MADRID, 30 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of Real Madrid, Pablo Laso, confessed this Wednesday that his “obsession” is “to play as well as possible, not to win games”, at the same time that he was “very happy” with the team’s performance and urged the squad to be “prepared” for the dangers of Panathinaikos, the next rival in the Euroleague.
“Since I was 16 years old I aspire to have a very good streak of results. For me streaks are something that everyone aspires to. It seems good to me to aspire to it, but as a coach I aspire more to be consistent in the game than to win games, if I only aspired to win games, I’d be wrong. Although winning makes you gain confidence. My obsession is always to play the best I can, not to win games,” Laso said at the press conference prior to Thursday’s match in Athens.
Along the same lines, the coach valued the ‘slump’ that the team experienced in the final minutes of the last two Euroleague games that cost them victory. “You can train, talk, it’s our job, there are ways to do it. But I don’t train the opposing team, I have to focus on mine. I prefer 37 good minutes and three bad ones than 3 good minutes and 37 bad ones and win for that”, pointed.
“The only one that has a guaranteed position is Barcelona, the rest of us are fighting for a position. Wondering if it suits us to win is not for us, we aspire to the best possible classification, without thinking about rivals. It is very difficult to think about that, our obligation is to play the best game possible”, he insisted on future crosses in the ‘playoff’.
And the next rival will be Panathinaikos, with no chance of entering the top eight. “It is a dangerous team, good in the open field, with unpredictable players, we must not allow them to run to have the rhythm of the game. They have lost players due to injury, but we have a lot of respect for them, they are a very competitive team,” he analyzed.
“IN GENERAL LINES I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE TEAM”
“The fact that nothing is at stake makes them play very calmly, without the qualifying pressure. That danger exists. In our situation, we want to be at the top and that means winning in Athens. It is an important game, we aspire to second place. Having the home field advantage is a motivation to think that these dangers are there, we have to be prepared, we want to look for the best possible position”, he explained.
Laso highlighted the “important” role of Macon and Nedovic in the Greek team, as well as the versatility of Sant-Roos. “Inside they have Papagiannis, a great reference. The mobility and play of Evans and Okaro White, and Mantzoukas, a boy who has grown a lot in recent days and expands the rotation,” he said of the Greek team’s squad.
Asked about the casualties, Laso confirmed the absences of Adam Hanga and Anthony Randolph due to “short-term” muscle injuries. “I see it difficult for them to play in either of the two games this week. Abalde is feeling better, but he is not ready to play. We are going with the other 12 available players, who have trained normally,” he reported.
“I always say that the entry of players makes you vary the rhythm, because it seems that you are giving minutes to take shape, another one who plays well you are taking minutes away, it is part of my job. It is not easy, since the pandemic began every players and coaches have had this problem. Hanga was playing well and now he’s injured, he’s a ‘bitch’. I’m optimistic for the future,” he added about rotations due to injury.
Finally, Laso analyzed the evolution of the team this season. “The team has worked very well until December, having very few injuries. And after I caught the Covid we had a break with three difficult months. But in general terms I am very happy with the team. I already saw the clouds that could Unfortunately, the results are what determine the work, but I see the team much better in general aspects of the game, which makes me optimistic”, he concluded.