By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
There was something on the statistics sheet of the game between Olympiacos and Khimki Moscow for Round 4 of the EuroLeague regular season, that particularly irked Thomas Robinson every time he read it.
It wasn’t his own numbers. Robinson had just posted a double-double by tying his season-high 19 points (shooting 8/13 from the field) and registering a new 2017-2018 record 11 rebounds in less than 26 minutes.
What made him feel so frustrated was the final score. 92 – 75 for Olympiacos. The first defeat of his team in all competitions this season after a 6-0 entrance (including VTB League games) was a nasty one.
“I don’t like losing bro,” Robinson told Eurohoops. “We shouldn’t have allowed them to beat us. We played horrible defense. I played horrible defense.”
Just minutes before, Khimki had left the floor after severely underperforming on both ends. Olympiacos had dominated the field, hitting buckets with remarkable efficiency, clobbering the visiting squad physically and outhustling them.
While the Reds executed their offensive plans to near perfection, Khimki’s connection to the basket was lost in the second half and Robinson and his teammates were overwhelmed.
“We shouldn’t come out so slow. We should play defense. Meaning myself. I came to Khimki to win. Not to lose. I’m not happy with this loss. We have to regroup and pick up where we left it,” Robinson said to Eurohoops.
“The next time we’ll see them (Olympiacos), it won’t be like this,” he added.
Despite producing a more than solid crop, the American forward/center was visibly disappointed, saying that his own numbers didn’t actually carry any real value. He felt he allowed his opposing big guys have their way inside the paint, which made him co-responsible for his team allowing so many points, thus getting beaten.
“It (his double/double) was fool’s gold. I didn’t really play that good. I played horribly on defense. I probably gave some of their (Olympiacos) bigs a momentum I shouldn’t have. So… points don’t matter.”
This was Khimki Moscow’s first EuroLeague game on the road and it was combined with defeat no. 1. As coach Giorgos Bartzokas mentioned in the post-game presser, many of his players didn’t have a clue of what is like to face such a battle-hardened team as Olympiacos, especially when the latter play in front of their home crowd.
“I mean… when you play anywhere on the road it’s always going to be tough,” Robinson said. “But when you want to be a good team you should be comfortable being uncomfortable. We failed to meet that task and that’s it. We got to regroup and come back strong.”
After spending five years in the NBA, this year Robinson ventured outside the league for the first time in his career by signing with Khimki just three weeks (September 23) prior to the launch of the EuroLeague season.
Despite his unfamiliarity with everything that European basketball encompasses, from off-court life to different rules and systems within the game itself, he has shown an exceptional adjustment to overseas hoops, averaging 15.8 points (62.8% from the field), 7.8 rebounds and one block, while staying on the court for less than 20 minutes per match.
Among the reasons behind his efficiency is the fact that he underestimates neither the level of the game nor his opponents.
“It’s competition. It doesn’t really matters where you are. If the next man wants it more than you, then he’s going to win. It doesn’t matter what league it is. And I respect every player in this league. Especially after tonight (26/10)”.
The 26-year-old forward/center is playing under Giorgos Bartzokas, a coach who has helped many American players to establish themselves on a major continental level (Bryant Dunston, Matt Lojeski, among others), rekindle their careers (Chris Singleton, Anthony Randolph) or even elevate their game enough to get NBA contracts (Malcolm Delaney).
“He’s (Giorgos Bartzokas) helping me get that freedom that I wasn’t able to get in the NBA. With that, I’m able to grow as a player. I have to pay him back though by performing great every night. And I didn’t do that against Olympiacos.”
After nearly five minutes of conversation, Robinson couldn’t get his mind off his team’s defeat. It’s a mentality that will serve him well in Europe, where every result matters.
“I just don’t like losing,” he kept repeating while looking at the stats sheet over and over again.