Panathinaikos BC AKTOR head coach Ergin Ataman and TJ Shorts spoke ahead of tomorrow’s home game against Dubai Basketball (20/11, 21:15).

“At this point we forget last week; now we have a new game. Dubai is a new team in the EuroLeague, but they have experienced players like Petrusev and Bacon. Kabengele has also started the season well. We definitely feel better compared to a week ago,” Ataman initially stated.

When asked about Omer Yurtseven’s condition, he said: “Omer is still not healthy, he’s in pain. I hope he can be 100% ready for the next game against Partizan on Tuesday.”

Regarding the team looking completely different in the previous double-week, he emphasized: “Kenneth Faried. The answer is very simple. You can’t play basketball for 40 minutes without a center. Playing a whole game without a center is impossible. We had many issues. Now, with his contribution, the team has found balance. In a team, if you lose something, it becomes a problem for everyone else. Faried did a very good job in the last games.”

As for whether the greens are still active on the market after signing Faried, he noted: “Until the national team break, we have two games. There’s no time to look for a new player. I believe that in this period Yurtseven will hopefully return against Partizan, and after the break I hope Holmes comes back so we can have a full roster, meaning we won’t be in the market.”

TJ Shorts added: “The energy is good. We had two good days of practice. We want to continue with the momentum we built during the last double-week. When I can contribute, it boosts my confidence. I hope to keep helping the team and to keep finding ways to be successful when I’m on the court. There’s no secret— the secret is the work we put in every day. I don’t have a magic recipe.”

When asked what Ataman told him before the double-week, he replied: “That will stay private. We had a meeting, I went to his office. We talked about basketball things.”

Regarding how much Kenneth Faried helps the team, he said: “He helps a lot, especially on the defensive end. He gives everyone a bit more confidence. He has provided major help to the team overall.”