Laso’s words after meeting with his players for more than an hour after the fall in the Euroleague
Baskonia coach Pablo Laso appeared at a press conference following his team’s tough loss to Monaco in the second game of a EuroLeague doubleheader this week.
After the game, the Victorian coach held a long meeting with his players in the dressing room, an extensive meeting that caused the coach’s appearance at the press conference to take more than an hour.
“First of all, congratulations to Monaco. The start of the match marked the start of the match. They changed a lot for us. We couldn’t match the energy they put into the first quarter and the difference was decisive. The reaction in the third quarter was good in terms of reading the game and energy, but we ran out of gas. They have great players and they know how to play with that kind of difference. Congratulations, let’s turn the page and start thinking about Sunday’s game.”
“I’m not very inert. What I didn’t like was the beginning of the game. Two games are important to me. We have to be a team that shows energy and resilience from the start that we haven’t shown. And this is something that we obviously need to change and improve. And there is also an important issue for me: the individual improvement of some players who continue to make mistakes from the very beginning. This bothers me because I think they are hurting other players. And I don’t like it. I like that regardless of victory or defeat, the team grows. Sometimes when you lose, you grow. And today this week is one of those days where it’s really nice for me as a coach to see what I’ve got.”
“I think before I say what I see, I have to analyze it with my assistants and convey it to the players. It would be abnormal to say good and bad things at a press conference. I’m not driven by the match, but by working with time. And there are things that you discover and see. And they push you and the team to improve.”
“I didn’t tell the players anything new, nothing that I hadn’t told them before. “I told them that we are a team that has shown that we can compete, but we need to improve in many areas.”
“On the one hand, the energy level: when you play a team like Monaco, it makes you angry if you don’t have that energy. And every player must show this. And I, as a coach, analyze why. And then there are other aspects of the gameplay. You make mistakes that you repeat many times.
“Every team is unique and every player is unique. You must evaluate how you act in each situation. I spent more time today than usual because I wanted to discuss a few things with the players and we’re also having a tough week.
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