Pablo Laso speaks about Fenerbahce, his new guards and Anadolu Efes' bad streak / News - Basketnews.com

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Real Madrid (3-1) will meet Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2-2) this Thursday night in the fifth round of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Free throws this season

83%15,5Points made:15,5Accuracy:82,7%Place in standings:3Record max:21Record min:6Most made FTs:Walter TavaresTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Before the duel, Pablo Laso praised the Turkish powerhouse newcomers, adding that Fenerbahce ended last season pretty well.

"With Kokoshkov they were slightly different. They played fast in offense, American style. Some players took longer to adapt, but for me, they were probably one of the bests teams in the last period of the season. Without Vesely they could not do better in playoffs," began Laso.

"Henry and Polonara are great additions, Booker can play at 4 or 5, he is very athletic, Shayok is really versatile... They are dangerous. From that core with Vesely and De Colo, which is not bad at all, they have a complete roster," he said.

The Spanish head coach also gave some clues for tomorrow's game.

"One of the keys' game might be in the paint. We will need to control our rebound, be aggressive on defense and do some good help sides".

Asked about Yabusele's impact so far (he is leading Madrid in offense with 13.5 points average), Laso explained how they knew him.

"Yabusele came from the NBA and China. We played against ASVEL before the pandemic and we saw he had a huge potential for us. We have been following him in the last months. Without Randolph and Thompkins, we thought it could be a great addition. He is helping us a lot and I would say he will improve even more.".

Madrid's signings this summer include two new guards. This means a lot for a team, as it is probably the most important position. Laso praised how they have adapted.

"Thomas (Heurtel) has a pure talent to create shots and score. Nigel (Williams-Goss) is solid, he can defend different positions and he orders the team better. He may be less creative than Thomas, but he can score too. Having Carlos (Alocen) on the team is a relief. He has room to improve, sure. They complement each other".

Regarding Anadolu Efes' bad streak, Laso reminded, how tough is the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

"This is a really demanding competition. Physical games, good players, high-level coaches... Everyone can beat you. Efes has been so close but never won yet. I'm sure they will win games because they have good teams, but now they are struggling a bit. Euroleague is like this".

The Blancos will not have Sergio Llull (some shoulder problems), Anthony Randolph, and Trey Thompkins. Adam Hanga will play.

Madrid's game against Fenerbahce is set to take place in WiZink Center this Thursday.

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