Ergin Ataman spoke to the media shortly before Panathinaikos BC AKTOR’s departure for Milan, where the team will face EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (13/12, 21:30) for Round 15 of the EuroLeague Regular Season.

“At this point, every game is difficult—there are no easy games in the EuroLeague. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has a very strong roster, one that can compete for the Final Four. They faced many injury problems, but in their most recent games almost everyone has returned. Leday, Nebo, Shields, and I think Guduric will also play against us. We have a good roster as well. We must play aggressively and play the right kind of basketball if we want to win. They are a very good team and they are in a good position in the standings.”

Regarding the coaching change at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, he commented: “It’s very difficult for a team to change much. Poeta was Messina’s assistant for a long time. You cannot change many things. And he is a smart coach. You can’t take over a team and suddenly change everything—that would be bad for the team. Poeta is also lucky because the injured players have returned; he knows the systems, he knows the team, he has worked with Messina. Messina, together with Željko, is among the best coaches in the history of the competition. Poeta has learned a lot from him and now he will implement many of his own ideas while giving motivation to his players.

He slightly adjusted the team’s rotation, like in the case of Dunston. But in the end, it’s the players who win games, not the coaches. That’s also the case at Panathinaikos BC AKTOR. We lost many games when we were playing without a center, and once we added a center, we played much better and had four consecutive wins. Then we played one bad game and we lost. We prepare the game, we make decisions, but it’s the players who determine the outcome.”

Finally, regarding the status of Osman and Holmes, the coach noted: “Unfortunately, Osman will not play tomorrow. I expected him to play, but the doctors told me yesterday that he won’t be able to, as he still has pain. As for Holmes, I hope he will play next week. He went through a very difficult injury, he was out for a long time, and I hope he will be ready next week. And it’s important for him to be ready in order to play well. He must first practice properly 2–3 times, and then he can come in and play.”

Rogkavopoulos: “EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is dangerous”

Speaking on behalf of the players ahead of the matchup with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Nikos Rogkavopoulos said:

“It was a special moment (regarding the record of 12 made threes), but we have to leave it behind because we have very important games coming up. Like the one against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, which for us is a must-win game. We’re going to Milan with that mentality, aiming to get the result. I definitely have good confidence, but every game is different and you always start from zero. So whether you played well or poorly, you have to reset and focus in order to perform in the next one.”

Regarding the elements Panathinaikos BC AKTOR must display in order to win in Milan, he added: “We’ve been very focused on avoiding dead periods. We need to have solid and compact defense. On offense, we must move the ball as well as possible. Valencia is a team that’s playing incredible basketball right now. They’re first in their domestic league, and in the EuroLeague they’re among the top five teams. They may not be named Real Madrid or have that kind of history, but they are an excellent team. They are not a team you can underestimate. Beyond that, every game is different. Messina left EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, but the team still carries his influence. They have a very good roster and this is also a very dangerous game.”