The coach of the Valencia Basket, Jaume ponsarnau, has ensured that regardless of whether or not they manage to finish in fourth place, they are not “satisfied” with the regular phase of the Endesa League, but he was hopeful because the qualifying rounds for the title are “another world.”
“The level we have shown is far from our capabilities, but playing another competition like the Euroleague it has conditioned us, ”he said at a press conference.
“The ‘playoff’ is another world and it will make a huge difference to how we are at that moment. We are going to try to be in the best way and have the best chemistry in the face of bad times, which will happen ”, he warned.
The coach added that with a good dynamic they can beat anyone and regarding this Saturday’s match against him Urbas Fuenlabrada, in which they must win to secure fourth place, he pointed out that the rival is “a team that is very excited despite the fact that nothing is being played”,
“They play happily, with a lot of courage and determination and without pressure. They are capable of great hitting streaks, they are super involved in defense, they run a lot and they are a great offensive rebounding team, “he said.
“We do not have to prepare to play against a team that has just been saved but against a team that is in a very bright moment of play,” he added.
Ponsarnau He warned that it is a rival that will force them to adapt and that they must do so without losing their identity. “They can put very different pictures, with forwards playing as ‘five’, many bases on the court or ‘treses’ playing as ‘fours’ and vice versa,” he said.
Regarding the fact of being measured against an opponent who has nothing at stake, the coach explained that it has been that way in part all season. “We are the Valencia Basket and in the ACB all the games at home or in many, the rivals play uninhibited because the favorite is the Valencia”, He explained.
The coach of the Valencia Basket analyzed the fact that they are the second team with the fewest fouls in the League. “We are, and we already were with previous coaches and with many of the same players, a team with a culture of trying to defend well,” he explained.
“In the Euroleague We were a team that started by making few fouls and each time we were doing more and in the ACB there is also this trend but we are still missing. When we don’t defend well we have to try to avoid baskets ”, he concluded.