[ad_1]
Photo: BNS
BNS photo
Kaunas “Žalgiris” (15-15) faces a competitor in the Euroleague, against whom he suffered the biggest defeat of the season in the first round: Tel Aviv’s “Maccabi” (11-17).
Triples released this season
Before Thursday’s duel, Žalgiris helmsman Martin Schiller highlighted the rivals’ strengths.
“It just came to our attention then. Maccabi uses five defenders on five at a time, playing the ball very well, Schiller said at a news conference. – Tomorrow they will play with an easier five because they will have to use Dragan Bender in fifth position because Othello Hunter is not coming.
We ran into the same team that we fought with a few months ago. They have creators, a talent for attack and are dangerous on the perimeter with Bender ”.
In Tuesday’s match with Alytus “Dzūkija” after a long break, Patricio Garino appeared on the parquet. However, Schiller revealed that the Argentine will hurt his entire body after receiving the load, and his game will be decided before tomorrow’s game.
“After loading, he bathes his whole body a lot, but everything is fine for the road. This is basic information. Tomorrow later we will talk about his performance, but we must remember that the rehabilitation process is still underway and we cannot expect anything from him, ”commented Schiller.
The coach recalled his defeat in the round of 16 at 57:85 and commented on the biggest mistakes he made.
“We had a lot of problems and the biggest challenge was the speed of his defenders. We also didn’t have Rokas Jokubaitis yet. Besides the lack of speed, Bender was also a factor in those games, ”Schiller recalled.
Maccabi shows only 16 attacking ratings in the league, but his numbers are solid on defense – rating 7 on defense. Schiller highlighted what is the hardest part of attacking the basket against an Israeli club.
“They got better on defense because that wasn’t the case at the beginning of the season. Maccabi has better players in all positions: Elijah Bryant in second or Angelo Caloiaro in third. Their defenders also do a good job pressing the ball ”, assured the strategist.
The Lithuanian champions have had the biggest problems lately in attack, where since round 19 they have shown the worst attack rate in the league. Speaking of problems on the opposing squad’s side, the Austrians highlighted the main aspect that led to poor numbers in the attack.
“I’ll say it’s not just one thing,” Schiller said. “First of all, our position is not good, then the ball does not move well, but now we are working on it.”
Four days before the end of the regular season, the Žalgiris coach evaluated the chances of reaching the playoffs.
“It’s simple: we have to win all four games, so there is a very good chance of reaching the playoffs. With three wins, the chances would be less, it would be possible to get with two wins, but then a miracle should happen,” said Schiller.
Maccabi is no longer claiming the playoffs and seems to have nothing to lose while playing. However, Schiller disagreed with that view.
“I don’t think so. I think there is no team in the league that has nothing to lose. Every game is important, whether you are fighting for the playoffs or not. This is not the case in our work, every victory is important to the clubs. Of course, if you fight for relegation, there is a greater fear of being wrong, “concluded Schiller.
[ad_2]
