By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Leo Westermann scored eight points in Monaco’s loss to Real Madrid and although they managed to bounce back from a big deficit and have a shot at winning, the point guard noted that their performances have to be much better.
“We started very sloppily, doing things you can’t do at this level. We weren’t running fast, we weren’t playing defense. Once we started playing defense, we could run in offense and Mike is almost impossible to stop. We came back but we’ve gotta play better basketball if we want to survive in this competition,” Westermann told Eurohoops’s Alex Madrid.
“I’m never satisfied. We didn’t win. I see a lot of potential in this team. We’re gonna take it game by game but we’ve got very good players and a good coach. We try our best to win games and tonight it didn’t work.”
There was also a possible underline story of Westermann getting extra motivation against his former teammate Thomas Heurtel back in Barcelona days but Monaco’s playmaker had nothing of the sorts.
“No, not at all. I’m not a Barcelona player anymore. Thomas and I are very good friends. To be honest, I didn’t even think about it. I was just happy to see Thomas and Adam Hanga.”
He was subbing in for Heurtel and that was one of the reasons he chose Monaco, so he could take on a bigger responsibility. “That’s why I came here. To have a bigger role and it’s definitely what I have. We can achieve big things but we have a lot of work to do. I’m happy to be here,” he said.
One of Westermann’s current teammates is Mike James, who was putting a show against Real Madrid and was the player who sparked a comeback.
“Mike is something special. I saw Nando De Colo when he got 39, I saw a few others. it’s impressive how he scored those buckets but I want to also mention that he was precious on the other end of the court tonight as well. He stole a lot of balls.”
James had some physical issues, though, but Westermann set the record straight, explaining it was nothing serious. “Just a cramp. He gave a lot of effort today on both sides of the court. I was scared also at the first sight but it’s a cramp.”