Here we are. The long-awaited moment of the season, the start of the playoffs, has arrived and the Basketball Forlì 2.015 he is preparing to face them full force despite the injury suffered by Kadeem Allen who wanted to stay in Italy alongside his companions. Tomorrow we start with game 1 againstElachem Vigevano 1955 6 pmUnieuro Arena and coaches Martin He presents it to us like this: “We start these playoffs after two weeks of waiting, but above all after a long regular season made up of many matches where we can say we were very good because we showed great regularity, great mentality and we were permanently in the top positions of the standings to which we added the icing on the cake with the victory of the Italian Cup. Now we start from scratch and everything done up to now must be reset to approach these playoffs with great determination and great desire because we will find a Vigevano who will certainly bring great enthusiasm to the series, but we are ready. We can’t pretend that Allen’s injury didn’t happen, but at the same time there is a great desire in all of us to overcome this difficulty as has happened several times this season.”.
Good morning coach, two considerations: the first on the two-week break between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs and the second is your guys. What are you seeing these days in the eyes of your players?
“As regards the first question, it is a break that I don’t like in an absolute sense because you arrive at the last day with the adrenaline for the start of the playoffs and then you basically have to put it in a corner to dust it off after 14 days and therefore not a great idea. Selfishly I have to say that in light of Kadeem Allen’s injury we had two weeks to work on new situations and new balances and therefore at least from this point of view it was useful to us. As for what I saw in the boys, it is a concentration that, especially from last Tuesday up to today, has increased exponentially because last week, in which we trained well, we had no competitive commitments and therefore little by little As we got closer to tomorrow’s meeting, the boys did well to grow in attention and concentration”.
In light of Allen’s absence, was it necessary to work more on the psychological aspect, on the defensive one, because Kadeem gave a lot from this point of view, or on the offensive aspect?
“We worked on everything and honestly I think we would have done the same with Allen too. Clearly we had to think of something new because allow me to say that it is not nice, even if it is part of the game, to find yourself before the playoffs having to put aside everything you have done during the season because it is clear that in terms of rotations, of dynamics and team chemistry you are forced to change a lot. It was necessary to do so, but I’m sure that everyone will be willing to give their all and we will be equally performing and equally solid as we have always shown. It won’t be easy, let’s be clear, but we will give it our all”.
The importance of raising a level from a defensive point of view that Forlì has always had, except for the result acquired in the clock phase, is a fundamental aspect for these playoffs, but you will have to do it without a man in the wing rotations.
“I agree. It is clear that with Allen we lose an atypical American in the sense that he is a very generous player also from a defensive point of view, in attack we certainly lose something, but the defensive aspect will become even more important especially because we have set ourselves the objective of defending the field factor and therefore we will have to become so solid and so consistent, thanks to the help that our public will give us, to try to make life difficult for everyone. The defensive aspect will be essential”.
Johnson will probably have to be called upon to do something more, to be the protagonist even more. Is this correct or will other interpreters also be called upon to carry the team on their shoulders in times of need?
“I honestly believe that the key is for each of them to guarantee what they have done best up to now. I don’t really believe in the fact that the boys have to do something more or something different in the sense that Allen’s absence in itself creates differences for us and for this reason we have to adapt to new things and new dynamics both on and off the pitch . I think it would be a mistake if each of them thought they were doing something new or different. I would like each of the boys to do well what they have always done because in this way I am convinced we would remain competitive, consistent and we will reduce the new things. It’s obvious that without Allen there will be moments in which the ball will be more in someone else’s hands, but the team’s strength will be to remain itself. No one will have to overdo it because we will all get out of this together and not on an individual level. I would be satisfied if Johnson did Johnson well, Cinciarini did Cinciarini until Munari did Munari well.”.
Coming to tomorrow’s opponent, what do you fear most about Vigevano?
“Vigevano has certainly proven to be a team that plays with great enthusiasm, that will have the energy and lightness to play these playoffs in a manner, I won’t say relaxed, but with a lighter heart. They are a team with a group of Italians who obtained promotion and as often happens they approach the new category with great determination and therefore will give everything. Then they have a good pair of Americans because both Smith and Wideman have shown that they have a lot of points in their hands, that they are dangerous and that they are an important point of reference for them. We will have to be ready, but I have no doubt that we will be.”.
From the point of view of physical and athletic fitness we would like to know if any specific work has been done in the last month and how do you rate your team?
“We are coming into these playoffs well even if we haven’t done who knows what particular things in the sense that in this period the objective is always to maintain a gradual state of form. We certainly tried to mentally lighten the tension in the pre-Latina week even if, as you saw, the match was prepared to go there and win and also a little in the following week with the aim of recharging the batteries. Then, as we got closer to tomorrow’s appointment, we started to increase our concentration and the right tension again to be ready. I must say that this was shared between staff and players who evidently also unconsciously needed to loosen up a little to recharge and be ready for game 1. From tomorrow we will have days ahead of us which physically and above all mentally will involve a great expenditure of nervous energy and in this I hope this allows us to move forward as much as possible.”.
