ALBA sports director downplays losing streak: 'Our philosophy is to grow' / News - Basketnews.com

ALBA's sporting director, Himar Ojeda, downplayed the recent losses and said that the organization would not make rash decisions. Both he and Johannes Thiemann emphasized roster's youth and recent injuries the team suffered as part of why the team has struggled recently.

Credit: imago images / Andreas Gora Credit imago images / Andreas Gora

ALBA Berlin have been on a losing streak recently, dropping games both in the EuroLeague and the German Basketball League (BBL). Despite the downfall, the club's management remains unfazed.

2-pointers this season

51%17,9Points made:17,9Accuracy:51,1%Place in standings:18Record max:24Record min:13Most made 2FGs:Johannes ThiemannTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

ALBA lost against MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in the BBL on Sunday. They have lost the last five games in the EuroLeague and are now dead last in the standings with just a single win in ten games. The team's sporting director, Himar Ojeda, doesn't want to rush to make decisions too soon.

"The time to judge only comes when we feel it is necessary. Our philosophy is to grow. And we won't throw that overboard just to win games at the moment," he told dpa, via Berliner Zeitung.

"We analyze our game and see that we can improve. But you also have to draw the right conclusions. Everything is still not well established. Every little detail has a bigger effect. It’s more difficult to get into a rhythm," Ojeda said having the recent injury woes in mind.

ALBA played without four important players on Sunday - Sterling Brown (knee), Matt Thomas (foot), Louis Olinde (concussion), and Justin Bean (family issues). As a young team, ALBA have to find a game rhythm, which is complicated when injuries occur.

"You shouldn’t overestimate all of this. We're playing without Louis, without Matt, without Sterling. We are a very young team and are playing without three key players. This changes the game completely. I wouldn't call that a step backward, but rather a lack of very important people," Johannes Thiemann told BILD.

At the moment, ALBA have three losses in the BBL already - the same number they had the entire regular season last year. Ojeda, however, doesn't think it's significant at this point of the season.

"Everyone said what a fantastic regular season we had. And then we still failed in the quarter-finals," he concluded the short interview with dpa.

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