Comments by Giannis Kastritis ahead of the Longobardi Scafati Basket vs. Pallacanestro Varese game:
“At the end of the game against Virtus Bologna, the guys were a little frustrated, especially because the final margin didn’t reflect the commitment and effort they’d put in on the court. Now, though, six days have passed, and we’re focused on the game against Scafati. We’ve talked a lot, and the team has worked really well this week: seeing the guys train like this makes me extremely optimistic. I hope we’ll go into the game with the right confidence and the right mindset, ready to build on the aspects of our game that are already performing at a very high level and to do our very best to win. Our goal is to further solidify what we do well, because we know that energy, unity, and consistency are key elements in building a victory, especially on the road. On offense, we want to maintain a fast pace and further improve the chemistry among the players, while we need to make progress in the areas that haven’t worked as well, such as defensive rebounding. Is it difficult to adapt to competing in two tournaments? We all understand what changes are necessary and what challenges lie ahead, but I think it’s important to view this situation with perspective: until last year, we were complaining about not playing in Europe and not having two games a week, whereas now we have this opportunity. We get to travel, spend more time together, compete two or three times a week, and grow through these experiences. This is the life of top-level professional basketball players and coaches, and we’re here to face all the challenges that come our way. There will be times when we’re tired or feel like we don’t have enough time to practice, but after just a few hours we’ll have to be back on the court, ready to play. That’s why we’ll need great mental strength and, even more so, confidence in our team. Looking ahead to the game against Scafati, our focus must be on ourselves first and foremost. We have to play our brand of basketball—on both defense and offense—the way we want to. We need to be very clear on this: it’s not enough to just try to impose our style of play; we have to make sure it prevails on both ends of the court.”