Laso: “To win in Istanbul you have to put in a great performance”
“Defence and rebounds could be key against Fenerbahçe”, said Thompkins in the run-up to the match.
Pablo Laso and Trey Thompkins discussed Real Madrid's upcoming match against Fenerbahçe in round 19 of the EuroLeague Tuesday, 6:45pm CET. The coach explained before the game: 'One of the general areas to improve on is not letting them control the rhythm of the game. That feeling of a race, where they're good. They read the counter-attack very well and move with a lot of energy in the open court. We have to prevent that and dictate from our defence. We need to move the ball well from there and find our best offensive options. We'll need to hit good shooting percentages as well. In short, in order to win in Istanbul you know that you are going to have to put in a great performance'.
'We've got a very demanding schedule and it obviously takes its toll on the team. You're playing a lot of games with less time to prepare for them, and you miss some situations in the games that if you'd had more time to prepare for, they wouldn't have harmed you. It's normal but I'd also like to point out that a lot of physical and mental strain is being put on the players and I think the team is handling it well. We must keep thinking ahead and get the players back to full fitness. We know that this schedule, influenced by COVID-19, and it forces us to make very quick adjustments, change our mindset quickly, rest and prepare for the next game'.
'We've got a very demanding schedule and it obviously takes its toll on the team. You're playing a lot of games with less time to prepare for them, and you miss some situations in the games that if you'd had more time to prepare for, they wouldn't have harmed you. It's normal but I'd also like to point out that a lot of physical and mental strain is being put on the players and I think the team is handling it well. We must keep thinking ahead and get the players back to full fitness. We know that this schedule, influenced by COVID-19, and it forces us to make very quick adjustments, change our mindset quickly, rest and prepare for the next game'.
Roster
'Taylor and Deck are still out of action, and Heurtel is struggling with a knee injury so we've decided to rest him, the same as with Hanga. We don't want to take any risks and we're conscious that after Istanbul we've got two more games and the cup in less than two weeks. It's important to get people back in as good a shape as possible and see what happens on a day-to-day basis. We're travelling with 12 players'.
Opposition
'They've got a new coach and a lot of new players and they're slowly finding their form. They're on a good run of results despite the loss of two key players in Vesely and De Colo. The first one is a doubt and it looks like the second one won't play. They've found players who've developed during the year like Guduric, Henry, Pierre, Booker, Pollonara, etc... It's a team that has been improving under Djordjevic's leadership. They're playing to get into the playoffs and they're going to make things difficult for us as always in Istanbul'.
Thompkinks: 'Defence and rebounds could be key'
'We have to be focussed from the first minute otherwise, Fenerbahçe will grown in confidence and that could be very dangerous especially on their home court with their fans' behind them. They're known for their strength and the chemistry between their players. Some of them have played together for several years, know each other very well and play together brilliantly. They're all aware of what they have to do at all times and we have to be ready for any situation'.
'Defence and rebounds could be key, as well as good communication among us on the court, but above all, I think our chances of success rest on our ability to stay focused. We have to put in a very complete forty minutes'.
'Taylor and Deck are still out of action, and Heurtel is struggling with a knee injury so we've decided to rest him, the same as with Hanga. We don't want to take any risks and we're conscious that after Istanbul we've got two more games and the cup in less than two weeks. It's important to get people back in as good a shape as possible and see what happens on a day-to-day basis. We're travelling with 12 players'.
Opposition
'They've got a new coach and a lot of new players and they're slowly finding their form. They're on a good run of results despite the loss of two key players in Vesely and De Colo. The first one is a doubt and it looks like the second one won't play. They've found players who've developed during the year like Guduric, Henry, Pierre, Booker, Pollonara, etc... It's a team that has been improving under Djordjevic's leadership. They're playing to get into the playoffs and they're going to make things difficult for us as always in Istanbul'.
Thompkinks: 'Defence and rebounds could be key'
'We have to be focussed from the first minute otherwise, Fenerbahçe will grown in confidence and that could be very dangerous especially on their home court with their fans' behind them. They're known for their strength and the chemistry between their players. Some of them have played together for several years, know each other very well and play together brilliantly. They're all aware of what they have to do at all times and we have to be ready for any situation'.
'Defence and rebounds could be key, as well as good communication among us on the court, but above all, I think our chances of success rest on our ability to stay focused. We have to put in a very complete forty minutes'.