Obradovic weighs in on potentially fining his players after loss to Valencia / News - Basketnews.com

Zeljko Obradovic blasted Partizan's players for losing the rebounding battle vs. Valencia and answered a question on whether he intends to ask that a fine be imposed on the squad.

Credit: SIPA – Scanpix Credit SIPA – Scanpix

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade suffered their fourth straight loss in all competitions, third in a row in the EuroLeague, falling to Valencia Basket at home after a 45-minute battle.

Player of the Game EFF 23 Xabi Lopez-Arostegui Points 17 Accuracy 5-11 Rebounds 4 Assists 4

The Serbian side now has to find a way to get out of a tough situation, especially since their next match in the ABA League is against Buducnost. It will be followed by the very first EuroLeague derby against Crvena Zvezda, just ten days after the two teams locked horns on the domestic front.

Zeljko Obradovic addressed Partizan's issues at the press conference and spoke about whether he intends to fine his players.

"Congratulations to Valencia, they played better, with more concentration," the winningest European coach admitted.

"The impressions after the defeat may be different, but the one and most important thing is that we haven't had enough practice sessions. That's what I said after the derby.

[Mathias] Lessort hurt his elbow, [Alen] Smailagic wanted to play despite his injury. We don't have enough players to do normal training, we mostly lack players," Obradovic lamented.

Partizan's biggest problem was defending the paint, where Valencia dominated the offensive glass with 16 boards. On the other hand, Partizan were reduced to only 16 defensive rebounds and 23 overall.

"We had a disgraceful 23 rebounds, of which Lessort took 10," Obradovic said.

"The rest of the players grabbed 13. It shows how important he is to us. We had many lapses. When you lose a game in overtime, it means you had a chance to win. They were more focused [than us]," he continued.

Given the tight rotation, Obradovic had to change some things, even if that meant using players that didn't have much time in previous games. Tristan Vukcevic stayed on the court for 3:31 minutes, but his coach thinks that he's worked "very well in the last few days. That's why he got a chance to play."

Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

3-pointers this season

40%8,9Points made:8,9Accuracy:39,8%Place in standings:10Record max:17Record min:5Most made 3FGs:Kevin PunterTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

"We need to include more players," Obradovic argued. "We have a lot of distractions. Am I worried? On the one hand, yes, because of our injuries. On the other hand, we see that this team has potential."

Obradovic calledValencia "a very serious team," adding that "they have a lot of quality players."

"Maybe they were going through a result crisis, like us. It's no small thing when you have 16 offensive rebounds, and your opponent has 17 defensive rebounds. We didn't have a strong enough desire to fight for the rebounds, which isn't good for any competition.

I'm trying to influence the players, but obviously, that's not enough," he conceded.

In the end, Obradovic answered a question on whether sanctions will be imposed on players after the fourth defeat in a row.

"What do sanctions mean?" Obradovic wondered.

"Do you think players like to lose games? Do you think they don't enjoy playing in front of such a crowd and atmosphere?" he asked.

"I'm thankful to the fans for that. I know how much people love us. I have always believed in and will always trust the players. I've never punished them, it doesn't make much sense.

I believe in conversation, and I think we're just people who need to understand each other. I always say things to one's face, good or bad. This is the only way, and I will continue to do so," he concluded.

Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.