Trinchieri on prep for Monaco: 'I go to the church, I light candles' / News - Basketnews.com

Trinchieri said Mike James was the best player in the league, and only prayers and candles can help against such a good team as Monaco.

Credit: D. Lukšta Credit D. Lukšta

Zalgiris Kaunas are on the verge of getting to the play-in tournament. However, not everything depends on them and two tough matchups remain.

This week, the Lithuanian team will be battling AS Monaco away from home. Looking at the matchup, Zalgiris' head coach, Andrea Trinchieri, said that whichever plan he chooses, there will be repercussions.

"I go to the church, I light candles," he answered when asked about the preparation. "This is the main preparation when you play against these players. You try to do your best knowing that every choice you make has consequences. There is a price to pay. If you move your soldiers, your army to stop one player, there are other players who can be dangerous. You need to have a very balanced game plan."

Monaco's game is centered around Mike James, who recently became the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Vassilis Spanoulis. Trinchieri is certain - he's the best player in the league at the moment.

"You are talking about, in my opinion, the best basketball player. The package that Mike brings on the court, the package of basketball game is the best. I've said it years ago. It's not just because he now became the all-time leading scorer," the coach said. "It's and achievement for him that underlines his great career, but he doesn't have to prove me anything. I know how good he is."

"Achievements are part of the business. It's good but it doesn't change how he plays or how good he is," Trinchieri said about James' lack of a EuroLeague title and how would it change the perception of him. "There are plenty of Hall of Famers in the NBA that never won a title, so now we can't say they're as good because they didn't win an NBA title or a EuroLeague title? A title is for a team, it's for an organization. I believe Mike James is one of the best. Position one, two, three - it's very subjective. I know - the package he brings is the best. He can do everything."

ALBA Berlin have previously used the box-and-one tactic against James, which the player openly hated. Echoing the thoughts of Sergio Scariolo, who said similar things in his interview with BasketNews, Trinchieri said it's not about one particular defensive system.

"This is the point. They played box-and-one. He likes to share his opinions and ideas. He's very social, and he said it wasn't fun. The team didn't win the game," trinchieri said. "When I say the package, the package is that he's able to pass, he's able to score, he's able to finish, he's able to shoot three-point shots. I don't believe that one coverage can stop him. Maybe he can have a good, maybe he can have a bad day. I don't believe that the point is there. You still have to face a team, you still have to face [Elie] Okobo, [Jordan] Loyd, John Brown, [Jaron] Blossomgame, D-Mo, [Donatas] Motiejunas, a player inside and out, Diallo. They are a Final Four team."

"If you focus only on Mike, and he's for sure their leader, their best scorer, it's committing a basketball sin because there are other very good players. The plan that Monaco has is very clear - the biggest amount of talent they've put together. Of course, Mike is a talent, but Okobo can score 20 points, he can score more than 20, Loyd can score 25, 30. I don't believe it's fair toward the club and the organization. I can be a big fan of Mike James, and I'll always be, but I'm in this business for more than two decades, so I know exactly what it means to play against such a good team," he concluded.

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