Comments from Giannis Kastritis ahead of the Pallacanestro Varese vs. BC Roma game:
«We’re facing a very talented team, especially on offense, which recently added another top-tier player like Olynyk to its roster. We know their strengths: they have excellent shooters, they love to run the fast break, and they score points in transition. We’ll need to focus on individual defense and try to control the pace of the game to put ourselves in a position to win. Our stats show positive signs regarding our ability to stop opponents on their first shot and force turnovers. On the other hand, we need to improve significantly on defensive rebounding and limit the fouls that send our opponents to the free-throw line: in the last game, we allowed—if I’m not mistaken—37 free throws. That’s an area where we definitely need to do better. Kamagate? Right now, we need Ismaël to stay on the court as much as possible, because he can help us in so many aspects of the game. We’re working to get him into the physical condition needed to handle more playing time. We mustn’t forget that he, too, is coming off a long injury and that, since the start of the season, he’s been playing without being 100% yet—especially physically. So far, we’ve seen him at his best early in the game, when he’s fresh. In the second half, however, we need to manage his playing time, gradually increasing the workload he can handle. We believe—and I’m personally very convinced of this—that we’ll be able to use him more in the very next game. The club’s support? It’s very important. Honestly, I’ve never felt like it was lacking, ever since the first day I arrived here. It’s a wonderful thing that reflects the mentality and culture of this club: anyone who joins finds it, and it’s on this foundation that we’re building the team as well. Likewise, we support our players and have faith in them. No matter how difficult certain moments may be, it’s essential to keep the group united and continue to trust one another. We’re confident that not only better days lie ahead, but very, very good ones.”