Pablo Laso, coach of Real Madrid, highlighted this Thursday in the preview of the Euroleague match against Bitci Baskonia the “desire to return” to play in front of his team fans after “a few strange weeks” due to the successive postponements of several games due to covid.
“We have not played in the Euroleague since CSKA (December 23) and the team wants to come back. It’s been a strange few weeks for all teams but we want to go back to playing in front of the fans, “explained the coach from Vitoria in a statement provided by the white club.
He admitted to being “happy and optimistic” for the good work that his staff are carrying out. “The team is fine. I have no major problems. We are recovering people and the last training sessions have been very good: players who are taking shape, few injuries and recoveries from COVID-19“, summarized.
“We are in January now,” he continued, “and continuity is improving. We have had many more solid minutes, with fewer ups and downs. Deffectively, we are being very regular. Offensively, we share the ball well. In general, the team is showing very solid during the season. The team game is growing and we aspire to maintain it after this break that all the teams have suffered “.
He also praised his next rival, a Bitci Baskonia, highlighting its potential. “I am not looking back at matches because each one is different. I still think that Baskonia is a team of a lot of individual quality, a lot of one-on-one game that is difficult to stop and very good shootersLaso explained.
“Enoch can shoot three points, get in Peters who has been injured, the one-on-one game of Baldwin III, Fontecchio, Giedraitis, Granger. ? That offensive explosion sometimes makes them have very good games like against Barça. It is a team that continues to seek its line and we have to respect it a lot, “he added.
A victory against Baskonia would help the white team to reach Barça at the top of the table despite having a game less than the Catalans.
Spahija: “Madrid is the best team in Europe at the moment”
Bit Baskonia coach Neven Spahija pointed out that in order to beat Real Madrid, that his judgment is “the best team in Europe at the moment”, they have to do “one of the best games of the season”.
The Croatian was shown in a telematic press conference “very happy to return” after his confinement due to coronavirus, and pointed out that the team is fine.
“The workouts are intense and the players are fine, but playing games is something else. Now we play five games in nine days and it will be difficult“, admitted the Balkan, who took away the iron from the bulky defeat in Zaragoza at the end of 2021 and blamed it on the loss of routine that the squad had due to its positive in covid.
“The way we play against Barça says the team is fine“explained the Baskonia coach who confessed that he has the feeling of coming back after a preseason.
“The attitude of the players and the physical level is good, but starting playing against the best team in Europe at this time is going to be difficult,” acknowledged the coach, who will try to make his team play as it did before stopping. “Then you have to adapt to the game and react,” he added.
Regarding the departure of Landry Nnoko, he said that they are looking for a player in the market, but they do not want to “change just to change”, but they are looking for a five that adapts well to the team. For the moment and until that player comes, he said that Matt Costello will play more minutes as a center and said that Alec Peters, recovered from his injury, will make his debut this year and will be in the starting five.