Laso: "The evenness that there is in the group means we can’t relax"
Another game in the Top 16 and another game in the Palacio de los Deportes, where the Whites have spoiled the hopes of all of their opponents. Real Madrid host Brose Baskets and despite the glaring inequality in the standings, one team leads the group and the other is bottom, Laso warns that they will not let their heads drop and "be swept aside". The Real Madrid coach spoke during the day before the game against the Germans and said: "The evenness that there is in the group means we can’t relax. I do not think that because they have almost no chance of qualifying that they won’t compete".
The word relax does not exist, the schedule doesn’t let up or give any breaks. Real Madrid’s games keep coming at a fast pace. Last week they played on Friday and Sunday. And this week, they are already back again. The Whites will host the Brose Baskets, the team in last place in the group. But they are not expecting a poor opponent that will not come to compete. Laso explained that in the pre-game build up: "I think the challenges that lie ahead will not let us have many dips. In the first three months you play to get into the Top 16 and the cup and now we are in immersed in the Top 16, we are going well and I we have to keep it going. The evenness that there is in the group means we can’t relax. I say again how hard it is to play against the best of Europe every single time. Alba, who are out of the group, made things difficult for us, and it will be similar with Brose. They have changed some players, they have got some players very capable of scoring. In addition, the arrival of Massey and Walsh gives them more offensive capability. So, a little bit in the same vein as what I said last week: the teams with little chance of qualifying will not let themselves be easily swept aside".
The short-term objectives are clear to the Real Madrid coach. Despite the good run of form he does not want to look too far ahead and is only speaking about securing qualification for the playoff as soon as possible. "The first thing is to qualify, something that we have not done yet. It is true that the second half of the Top 16, with more home games, looks to be in our favor but we you have to do the job on court. The only thing that we are thinking about is getting into the top four. If we can get one of the top two spots then that would be even better because it would give us a certain advantage".
Laso does not keep any secrets about the fact that the number of games played, the away trips as well as the home games, leave their mark on the team, but more on the physiological side than the physical. The coach blames fatigue for some of the starts in their games. "Every game is different and I think that our strength is in knowing that we try to impose a high pace on the game and there are teams that struggle with that. It is true that there are games that we struggle to get going in, probably because of the schedule, but that is not what worries me right now. I think that if my players weren’t tired they would not be human, they have played 40 or 50 official games, including away trips, the US tour, a summer with their national teams ... I think they are in good shape physically, it may be more mental fatigue. But I think I have great players who have accepted this schedule from the beginning and who know that we have a big challenge ahead and that there are very important games to come".
The Real Madrid coach believes that the key to keeping going as they have been until now is to think that everything can be improved upon. "We are happy with the team’s run of form but I always try make the team think about and accept that we can improve. It is not only results that make a season, but also the development of the team and the players ... To me that's what makes you competitive at the highest level. There is a lot of the league and the Euroleague to go, which are probably the two toughest competitions".
Meanwhile, Rudy Fernandez also spoke about the game against the German team, "Brose Baskets are a very good scoring team and almost all of their players have a good shot from the perimeter, it will be difficult to win. They have added two big players, Massey and Walsh, and that makes them stronger and better. They are a dangerous team and can be very difficult to beat. The game last week against Alba Berlin should show us that we have to be very focused on court in the Euroleague because there are no easy games. All teams that have reached the Top 16 have done so on merit and, if they have a good game, any of them can beat you".
The short-term objectives are clear to the Real Madrid coach. Despite the good run of form he does not want to look too far ahead and is only speaking about securing qualification for the playoff as soon as possible. "The first thing is to qualify, something that we have not done yet. It is true that the second half of the Top 16, with more home games, looks to be in our favor but we you have to do the job on court. The only thing that we are thinking about is getting into the top four. If we can get one of the top two spots then that would be even better because it would give us a certain advantage".
Laso does not keep any secrets about the fact that the number of games played, the away trips as well as the home games, leave their mark on the team, but more on the physiological side than the physical. The coach blames fatigue for some of the starts in their games. "Every game is different and I think that our strength is in knowing that we try to impose a high pace on the game and there are teams that struggle with that. It is true that there are games that we struggle to get going in, probably because of the schedule, but that is not what worries me right now. I think that if my players weren’t tired they would not be human, they have played 40 or 50 official games, including away trips, the US tour, a summer with their national teams ... I think they are in good shape physically, it may be more mental fatigue. But I think I have great players who have accepted this schedule from the beginning and who know that we have a big challenge ahead and that there are very important games to come".
The Real Madrid coach believes that the key to keeping going as they have been until now is to think that everything can be improved upon. "We are happy with the team’s run of form but I always try make the team think about and accept that we can improve. It is not only results that make a season, but also the development of the team and the players ... To me that's what makes you competitive at the highest level. There is a lot of the league and the Euroleague to go, which are probably the two toughest competitions".
Meanwhile, Rudy Fernandez also spoke about the game against the German team, "Brose Baskets are a very good scoring team and almost all of their players have a good shot from the perimeter, it will be difficult to win. They have added two big players, Massey and Walsh, and that makes them stronger and better. They are a dangerous team and can be very difficult to beat. The game last week against Alba Berlin should show us that we have to be very focused on court in the Euroleague because there are no easy games. All teams that have reached the Top 16 have done so on merit and, if they have a good game, any of them can beat you".
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