Ataman shares his winning secret, reveals if new signings are coming / News - Basketnews.com

Ataman said that his secret to winning titles was inspiring his players and the coaching staff. The coach revealed that one more player might be coming to Panathinaikos in a couple of weeks.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

With the coming of Ergin Ataman, the hopes of Panathinaikos Athens fans were significantly increased. Multiple players were signed to form a new foundation of the roster, and the squad will be coached by a two-time EuroLeague champion.

Asked to name his secret to success, Ataman was certain it was the emotions he translates to his players and the coaching staff.

"The secret is the courage that I have, I think, the leadership that I like to give, the emotions that I like to give to all workers who work with me - the players, the staff, the people around. And dedication to my job. I like my job, I enjoy doing my job," he told in an interview with Sportal.gr.

"Sometimes you see me on the court under big pressure, big adrenaline, but I'm not like this off the court. I'm relaxed, I enjoy doing this job," he said. "Finally, the challenge. I like to have a challenge. Panathinaikos was in the 17th position last year. This year, a change [has to be made] to the second position, but second is not enough. You must be first - a new challenge. That's my secret.

If you're scared that you're in Panathinaikos, OAKA, a big club [with] big expectations, you can't get the success. I'm not scared, I have courage, I like to be competitive, I believe in myself and the players I choose."

Panathinaikos signed 11 new players during the summer, reimagining both the backcourt and the frontline. Ataman says that one of the main criteria for selecting new players was how they behave off the court.

"The criteria was to have 2-3 high-level players for each position. An unselfish player of good quality who can play with my system offensively but is strong defensively," the coach explained.

"To start running the plays, to start improving the tempo, you need good defense, you need to rebound. We made a mix," he continued. "We have very experienced players like [Kostas] Sloukas, and we have younger players like Olek Balcerowski. All of them are big players with good characters to play together."

Despite a retool of the entire roster, more additions to the squad might be coming, Ataman revealed. The coach said that Panathinaikos have not ruled out the possibility of adding one more player.

"Unfortunately, we didn't play with a full roster. Luca Vildoza - one of our key players - was injured during all four games against EuroLeague teams in the preseason. Give me two-three weeks more to make the decision," he concluded.

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