Crvena zvezda Meridianbet is still in the process of building its identity, and head coach Ibon Navarro knows there is plenty of room for improvement. After the home loss against Zalgiris, the Spanish coach highlighted the defensive transition and fourth-quarter execution as areas that need immediate attention.
“Our biggest problem was defensive transition”
Navarro believes the game against Zalgiris provided a useful lesson for the team.
“As I told you, the problems we had were in defensive transition. They scored 18 points during the first 30 minutes, and then we have to look at how we managed some situations in the fourth quarter.”
“In the fourth quarter, if I remember correctly, we conceded 12 points because of poor foul management and poor defensive transition. We allowed them to score easy points, layups, and we were a little too easy to read.”
The coach expects significant improvement.
“We talked a lot about defensive transition during the week. It was painful because of all that, and despite it we managed to win. But we can manage the fourth quarter much, much better. And we certainly will.”
“We need to help our point guards stay fresher”
Navarro also pointed to some positive developments, particularly on the offensive glass, while explaining why the team did not run as much in transition.
“We have improved in some areas, such as offensive rebounding. It’s true that we didn’t have many turnovers, but at the same time that was because we weren’t running in transition.”
He praised Zalgiris for preventing Crvena zvezda from playing at its preferred pace.
“We have to give credit to Zalgiris for not allowing us to run, because of their tactics and their good old full-court pressure. They pressured us after our defensive rebounds and even when we were inbounding from the baseline.”
Navarro believes the backcourt also needs better management.
“I think we should allow our point guards to be fresher at the end of the game. Maybe, especially in the third quarter, we should have used Stefan Miljenovic to give them some rest and raise our defensive level.”
“We have things we need to learn”
With the season only getting started, Navarro knows the team needs time.
“We have some things that we need to learn. This is, I think, our sixth game and we have changed players a lot from one game to another. Some players are missing, while others have had very bad games. So we find ourselves in different situations and we have to learn how to manage them.”
“Motley just kept working”
Jonathan Motley struggled significantly against Zalgiris, but Navarro has been impressed by his response in practice.
“He was perhaps the man who slept the worst in the whole city that day. The next day he was completely exhausted.”
“But, you know, it’s not about how many times you fall, it’s about your character and how you get back up. He just continued to practice very well, as he had been doing before, without any difference.”
“We saw him with very good energy, trying to improve and give the team back all the support his teammates are giving him.”
Motley and Jones provide insight on Hapoel
Motley and Chris Jones played for Hapoel last season, giving Crvena zvezda additional insight into Tuesday’s opponent.
“By now we know the players and we know the team. Hapoel is a team we have been following since last season, since they won the EuroCup, because they play very well and have a good coach.”
“We know what they do. But, of course, there are some things and details that are easier to recognize from the inside. So they gave us some advice about their patterns.”
“They have so much talent they can change a game in two minutes”
Hapoel opened its EuroLeague campaign with a home loss to Bayern Munich, but Navarro is not reading too much into that result.
“That game against Bayern is very interesting because they had already played against them. But they did it with different players, so it was a somewhat tricky game because they could expect what the opponent would do.”
“Bayern played an excellent game. In the end, Hapoel has so much talent that in two minutes and 15 seconds they managed to go from minus 16 to minus one.”
“That is Hapoel. They have so much talent that they can change a game in two minutes.”
Navarro believes the depth of the roster makes Hapoel particularly dangerous.
“They have so many good players that whoever plays, the coach has a good reason to put him on the floor. So you have to expect their best versions and be ready.”
“We have to manage all these emotions”
The pressure around Crvena zvezda increases after every defeat, particularly at home. Navarro accepts that expectations are high.
“We have to win, regardless of whether we play at home or on the road. One of the worst things, of course, was that we didn’t beat Zalgiris in front of our fans.”
However, he defended his players’ effort.
“I cannot question the fighting spirit and effort of the guys. They gave everything they had, with many mistakes, but they gave everything. So there are no complaints there.”
The home crowd will again be an important factor against Hapoel.
“We will have our energy behind us, the fans will push us, and that has to be something that is on our side.”
But Navarro also recognizes the emotional nature of his team.
“Of course, we have very emotional players, so we are also a very emotional team. Sometimes it’s not easy for them to control that extra energy.”
“When we do something great, the energy the team gets is huge. But when you make a mistake, you get the opposite effect. So we have to learn how to manage all these emotions that surround us.”
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