Panathinaikos is hosted by Zalgiris in Kaunas (20:00) for the 11th matchday of the EuroLeague, and he received… instructions to succeed from one of the most suitable people regarding this particular game.
In detail, Giorgos Vovoras, former coach of the “greens” and now of the Lithuanian team Neptune“hosted” on EEC WebRadio and “outlined” her profile Zalgirisemphasizing what the “clover” should pay attention to in order to get away with it pink leaf from “Zalgirio Arena”.
In detail what he said:
For Zalgiris’ progress so far: “This year’s Zalgiris team made a very serious investment. It’s the first year they’ve had a 15-man roster because, like all teams, they see roster depth as very important for a full year. They started with a lot of excitement, they made some big wins. In the 1st game against Barcelona, ​​which I saw up close, they played excellently. The “key” point was the victory in Milan, where from -27 they turned the game around and it gave them a lot of confidence. Certainly the three defeats they have made in a row is something that all teams will go through, a difficult period, but this is the Euroleague, you can’t think about what happened two games ago”.
About Zalgiris features: “They are a team that, especially at home, will play with tremendous intensity. Today, Panathinaikos will face a team that will play very physical from the first minute. It also has the players, I think this is the “key” for this year’s Zalgiris. He has a lot of guys with good size and a lot of intensity, so he gives all teams a hard time. No team can win it easily because they play 40 minutes of excellent defense. The attack is definitely the big question mark for Zalgiris, it is a team that will hardly exceed 75 points in the Euroleague and cannot have an easy victory. If he finds momentum at home, he can do damage to all teams.”
About the team created by Andrea Trinchieri: “He created a team, a five, with very athletic guys, who play all 5 changes. I believe that Zalgiris will play changes in the Panathinaikos pick-and-roll at a large point in the game today. He has the toughness and will try very hard to fight Lesor not to find them easily in the low post. Because Coach Trinchieri is a coach who will prepare the game regularly, he will definitely have two plans. The “key” of the game will be how Panathinaikos will be able to react against Zalgiris’ changes in defense and against the toughness they will bring to these changes. If Panathinaikos can control from their defense and take Francisco and Lonnie Walker out of the game, the two players who can give the extra boost to the team’s attack, I think they will have the upper hand.”
About Lonnie Walker: “He is a player who can have his mind still in the NBA and it is very difficult to understand that he is changing the “page”, that he must devote himself to European basketball. When the “window” to return to the NBA is open at any time, it is something that the player himself must manage. From what I’m learning, from talking to his teammates and coaches, he’s doing amazing things in training. His talent has never been seen before. When I saw him live I can say that… he was dancing on the floor. He has an amazing ability in one-on-one, he is charismatic. The NBA is definitely a completely different basketball from the European one, but in terms of talent, he is a player who, if he stays in the European basketball and is “given” to the Euroleague, he can do for all the teams”.
On whether he singles out a Lithuanian from Zalgiris: “It has a roster of 15 players and Zalgiris’ success so far has been the whole. As a whole he made a great start to this season and in each game we could see a different player step-up. Gentraitis was the key player in the first games and he is the player who will mark Sluka and Nan, because he is the best defender in the team and he plays very hard.”
For the superiority of Panathinaikos in “closed” matches: “This is the gift of this year’s and last year’s Panathinaikos team. We saw in the previous game against Bologna that Grant was the player who took the decisions and decided the match. In most of the previous games, Slukas always makes the right decisions. Panathinaikos has plenty of players who can not only score, but also make the right decision, which is talent. Panathinaikos, especially in the guards, I think is the most complete team in Europe and when the matches go “closed” they will have the upper hand”.
For the public of Zalgiris: “Zalgiris for Lithuanian basketball is like the national team for us. All stadiums, home and away, are packed to watch Zalgiris. I have the opportunity and I have watched many Euroleague games, it is full an hour before, you see big people who really enjoy it. They have an excellent stadium, but I think also in Greece we have an audience that really supports a lot. And Panathinaikos and Olympiacos are two teams that have a passionate audience and all these players are used to playing in such venues.”
Because if he sees the game up close: “I just finished training with my team and of course it’s a great opportunity. I watch a lot of Euroleague games and especially with Panathinaikos I have a lot of friends. I’m going to see a very interesting and difficult game that is expected today.”
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
