and a break in Partizan’s stadium and in Serbia, we played the first match, we won it and the second was stopped, we didn’t like how it ended , but this is also a title. We did 3/3, we want to be even more competitive in the Euroleague, we will try to strengthen the team, to cope with its demands”.

– the fact that he took over Olympiakos, Maccabi and Red Star in the middle of the season and succeeded: “The first thing a team you take over wants is to change their mentality. See where he is suffering and give two or three tips quickly, because the obligations are running. You can’t change everything. You can’t go into a group and make them black from white. Until the end, we played a lot of coach Ivanovic’s systems. I had no problem using attacks that can help the team. If I changed 20 systems in the group, although I put 20 systems, but gradually. If we did it all at once, the team would be confused and we would lose at least 1-2 months. So two months if you don’t get results, you don’t do anything. The coach has to adapt to the team that is already running. You can’t stop the running team and put them in your own rhythm. That’s the general philosophy I have.”

– the 8-0 win streak against Zeljko Obradović’s Partizan: “I don’t see it that way. The numbers are for journalists. Every game is special. Basketball, like life, is a cycle. One time you are on a positive streak, the other on a negative streak. My experience tells me that this doesn’t count for much. Obradovic is one of the best, if not the best coach in the history of European and world basketball, his value is undeniable. Who can doubt and with his titles and the teams he has been through and what he has achieved, who can doubt him? No one. He is top notch. Now if we won a series, that doesn’t mean anything to me.”

-what was written about the team’s fiesta after winning the championship: “We had a fiesta, with few people, because we won the championship on paper. We didn’t want to have a fiesta. We don’t like that the championship ended like this. I don’t know if we would have won the second match, maybe yes, maybe not. I don’t know what would happen. We had another match after that at home. We didn’t like it the way it turned out. It wasn’t a fiesta, it was a modest ceremony, with a few people.”

– the Panathinaikos-Olympiakos finals: “I haven’t seen the first game, I saw the second one. In the first match, Panathinaikos was less ready. Milutinov was dominant on the court, he made the difference. In the second match, Panathinaikos was better, especially in the first half. Olympiacos moved up to second place. It was important that Olympiacos reduced the difference before the end of the half. It was a close match and Olympiacos took a lead, which they kept until the end. It is a series that is always interesting. Panathinaikos deserved the Euroleague even more, the image it showed on the field. In the Final 4, it is indisputable that Panathinaikos played better than everyone else. He played very well in defense, but also offensively. His whole course has been amazing, he deserves congratulations. Congratulations are also due to Olympiakos, three consecutive Final 4 is not easy. People want the trophy, but going to the Final 4 is not easy. It may not be a title, but it is an accolade. Olympiacos now looks hungrier, more ready for war, more determined. Panathinaikos may have emptied a bit, but after the 2-0 I expect a reaction”.