Bartzokas: 'Georgios Printezis is the best leader I have ever had' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: IMAGO/kolbert-press - Scanpix Credit IMAGO/kolbert-press - Scanpix

Olympiacos Piraeus cruised past their opponents in the Greek Basketball League's quarterfinals. Now, they are set to meet Promitheas Patras in the semifinal.

Georgios Printezis

MIN:9.02PTS:3.38 (56.1%)REB:1.16As:0.32ST:0.05BL:0.03TO:0.27GM:37ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Ahead of the matchup, Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas gave the Greek media some in-depth answers regarding the playoffs and his experiences managing the team.

"At the moment, we are playing 67-68 games. It's too many and for better or worse the teams that play in the Euroleague play finals since October," Bartzokas explained. "I tend to believe that only real champions, not only those who win the championships, but who have the consciousness of a champion, play well until June 15th."

"This requires great professionalism," the coach continued. "This is the biggest piece of management we have to do now - to stay serious, focused, to be the best version of ourselves, to be solid in the locker room."

"And let me praise a little. Georgios Printezis is the best leader I have ever had in all the teams I was in," Bartzokas praised his team's veteran player. "I'm not saying this to flatter him. I never talk very personally about players. He made a huge contribution to our team."

"You always know that there are down moments in teams, moments of selfishness, they create difficulties," the coach explained. "His role and contribution were so important that Olympiacos have achieved two of the three goals we had."

Asked about the things he has experienced during the playoffs, Bartzokas remembered a moment in a match against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens years ago.

"In my previous tenure at Olympiacos, we played a final against Panathinaikos and a flare fell on [Kyle] Hines' head," Bartzokas recalled. "If for one thing I have regretted, and I have made many mistakes on this path, that then I did not ask the management to take the team and leave, and not to play the final."

"I remember going to talk to the players in the locker room, Hines was dizzy and nobody had the attention and concentration to play a league final," the coach told about the experience. "It was the first time I saw fear in their eyes for their health. If I regretted something then I did not take a stand. I was young at Olympiakos. Respectively, I could have pounded the table as you say."

The first game of the series is scheduled to take place on Sunday at 19:00 CET in the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus.

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