'That's what I want as a coach': Spahija sees improvement, as Baldwin reveals team meeting / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Aitor Arrizabalaga/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Aitor Arrizabalaga/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (5-9) destroyed LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (7-7) in the second half (46-22) to get their fifth victory of the season in the EuroLeague.

Player of the Game EFF 19 Wade Baldwin Points 13 Accuracy 5-9 Rebounds 2 Assists 6

Neven Spahija could not hide his satisfaction after an important win at home, playing well on both sides of the court.

"I told my players to be more aggressive on defense, and we did it in the second half. I have to give credit to our players for their good performance", said the Croatian coach.

Spahija highlighted how efficient his players were in the offensive end of the court. Five players finished in double digits (Baldwin IV, Fontecchio, Enoch, Giedraitis, and Costello).

"That's my basketball, that's what I want as a coach. It's not easy, but to rotate, play with the bench more, that's the perfect style for us. This time we responded, and we need to continue," explained Baskonia's coach.

After winning in Barcelona a few days ago, the 59-year-old coach sees a kind of improvement in his team.

"We are better now, we are taking care of the ball better. We do not make as many turnovers as we used to. The team is more balanced. We want to play open court, shoot more threes and run. We have adapted to this," Spahija added.

"I have doubts about some things, but this is the way I want to follow. I see players with a better attitude. If you win two games in a row as we have done, it means that you are on the right way," the Balcanic mastermind concluded.

Wade Baldwin IV is one of the players who has changed his gestures on the court. He looks more involved in the game, something good for Baskonia. The American shooting guard revealed that there was a team meeting to fix some things.

"We call each other out, and it's been showing in the past two games. We need to keep this trend going. We're stringing things together, the guys are finding the rhythm, and we're having fun playing basketball," Baldwin recognized.

On the opposite side, TJ Parker regretted they let Baskonia play as they wanted to.

"We knew that if they average 83 points per game, they win. And at halftime, we saw it would be tough because it was the perfect context for them," admitted the French coach.

"We were not playing the offense we wanted to in the second half. They came really strong, and we could not match their intensity. They were better than us today. Let's see the next time", Parker added.

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