Many topics were addressed by Peppe Poeta during his season-opening press conference. The construction of the team was, of course, one of the main subjects. Olimpia has many new faces, starting in the backcourt, where Cole and Thompson have arrived:
“We opted for a more structured backcourt, without a true starting point guard, without a focal point, because the market led us in this direction for a number of reasons, including passports and a few other things. We are convinced that this combination of guards and combo guards can have all the tools, all the possibilities and all the qualities needed to compete.”
Going into the details of the players:
“Certainly, we have Cole’s rookie talent, Thompson’s experience and size, Devon Hall, who can be an additional playmaker, and Bolmaro and Guduric, who can bring the ball up on special occasions, when they are defended by certain players. So we have a varied group of 1s and 2s, so to speak.”
There is also the possibility of playing with multiple handlers at the same time:
“There will be situations in which we play with multiple handlers, where perhaps the player being guarded by the slower defender will be the one to bring the ball up, or perhaps we will choose certain situations where we have a post-up advantage with one player or a speed advantage with another. So we will adapt a lot to the situations and, logically, to the performances, because we have to see who plays better and who plays less well. But we have more solutions to explore, and that is very exciting and stimulating for me and for the team as well.”
One of the most intriguing new additions is certainly Garrison Mathews:
“He is a player who, first of all, needs time to understand where he is and to understand European basketball, even more so for a shooter. He needs to understand the spacing, he needs to understand who helps and where they help. The physicality when coming off screens. He will need time here. I think he is an intelligent guy, he has absorbed the first two weeks here very well, so we are happy. But I wouldn’t put pressure on him. He has a very specific role; he is a 3-and-D player who can help us open up the floor, especially in lineups that also feature Peters.”
On the experience of Hall and Peters:
“Devon and Alec are the two players who, in terms of leadership and experience, will be the guides of the group. They are both players who have played in multiple Final Fours, so they will have to bring that winning mindset into our culture and be good at passing it on. They have been important players alongside other great players. Their roles will grow here, but we are sure that, even before their technical and tactical roles, they will become very important when it comes to the culture.”
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