By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos coach Rick Pitino said that the team’s immediate goal is to capture as many wins necessary in order to seal a spot in the EuroLeague playoffs and that he believes that the 2019-2020 edition of the “Greens” has a couple of weaknesses compared to last season.
“All we are trying to do is win four games and make the playoffs,” Pitino answered when he was asked if the loss to Real Madrid puts the team away from the fourth or fifth place. “We have no illusions of grandeur with our basketball team. We’re not a great defensive team, we’re not a great rebounding team. So we don’t have any illusions of who we are. But this team of mine this year is not as good as last year’s team at the defensive end and in rebounding the basketball. And physically, we’re not as tough as we were last year.”
“So we’re going just gut it out. Do everything possible to just make the playoffs,” Pitino added.
Panathinaikos saw Real Madrid center Edy Tavares inflicting major damage inside the paint on both ends with 15 points, 10 rebounds. “Tavares is really improved. He bothers the offense. You don’t get the paint touches you normally get. He’s improved and that’s a credit to him and the coaching staff.”