By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Valencia Basket recorded their fourth consecutive EuroLeague victory on Thursday night after defeating Anadolu Efes, but head coach Pedro Martínez was quick to temper any hint of overconfidence within his squad.
“What we can’t do is hide the results. We have to be happy, and these are objective facts,” Martínez said after the game. “We’re pleased with the wins we’ve achieved and sometimes, even when we lose, we’re not unhappy. We don’t let results alone guide us.”
The coach stressed the importance of staying grounded despite the strong momentum: “What we must avoid is puffing out our chests, being delighted with ourselves, and thinking we’re doing everything great, because this leads to relaxation. We should be happy -this builds confidence- but we can’t think that just because we’ve been winning so far, we’ll keep winning because ‘look how good this guy is’ or ‘how well they do that.’”
Martínez also emphasized the need to focus on day-to-day improvement: “We can’t tell ourselves this, and if others tell us, we need to say, ‘Leave it, I’m not interested in what you’re saying. All that matters is the present and how we can improve, individually and collectively.’”
Beyond the mental approach, the Catalan coach highlighted what he believes was the key factor behind the taronja victory over Efes.
“The three-point shooting is not only about what you make, but the spaces it creates,” he explained. “But today there’s a really good stat: we had 25 assists to the opponent’s 15. And we only turned the ball over 10 times, which is sensational.”
Martínez noted that such ball security is rare for a team that prefers to play at a fast pace. “Coaches always want zero turnovers, but that’s impossible. Losing only ten… Any coach will tell you that’s very good. And even more so for a team like ours, which wants to play fast and take certain risks. Losing ten balls is an absolute success.”