By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens could not overcome Maccabi’s obstacle in Tel Aviv and suffered its twelfth loss of the season. After the final buzzer, head coach, Rick Pitino talked about his long-term goals for Panathinaikos in his short stint in Europe, after being asked about the EuroLeague playoffs.
“I looked at the schedule when I took over, I knew it was going to be difficult. My goal is to help all the young guys improve and get better. But, I’m only here for a short sabbatical, so I’m trying to get them the best at the best level they can possibly be. Going into next year, I’ll say to the owner and the general manager, this is what you need, to win the EuroLeague and to compete for the triple crown.”
As for the differences between the NBA and the EuroLeague, Pitino said the following: “I don’t think there’s any adjustment at all. The only difference is when you get to the basket. You get to the rim, you get hit to the body, you have to take the punishment, while in the NBA, every touch is a foul. Other than that, there’s no difference. More isolations in the NBA.”
In addition, after Nikos Pappas suffered a season-ending injury, Panathinaikos faces Keith Langford‘s injury as well, and according to Pitino, he could be out for the year: “Our best offensive player, Langford, will probably be out for the season”, said the 66-year old coach.
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