The Barça coach, Sarunas Jasikeviciushighlighted that ASVEL Villeurbanne, the next opponent of the Catalan team this Wednesday in the Euroleague, has “A lot of character and he is competing in all the games”. “They have been able to go almost the entire game, beating Anadolu Efes, coming back from 20 points against Olympiacos and winning here at the Palau Blaugrana. We have to fight more and compete at their level,” the Lithuanian coach said on Tuesday.
Jasikevicius does not forget the defeat a month ago against the French team (74-75) and especially the performance of rival center Youssoupha Fall (14 points and 18 rebounds), who in the words of the Barça coach “totally dominated the game”. “What Fall did to us was pretty hard on us. What hurts us the most is that he hasn’t played more games like this. In the last five games, he has averaged one attack rebound and he grabbed eight of us. So we have to react,” he added.
He recalled that at the Palau, Barça conceded seventeen points after attacking rebounds and many one-on-one points: “Defense is always the key and even more so playing outside. ASVEL is a team that has very good numbers and different options in defense, changing everything or putting Fall in the paint”. The Barça coach confirmed that Tomas Satoransky will not travel with the team to France due to tendinitis in his right ankle: “The plan is to wait for how it evolves these days to go game by game.”
The Lithuanian coach of the 16-year-old guard also spoke Dame Sarr, who before the imminent departure of Michael Caicedo to Covirán Granada will frequently train with the first team. “He arrived at the base this year. He has a lot of talent and a great future ahead of him., but we are talking about a 16-year-old boy. It all depends on him. He will have opportunities to play with us and hopefully he will make his debut in a game, ”said the coach.