Trinchieri reflects on Bayern days, explains what makes Ibaka unique / News - Basketnews.com

Trinchieri said he couldn't describe his Bayern experience in a single moment but admitted it would be a great joy to play against his former team. Asked about Ibaka, Trinchieri named his raw physical strength and experience as key factors that helped the center become a key player in the EuroLeague at 34 years old.

Credit: Teodoras Biliūnas/BNS Credit Teodoras Biliūnas/BNS

Zalgiris Kaunas head coach Andrea Trinchieri will face off against his former club, FC Bayern Munich, for the first time since his departure last year.

Looking ahead to the matchup, the Italian coach said it brings only positive feelings being able to face off against Bayern.

"It's a great joy for me to go back to play in Munich. Of course, it's a game like anything else. I spent three years there, two times in the playoffs, two times in Game 5, one possession short of the Final Four. It will be fun to see a lot of people that I know. A lot of good memories, but this cannot distract us from our difficult task to win a game against a very, very good team. They play with great confidence at home, Ibaka looks like he's in a cocoon. He's one of the most efficient and effective, and impactful bigs in the entire EuroLeague. By far," Trinchieri said, complimenting Ibaka.

"[Vladimir] Lucic is back on track, forgot his injuries, and he's a player that can play on any team and bring on the table many intangibles, experience, toughness, shooting. Huge basketball personality," the coach told the media about the Serbian forward. "A difficult task. We need a win, but I don't want to think about the game, 'We need the win.' This is obvious. You see the ranking, you see everything. I believe that we need great effort."

Trinchieri tenure with Bayern was highlighted by two EuroLeague playoff appearances, both times coming near qualification for the Final Four. The 55-year-old specialist won two German Cup titles with the club but ended up parting ways last offseason.

Asked whether there is a moment that would sum up his experience with Bayern, Trinchieri was reluctant.

"Whenever you want to condense a lot of emotions, a lot of memories, you will commit a sin. You cannot condense so many things in one episode. There were great moments, there were tough moments. Like every team that plays in the EuroLeague, it's a brutal competition, brutal. I cannot tell you one specific episode or one specific moment," he said.

"If you want me to condense everything, it will be the alley-oop to Paul Zipser in Game 4 against Milano in the playoff series that was the peak of everything basketball-wise. But that was one play, and I cannot condense everything into one play," Trinchieri explained. "If I had to have a poster in my bedroom, that's. I'm still not good with it, I didn't accept what happened with Paul. It's something that will always come to my mind, what if, what if..."

At the beginning of the season, Bayern signed Serge Ibaka. Although many basketball fans initially believed he would only serve a role on the squad, Ibaka has become one of the leading players of the team. He's 4th in rebounds, 4th in blocks, and 13th in PIR in the EuroLeague.

What makes Ibaka so successful? His raw physical strength and experience, Trinchieri says.

"First of all, he's so physically strong. You can't move him, nobody can move him," the coach said. "The second thing you take into consideration as a parameter is that the EuroLeague is an old league. A lot of players that are not in their prime are dominating the league. The competition is brutal, and you need players with war experience. It's not the war that I'd like to say in this moment, but every game in the EuroLeague is a battle, it's a physical and mental battle, and you need players vaccinated for those kind of demands. So I'm not surprised. Serge is wow, he's a wow."

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