Baskonia seeks a turnaround in a rarefied atmosphere
The Basque team wants to get out of its bad streak in its visit to Panathinaikos and with doubts about the future of Peñarroya
MADRID, 26 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Baskonia visits Panathinaikos this Friday at OAKA Basket (8:15 p.m.) on the fifth day of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague 2023/2024, in which the Vitorian team needs to amend its current bad streak and its bad start in the maximum competition continental that calls into question the continuity of Joan Peñarroya as a coach.
The Baskonista team has not started the assault on the top continental competition well, where it already has a record of 1-3, with its three defeats also at the Fernando Buesa Arena, including the last two against Bayern Munich (68-76) and Zalgiris (82-99) from the last interweekly doubleheader.
These setbacks have aggravated the situation for Baskonia, who once again suffered another one in front of their fans over the weekend in the Endesa League against Unicaja (83-94), which has definitively set off alarm bells and caused Joan’s position Peñarroya seems to be in serious danger before visiting one of the teams that has strengthened the most, but that has not started this Euroleague well either.
“I have had a difficult week but not because of the noise, but because Khalifa Diop is still not training and we do not know if he is going to travel, because Chima Moneke has not yet trained with the team and because Rogkavopoulos has an injury for weeks and Dani Díez also has one,” said the coach in the press conference prior to the visit to Athens.
These physical problems further aggravate the situation when visiting Panathinaikos, especially due to the possible absence of Moneke, who is being one of the most outstanding along with Marcus Howard, while the rest are having a hard time defending and have to find a way to be more solid as his coach asks.
Opposite, a Panathinaikos that also wants to return to the path of victory after two consecutive defeats in the Euroleague that have initially curbed the expectations that there were about a very ambitious project and that has been reinforced with high-level players.
Thus, he put himself in the hands of the eccentric Ergin Ataman to lead a ‘PAO’ that has included players such as point guard Kostas Sloukas, guard Kyle Guy, who in the last ‘Playoffs’ of the Endesa League with Joventut riddled Baskonia , the French center Mattias Lessort, a former player like Lucas Vildoza or the Spanish Juancho Hernangómez, who is not having much impact on his return to Europe, although he is encouraged by his 15 points in the league victory against Lavrio (111-75). Papapetrou will remain absent.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
PANATHINAIKOS: Sloukas, Grant, Grigonis, Hernangómez and Balcerowski, –possible starting quintet–; Antetokounmpo, Guy, Kalaitzakis, Lessort, Mantzoukas, Mitoglou and Vildoza.
BASCONY: Howard, Miller-Mcintyre, Ten, Moneke and Sedekerskis –possible starting quintet–; Costello, Kotsar, Mannion, Marinkovic, Raieste and Diop.
–REFEREES: Javor, Hordov and Boubert.
–PAVILLION: OAKA Basket.
–TIME: 20.15/Movistar+.