Passing on the culture that Panathinaikos embodies to all members of the team is a key priority for Zeljko Obradovic, as he told the media at the start of training camp.
“So far, I haven’t been able to see all of my players. We have seven players on their national teams. Kendrick Nunn is dealing with his own issue. We’re starting preseason training. We have a few guys here to help us out, and everything is fine. As usual. We’re expecting everyone to return next week so we can continue our work and get the season underway,” he emphasized.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
As for the high expectations placed on his team, he said: “That’s normal for me. It makes sense given the players we have, but the key is to play as a team. Unfortunately, we won’t have many days to work together as a team, but that’s just how it is. I’ll never complain. I’ve spoken with the coaching staff and the players. Expectations are high. Our goal must be to stay united during difficult times. We need to understand that the season is long and that our daily work is very important.”
Regarding how much the absences and the many new players complicate his job, he emphasized: “We’ll have time. These are players who already understand how to play basketball. Because of their quality, they’re here. But you always need time—to work on certain things, to discuss, to talk. We’re taking it slow, and everything will turn out fine.”
Regarding his team as a whole, he said: “I’m happy. It was summer. I’ll tell you one thing. It was easy to find all my teammates. That’s a positive thing. We all need to work to help our players. That has to be the goal for the entire staff. We have a few people here from the past. Frangi is here, Mike is here, Dimitris is here. I have players I’ve worked with before. That’s something that works in our favor. Panathinaikos’ culture is unique. We need to get back to that—we need everyone to understand what Panathinaikos is all about, to learn what Panathinaikos is all about. We need to be a team in life in general, not just in basketball. Everyone needs to understand that. We need to be at the level befitting Panathinaikos—everyone, players, staff, and coaches.”
*photo source: KYPE
