By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
With Danilo Gallinari’s firepower being out of the equation for Italy in the EuroBasket, team captain Gigi Datome expects his squad to find some extra ammunition through their defensive fortitude.
“For sure we are focusing on being a defensive team,” Datome told Eurohoops. “We are paying extra attention to this area of the game. It’s a key aspect. On the offense, we want constant ball movement. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”
So far this philosophy that coach Ettore Messina transmits to his players (as he also admitted to Eurohoops) has been faithfully followed and practiced on the floor. The “Azzurri” allowed only an average of 65 points in their preparation games, often making their opponents suffer to successfully reach the basket.
This number is a massive improvement for a team that lacked even a semblance of defensive direction during the previous EuroBasket. Italy allowed 79 points per game in the 2015 edition of the tournament, including a fatal number of 95 in the quarterfinal loss to Lithuania.
You are right of course. What is taking place in preparation “friendlies” is a completely different scenario than official games.Yet the signs so far give a strong “Warning: It bites” character to this version of the Italian national team.
“Every year is different. Every tournament too. There are new guys in the team. But yes, we are playing very good defense. We are competing. Now, we have to remain confident in ourselves and let this confidence reveal itself on the floor.”
The way he and his teammates handled the “aftershock” of Gallo’s injury and the reaction they showed is something that the Fenerbahce forward also notices.
“Everybody responded in the right way. We are thinking it as it is. Gallo had an injury, that’s what happened, and he’s out. We are focusing on ourselves and doing the right thing. Everybody is putting the right attention on the task at hand. We have the right focus and the proper energy to be where we should be performance-wise and be the best team we can be”.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” says wisdom coming from the ninth art and Gigi Datome fully realizes the increased amount of on-the-floor duties he now has within the team.
“For sure I am in a position to be one of the most important players. Having more responsibilities. That’s why I feel I have to do better than the prep games. In general, everybody will have the chance to step up given the opportunity.”