Panathinaikoswill be hosting Real Madrid tomorrow in a clash amongst two of the top teams throughout the entire European basketball history. Tip-off is scheduled for 21.45 and Argyris Pedoulakis spoke of tomorrow’s encounter in the usual pre game press conference.
“We are facing a strong team which competitively has established its pace. Real Madrid has been built the last few years; it makes scores, gets rhythm through velocity and fast breaks in order to appeal and has boosted its confidence through the good results it has marked. It is a team which gets a pace from offense and running, while it has very strong offensive rebound ability. An element which caused as to get in trouble in the first round’s game alongside our own issues”.
Panathinaikos Head Coach also made reference to injuries that the team is faced with: “We have Tsartsaris’ case who suffered a sprain and we are awaiting information from the medical staff tomorrow about if he will be able to help out or not. Also an issue with Schortsanitis exists who felt some discomfort in his knee and did not manage to get through yesterday’s entire practice”.
Real Madrid is very talented in offense and this is something Pedoulakis was questioned on:“It has 84.4 points average. It is a team able to “kill” you in three minutes time. And we have this problem. These dry spells do surface in our games which when developed in Euroleague can actually destroy you. Real can establish a pace and kill you. Carroll kept his team alive in an essentially lost game versus Khimki. He can pull a shot and injure you at any given moment. At no point are you allowed to lay back”.
Questions were made also about new player signings: About Marcus Banks who arrived yesterday in Athens, but also about a potential new arrival: “We are focused on the game tomorrow and we think of nothing further. Our mind should be set only on that and the guys who are here. As far as Banks, reassuring results from these practices cannot be driven since these practices are more tactics than anything else. After the game with Real Madrid we will have a clearer opinion. Thoughts do exist about certain other movements but at the moment our mind is on the guys who are competing now and will compete tomorrow also”.
When asked if pressure exists in the team, he stressed: “When you play with such opponents the team is forged. From this point further it is whoever endures. Guys who have never played at such a level do exist, but even this pressure is all about handling it so that means that it has something in it which can make you better”.
*Kostas Tsartsaris did not train today either, after yesterday’s sprain to his left leg.
*A Euroleague delegation was at the indoor OAKA arena today since the encounter Panathinaikos-Real Madrid is “Euroleague game of the week” .
