Zeliko Obradović will have Fal and Rogavopoulos at his disposal for tomorrow’s match between Panathinaikos and Fenerbahçe at the T Center.
After once again making it clear that he will not pressure any of the team’s injured players to return, thereby indirectly but clearly expressing his unwavering confidence in the entire roster and the players currently available, He did not accept the notion that tomorrow’s game is any different, making it clear that in the EuroLeague, every game is important.
Here’s what he said in detail:
On Fenerbahçe: “We’re facing
a team that plays very well. Not only on defense, but they have a lot of options on the team. They have Saras. They have a lot of options; we have a very difficult game ahead of us. They’ve made some player changes, and the main challenge will be their defense. We have to be careful because they have a lot of different plays. We have a tough game ahead of us.”
On whether Fenerbahce is playing faster this year:
“They’re playing the same way—not faster.”
On whether this is the toughest game so far:
“Every game is tough. In the EuroLeague, there are no more or less important games. We know how Fenerbahce plays; we need to be prepared.”
On the injured players:
“Fal and Rogavopoulos practiced. The others—Sloukas, Nan, and Huanzuo—aren’t ready. We have some players who are ready; we’ll be patient with the rest and won’t rush them.”
On Bandio:
“Bandio is fine; we wanted to give him some rest.”
On Jasikevicius:
“He pays attention to the details; he always prepares his team well. He’s active during games, and the timeouts he calls help his team. He has clear ideas.”
On how important it is for players to help the local community:
“It’s important. It’s the future of the country. They need to care about young people.”
*photo source: KYPE
