By Nikos Varlas / varlas@eurohoops.net
Τhe offense of Italy is sizzling, but its defence is also picking up. We asked about this the defensive specialist of the team, new Olympiacos guard Daniel Hackett, who is hungry for more after beating Israel.
“We achieved our first goal, to be in the quarterfinals. We have demonstrated so far our offense, but in the game against Israel we also played good defence”, explained Hackett. “We kept our opponents to 52 points. We were determined and we didn’t let Israel do anything. Now we have to continue like that”.
As the new member of Olympiacos, Hackett also wished the best for Greece against Spain: “Spain has a lot of talent and a great Gasol. In order for Greece to win, it has not only to play defence, but also to score. You can’t beat Spain only with defense. Don’t forget that we also scored more than 100 points in order to beat them (laughs!)”.
Hackett also is anxious for the upcoming Euroleague season with Olympiacos: “Everyday I think how happy I am after signing with Olympiacos. They have a winning system and I am ready to play my role and do whatever it’s needed in order to win titles. They have played three Euroleague finals in four years. I know that I am not a star, but I have to be part of a unit. Olympiacos works like that, it’s a real team and I just can’t wait to start being an Olympiacos player. I just hope to get some days off, because I already feel tired”.