Aris can’t afford to suffer any more defeats in the Hellenic Championships, David Blatt said on the eve of the home game against Panionios (Saturday 06/03, 19:00) for Match Day 19.
“There’s not a lot of time left in the regular season and, in our present situation, we can’t afford to let any games go by. The game against Panionios, which already was a difficult and important one, will be double as important for us, because of this. We must approach the game with that idea in mind. The team lost by 4 in the first round and obviously the win is a must for us, but the point difference is also something to have in consideration”, the 51-year-old coach said and added: “This year Panionios has been very good at times and has also had difficulties at other moments. They have some very good local players and foreign players who are dangerous. It’s a team to be respected and a hard rival for anybody”.
The American-Israeli coach also quoted that he’d like to see his players maintain the momentum from the big victory over DKV Joventut Badalona: “We’d like to maintain the same level of intensity as we had against Badalona. That’s where we’d like to get to in a constant basis. We showed high level in that game and hopefully we’ll be able to play in that level in Greece as well as in Europe. We’ve also got to make up for last week’s loss”.
Mr. Blatt also spoke about his impressions after the dinner party the “SARISA” Aris investors held to his honor on Thursday night (04/03): “I was very impressed by the quality, the number and the commitment of those people to the Aris program. The one thing that stuck out my mind is the same passion and feeling that the people and fans of Aris have for their team. It’saverynicething”.
The successful coach also answered about the possibility of keeping on in Aris the next season, too: “It’s no secret that I feel really happy here. It’s a wonderful place and I’m working with a very professional and highquality administration and staff. Aris is a club which has got a great name and tradition, but still with great ambition. So, there’s a lot of things that are very positive regarding my decision, when the time comes. The time hasn’t come yet, that’s all. I’ve said how good I felt since the first day here and nothing has changed my mind”.
