Bologna, January 28 –
At the end of the game against GeVi Napoli, valid for the 18th day of LBA, these were the words of coach Luca Banchi: “It was an excellent victory, the result of a challenging game as we imagined it would be. Napoli came on the wave of four consecutive successes and it was not easy to interrupt this flow, you saw with what boldness they play and what style they have. For a team like ours, especially in the face of injury emergencies, it was important to respond as we did. We lost the thread of the contest only for a few moments, the moments that allowed them in a moment to come back at us. That was one of the key points of our contest, we had to control their pace and be alert because the speed with which they play and the recklessness with which they try to shoot three-pointers, they are the best shooting team in the league and it shows that they are a tricky customer. We kept them at arm’s length, our defense grew and the offense had good quality, with a few lapses however legitimized by the fact that we play with great frequency and there is little time to be able to regenerate energy and prepare for games like these that have their uniqueness and specificity. This victory has great value, an important response to an opponent that brought all its energy and confidence, which on the wave of series successes makes them one of the revelations of the league and a sure protagonist of the Final Eight in Turin.”
On Pajola: “He felt a discomfort and preferred to be substituted and then precautionarily not re-enter in the 4Q. We always play on very fine balances and we have to be careful to listen to every single signal. It’s a long, busy and stressful season. These guys are also getting their dedication and commitment, this exposes them to the risk of contact or stress that can cause injury. I hope it was just a resentment and that by tomorrow he can recover in anticipation of the very tough competition ahead of us in Barcelona.”
On Lundberg’s shot late in the first quarter and the eventual challenge: “There was no instant replay today, there was no signal. We were warned before the game that this contest would not be covered by instant replay, it was only activated in the 4Q.”
On Dobric and Shengelia: “We live day by day. I would like to share a thought. Our staff works miracles, but we talk about players who have been inactive for weeks and a 72h game against Barcelona. I grew up with criteria related to preparation, recovery, rest and conditioning through peak loads. This program kills the game and jeopardizes the health of the players. As happened before with Mickey, who suffered two fairly important and close injuries, we cannot pick them up and throw them on the field. They need to get back into a rhythm that only training can give you to regain confidence with motor gestures of extreme stress. Sometimes I think we are asking too much of these kids, starting with this format. It is becoming more and more a cause for reflection, I don’t know how much willingness there is to listen, but the safety and health of the players has to be put first. We need to be concerned that Dobric and Shengelia’s reinstatements are gradual, with calculated risks, and that they do not jeopardize their health. It is not a race, it is an awfully long and challenging marathon, without denying the fact that the competitions ahead of us are important but that we must have the lucidity to analyze in a broader view, over the 34 regular season games and the 80 or more we will play during this season. The day by day shows signs of improvement, but to think we will see them on the field in contests of this toughness and intensity is a long way off. I don’t feel I can guarantee that, it will be a decision we will make with the staff and together with the players.”
