Scariolo: “Real Madrid is always Real Madrid, this team always competes”

The Real Madrid basketball coach, Sergio Scariolo, acknowledged this Tuesday that they have had some “somewhat turbulent weeks” in their preparation for the ‘Final Four’ of the Euroleague due to the losses of Walter Tavares and Alex Len, their two centers, something that forces them to “a radical change in everything”, but he recalled that they should not “lower their heads against adversity” because “Real Madrid always competes”, and they will do so in their semifinal against a Valencia Basket against which they have “great respect” and whom they know “well.”

“They have been quite special weeks, somewhat turbulent and have gone in a completely different direction with respect to what we expected to be able to do in our planning. We have had to basically change, after Tavares’ injury, the planning, and Alex (Len), who had played a fantastic role, especially defensively, and with him we had found a balance again, obviously a slightly lower level, and his injury has forced us to a radical change in everything and we are still in it for a bit,” said Scariolo during the ‘Media Day’ prior to the ‘Final Four’.

The coach of the Madrid team made it clear that due to the absences of his pivots “there are things” that they will not be able to “neither hide nor cover because they are obvious.” “We have to look for other things and of course be aware of the limitations we have, that the scenario is completely different compared to before and feel a sense of urgency. At least, those who are there try to do things in the best possible way, especially at the level of faith,” he pointed out.

The Italian stressed that they are “trying to understand how” they can be “competitive in a completely different way compared to the very good balance” that they had achieved “after months of testing, change, effort and adjustments.” “We still have work to do, but we are very excited to be in this ‘Final Four’, which is not something that happens to all the big teams every year, so we have to be not only proud but also motivated and excited to be able to do a good job,” he requested.

“We do not want to resign ourselves or lower our heads against adversity, we want to fight and go out to compete with more strength, more energy and more than we have possible. Real Madrid is always Real Madrid, it can have limitations, be in a great moment, in a lesser moment, but when it goes to compete, it always competes, and this team always competes,” said the former Spanish coach.

The coach did not go into “detail” about how he is going to modify his team’s game with these absences. “We have not finished the training and we have not managed to have a complete vision of what can work and what cannot. We are experimenting, we are reacting a little to the unforeseen events that have occurred,” he simply noted.

“Obviously, I expect more from Usman (Garuba), obviously we have very few alternatives, so it is not that complicated to understand or imagine what we can do, there is not much to fantasize about. It is not what, it is how you are going to make a difference on both sides of the court. We can be effective in a different way and that is what we are really looking for,” he added in this regard.

In this sense, he pointed out that Garuba is one of the “few players with the ability to compete when he is in the normal mode of maximum concentration and maximum profusion of energy”, although he does not hide that he is “impaired” by his hand problem in the third game of the playoff against Hapoel Tel Aviv.

“He is better, but it is obvious that he is not physically one hundred percent, although mentally I see him well, with a lot of attention. He has grown a lot this year. One of the things that makes me most proud is the growth that the vast majority of the players have had throughout this season, and Usman represents it a little, growing in many areas and becoming a full-fledged rotation player,” he explained of the international.

The one from Brescia does not forget that Garuba was considered “a guy who could change games with energy”, but that “now the perspective is completely different” and “he has a greater responsibility, not to do different things, but to do what he knows how to do for a greater number of minutes and knowing that there is not much plan ‘B’ behind him.” “Before he was a plan ‘B’ on many occasions at a very high level, this time he is ‘A’ and without a net, so it is a good test for him. I am also hopeful and at the same time curious to see how he will react,” he stressed.

All in all, the Real Madrid coach has faith that they can become champions because of “the great work” done all year, especially at the “off-field level, cohesion, understanding of roles, how to play together.” “Generosity, competitiveness, the ability to not give up and to make the extra effort when the partner needs help, are things that are already part of it. The plant must be watered every day, if it does not dry out. The plant has grown and if we are able to continue watering it, we will maintain that part,” he stressed.

“GREAT RESPECT” TO VALENCIA BASKET AND PEDRO MARTÍNEZ

The one from Brescia knows that the Euroleague “includes the excellence of European club basketball” and that in Athens you will see “a very high level of basketball”, starting with that of his rival in the semifinals, a Valencia Basket for which he has “great respect” and, he, “personally”, towards his coach Pedro Martínez.

Sergio Scariolo saw the Taronja team as “full” in their playoff against Panathinaikos, where they demonstrated “tactical intelligence.” “We know each other well and we will also have our weapons to be able to compete against them,” warned the Madrid coach.

A point in favor for Real Madrid may be the experience of his squad in this type of scenario, but the Italian warns that this “is pure theory” and that it will be “a privilege” if it helps in aspects such as “nerve control” or “making good decisions.” “Also in many years of basketball I have seen people with a lot of experience who later in the moment of truth have not been as forceful and as clairvoyant as they are supposed to be. If they are able to teach this experience in how they will compete it is obviously an advantage,” he remarked.

“THE BLOW” OF LOSING TAVARES AND LEN

For Scariolo, reaching his third ‘F4’ “has been a succession of emotions” and he confessed that he was interested in “proving” that it was no burden to come from directing a national team. “In the end, it is basketball and it is being a coach and competing, which has filled me with enthusiasm and pride,” he said.

However, he has subsequently felt “frustration” for being the “second time” in his career that he felt he had a “‘Final Four’ team” and has had these physical mishaps. “I had it in Malaga one year, but not when we reached the ‘Final Four’, the year before Olympiacos eliminated us, the next we arrived, but against the odds,” he recalled.

“I think this is the second time. Personally, my feeling was that, we achieved it and the two centers broke, that has been a hard blow and we have to recognize it. Then you enter the reactivation phase and let’s figure out how to do it and how we can rethink everything a little to be able to continue competing,” he added in this regard.