By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Baskonia coach Paolo Galbiati offered a self-critical analysis of his team’s defeat against Valencia Basket, highlighting the challenges posed by the Valencian side and identifying areas for improvement to compete effectively in these types of games.
“Playing against Valencia is very difficult,” Galbiati began, emphasizing the high pace of play, the quality of their shooters, and their physical dominance. In that regard, the Italian coach acknowledged that Baskonia wasn’t at the necessary level in the first half: “We lacked physical conditioning in the first half and communication in some situations in the second.”
For the coach, the key issue was a lack of team cohesion: “The problem, for me, is that we need all the players on the same page, and today they weren’t.”
Galbiati also had positive words for Kobi Simmons, who has been signed until the end of the season, highlighting his impact both on and off the court. “He’s a really good guy, important on the court and in the locker room. He has talent, size, and the ability to play. We’re very happy that he’s going to finish the season with us,” he said, valuing his continued presence on the team.
He also spoke about Omoruyi, who also joined on a temporary contract, highlighting his energy and offensive contribution: “He played a very good game, with a lot of energy. He has some things going for him on offense, a good basketball IQ… he gives us more weapons.”
The Baskonia coach wanted to put the defeat into context, recalling the ability to bounce back shown by his team in previous weeks. “We lost an incredible game against Barça that could have damaged the players’ confidence, but we bounced back immediately in Málaga. In the first 12 minutes, we let Valencia do whatever they wanted, but we recovered again.
Galbiati praised the opponent’s form, calling them “one of the most in-form teams in the EuroLeague,” downplaying their recent setbacks due to the circumstances surrounding them. “We lost at home to one of the most in-form teams in the EuroLeague. Okay, they lost last week in Israel, but it was a strange and tough game, you know why. And then in Murcia, after a long trip. Valencia is a very good team, and today we showed that we’re close. We need something more; we’ll work to close this gap and win these kinds of games.”