By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The second round of Euroleague’s Top16 starts with the big game between Olympiacos and Barcelona. That’s why Vasilis Spanoulis had much to say to Turkish Airlines Euroleague’s official website, but the bottom line is simple: Kill and the Reds are ready and want more!
Olympiacos finished the first half of the Top 16 with a 3-4 record. What have you done well until now and what do you need to improve to get better?
“Of course, we need more wins to advance to the playoff, which is our goal. We had some ups and downs in the first half of the Top 16; we started it with two very good games [against Barcelona and Laboral Kutxa] and after that, we didn’t play well in the next two [against Bamberg and Zalgiris] and you pay for that in the Top 16. We need to be more consistent and get wins. There is no other way if we want to advance. I don’t know what happened, but these two losses put us in a difficult position. We have to fight and get some good wins to make it to the playoffs.”
Your numbers went up in the last couple of games and you played almost 32 minutes against CSKA. Of course, after so many years, you know when you need to be ready to give your best. Is that the case? Are you ready to challenge in the second half of the Top 16?
“Yes, I am ready. I am physically good and healthy, which is the most important. I had some injury problems in the beginning of the year, but now I am ready. I know that my team needs me to step up in the big games that are coming. I know that I will have to do everything I can to help my team win to advance, and I am ready to do it.”
Except for you, Georgios Printezis and Vangelis Mantzaris, Olympiacos has had many changes during the last few years. How does it feel to be getting someone back now: Kostas Papanikolaou?
“This is great for us because we have a good core, which is most important to be successful. It is always difficult to change at this time, but this is a business and we had to take a player like Kostas, of course. We are happy that we brought one of our guys back. Kostas is like our brother and we have succeeded a lot in the past. We are really motivated to succeed again in the present and future.”
Both Barcelona and Olympiacos enter the next game with a 3-4 record. Do you feel this could be the key game when it comes to qualifying to the playoffs?
“To be honest, from now on every game will be a key one for us. The situation is like this and we have a 3-4 record, so every game is like a final for us. I know that Barcelona is also in a tough position, but we don’t care about our opponents. We respect them, but we have to take care of ourselves. We have to try to be in great shape and in the best position to fight, be focused and play well to get the wins that we need.”
In the other group, Lokomotiv Kuban is doing very well. Malcolm Delaney told us earlier this season he asked Georgios Bartzokas to run a play he used to run with you in Olympiacos. Is that an honor, other stars wanting to do what you did before?
“First of all, Delaney is having a great season and so is his team. I have to say it is a little bit unusual, but it shows that good players always want to improve and get better, do their best to be more efficient. He believes that he would be more efficient with this play and told his coach. Like I said, it shows that he really wants to improve. And yes, it is an honor.”
You said before that Olympiacos needs to play “correct basketball” to win at this level. What does “correct basketball” exactly mean for you and your team?
“You know, we have to play basketball with confidence and make sure everybody steps up to have his role and give 100%, do what it takes to be successful. We have to step up and not only to play good; that is not enough right now. We have to do what it takes to win. We cannot be satisfied if we play well. We can only be satisfied if we win and everybody has to understand this and be on the same page. It is very important to focus on the next play, on defense and offense. You cannot think about what happened before and go to the next play to do what we have to do.”
Defenses have been focused on every move you make for years. How do you keep producing under so much attention?
“Well, it is not easy at all to have defenses focusing on you, but this is my job here, all these years. Some years it is more difficult, some less, but I learned to play this way. The most important thing is being focused and playing team basketball. It is a team sport and everybody has to be in the right position, make the right play at the right moment, be ready to catch the right pass or make the right shot. And for that, you need to be focused at all times.”
You have played the Top 16 for many years. Is this the toughest group you remember at this level?
“I think so, yes, this is the toughest group I have seen. There are a lot of ups and downs; the situation changes every week. I think we will see a lot of big games by the end of the Top 16 and a lot of teams will keep their chances to make it to the playoffs until the end of the round.”
This group lets fans see four recent champions playing each other, and from next season forward all teams will visit every Euroleague city each season. How important is it to see the big teams play each other regularly like that?
“I think this is great. People want to watch big games and see big teams and that is what you will get – big games, all the time. I think it was a great move in the right way. We will play some more games, but it will be better for the promotion of the competition and of course, for the fans. As a player, it is also great to compete against the best teams all season. Every player wants to play big games! This motivation gives players the chance to work harder and get better every day.”
Until last season, every time you went to the Final Four, you won the Euroleague title and got MVP honors. Does the fact that you didn’t win last season motivate you even more every day to return to the Final Four and try to win it all?
“You know, it was tough to go until the end of the road and lose the final. We had a fantastic year and gave everything we had, but this is sports and you never win everything. We were blessed and happy to have won two Euroleague and reached another final in the last four years. We are proud and like you said, we are motivated to give ourselves a chance to be there again. Of course, we cannot look that far away, only for the next game. We have to work hard and take one game at a time to reach the Final Four and have a chance to lift another trophy. There is an extra motivation; when you lose a final, you want to go back and take it, but all that matters now is the game against Barcelona. We have to go step by step and focus on the next game.”