"We Shouldn't Have Looked Like This!" Alimpijević Clear After Besiktas's Loss: "I Don't Know What More the Club Can Do"
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In a fiercely contested match, Besiktas had a shot at victory, but Jalen Nowell's attempt fell short, allowing Valencia to snatch the points from the Bosphorus city.
Following the game, Serbian coach Dušan Alimpijević addressed reporters, outlining the reasons for the defeat.
He began by emphasizing the team's weak defense and stating that Besiktas should not have performed this way in their EuroLeague opener.
"Honestly, we were far from the defensive performance we aimed for. We shouldn't have looked like this in our first EuroLeague game, especially in front of our home fans. I want to thank all the supporters who came to back our team and this group of players. From now on, we need to be much tougher and significantly better defensively. We must show a completely different face on the court." - Dušan Alimpijević
Alimpijević highlighted that while Valencia might have changed coaches and some players, they managed to retain their core mentality.
"As we discussed before the game, we were up against a team that reached the EuroLeague Final Four last season. Even though they've changed coaches and players, they've maintained the same mentality. They are probably one of the fastest teams in the league when it comes to bringing the ball into play. We failed to execute what we talked about and planned before the game. We were also very poor at boxing out on rebounds. Especially at home, allowing an opponent to grab 16 offensive rebounds speaks volumes about our desire." - Dušan Alimpijević
He stressed that the defense must improve significantly for the remainder of the season.
"We definitely need to be much better in one-on-one defense and get extra effort from all our players. That's something everyone on the team must provide for this team and this club. We need additional effort in every aspect of defense." - Dušan Alimpijević
He added that he couldn't see what more the management and the club could do, given what they had already provided.
"Honestly, I don't know what more the club could do. We're bringing the best in European basketball, the most elite EuroLeague teams, to our arena, in front of our fans. I hope we'll see the same level of support during this very demanding schedule, in our next EuroLeague game against Barcelona." - Dušan Alimpijević
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