It was a difficult night for Baskonia as they suffered a tough loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv. Following the game, head coach Paolo Galbiati was openly disappointed with his team’s performance, pointing to major issues on the defensive end and a lack of competitive spirit from his players.
The key takeaway from the match was the coach’s honest assessment of his team’s shortcomings. He believes that without a significant improvement in their defense and overall desire to compete, Baskonia will struggle to win important games, especially on the road.
🛡️ Defensive Struggles Were Clear
Coach Galbiati was very direct about the team’s defensive problems. He explained that Baskonia was inconsistent in one-on-one situations, allowing their opponents to score too easily. “With this kind of defense, we cannot compete,” he stated, emphasizing that while Hapoel Tel Aviv played well, his team’s defensive effort was not at the required level.
🔥 A Lack of Passion and Energy
What seemed to frustrate the coach most was the lack of passion from his players. He felt that many on the team did not show the “fire” needed to compete in a high-level game. “At halftime, I was a little bit mad with them because I truly believe we can compete,” Galbiati said. He noted that when the team plays with the right energy, they can close big gaps, but they failed to maintain that intensity.
💪 Looking for Consistency and Welcoming a Key Player
The coach also mentioned the team’s ongoing struggle to perform as well in away games as they do at their home arena, Buesa. He stressed that to be successful, every player needs to bring the desire to win to every single game. On a more positive note, the return of Markus Howard from injury was a bright spot. Galbiati called him a “very important player” and expressed confidence that the intelligent guard will fit perfectly back into the team’s system.
