By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Even without Marc Gasol, Spain is ready to challenge the USA. Nikola Mirotic said so in Rio, speaking to the Spanish news agency EFE.
According to the Chicago Bulls forward: “America is the favorite, but our goal is to win the gold. The xpectations are high, as always. we know we have a great team, but we are in a very difficult group, so we have to be very focused. Every game will be very important. We need to keep improving every day “.
The first test against Croatia will not be simple: “We have a tough match soon against Croatia (Sunday) and the most important of all is that everyone is healthy. So here we go. Maybe the fact that some of our players left during the training camp in order to sign their NBA contract can be considered a little distraction, but now we are all focused on our task. We have a couple of new players in the team this year in this tournament. I am also new to the Olympic Games. Now the important thing is we, the team. And nothing else. My goal is to win the gold. I know this team can do it. The United States are the favorite, for sure, but it’s a game”.
Mirotic has only good things to say about the team’s cornerstone, Pau Gasol: “Pau Gasol is our reference, our big man and I am convinced that we will find our best game in the tournament. In defense we may have to improve something, especially because Marc (Gasol) in not here, but we know we have a talented team. And I’m sure we will do well . The United States has a team of superstars, in which anyone can score twenty points in every game. But you never know. Everything is possible, especially in basketball. They may have a bad game and we can have a good one. But this is still far away. We are focused on our first game. And of course we will try to be in the final, this is clear”.