By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino is getting ready for his first game at the helm of Panathinaikos, a battle against EuroLeague powerhouse and contender CSKA Moscow Friday (28/12).
It will be Pitino’s debut in EuroLeague. His first match at a club level outside the USA actually. So he had a bit of… homework to do.
“I went without sleep for 36 hours watching film,” Pitino told reporters before the last practice prior to the game vs. CSKA. “The guys are trying really hard. Like I told them: Coaches blame players and player blame coaches. That’s when u lose. When u win everybody gets credit. What I try to tell players is this: I can come in and say that we have to make trades, get new players because you’re losing. Or I can say that you must execute better. Play harder. That’ss what we are going to do. It’s the only answer right now.”
Pitino admits that there aren’t many things he can change right now regarding how Panathinaikos performs. Just get the team on the right track when it comes to the basics.
“I can’t come here with a magic wand, with one practice and change everything. All changes must come fundamentally. In terms of screening better, moving the ball better, getting better with spacing, playing better defense. You cant change plays in one day. You can’t put full court press in one day. Changes have to be subtle. CSKA Moscow is very good. Defensively and offensively. We gonna have to play much better than we did vs. Olimpia Milano.”
Panathinaikos is 6-9 in EuroLeague and has lost six out of its last seven games. How can the team make a turnaround?
“Losing becomes a cancer. it spreads. the attitude spreads, the poor execution spreads. That’s what losing does. You have to start winning. Then execution becomes better. People run their toes. We have to turn this around vs. one of the premier teams Euroleague.”
Pitino’s only previous experience with international basketball was a brief stint with Puerto Rico back in 2015. But EuroLeague competition is a completely different matter, the Hall of Famer agrees.
“It’s more FIBA (basketball) than coaching the Puerto Rican national team. Much more half court than the NBA. More physical than the NBA. You have to adjust. Certainly, I’ve coached all forms of basketball. These guys are better than they are showing. They are defeated a little bit right now. They don’t feel good about themselves. It’s my job as a motivator to make them feel better about themselves.”
“You can’t make too many changes now. I’ll confuse them and make things worse. I want to make things better, not worse. We have to put some new wrinkles in offensively and defensively,” Pitino added.
When asked about new signings, Pitino answered that while he hasn’t spoken with the club’s management regarding any potential transfers, there is a certain someone he’d really like to have on the team.
“I’ll speak with the GM and the owner about that. But I’m here just one day. I would like Giannis [Antetokoumpo] to come back and play for us instead of Milwaukee,” Pitino joked.