Group I analysis. MIKE WILKINSON 22  january  2009

Eurocupbasketball.com
BC KHIMKI CENTER, MIKE WILKINSON
"We only had the one loss, at Benetton, when we were struggling a bit, had some injuries and hadn’t found our rhythm before the coaching change. We started getting players healthy again and right now we feel good, but also like we haven't played our best basketball yet. We're still learning the new system, and you see already that minor details make big differences. Sergio Scariolo, I think, has made everyone a little more dangerous. We're attacking more, drawing fouls, creating stuff for teammates. By just focusing on some the small details, which we kind of looked past before he came — and it cost us some games — now, we're taking care of them, and it helps, especially against the better teams.

"We played both the Greek teams in our group back in preseason exhibitions. We also played both of them in their own gyms, so those places will be familiar to us, and it will help us a little bit to have seen some of their players. Both Panellinios and Maroussi played those games well, and they'll be better teams now. Both have beaten Panathinaikos in the Greek League, both have played tough on the road, too. Mavrokefalidis has been on of the hottest players in the Eurocup for Maroussi. Especially the last month, he's playing great for them. When we go to their place for the first game next week, a big key to us winning will be to stop him. He didn't play well against us in the preseason, but his confidence is up now and the team is looking for him to make shots. Panellinios is a team that's really playing hard. I can understand that, since Elias Zouros was my first coach when I played for Aris in Greece. Early in the season in Greece, their offense really clicked. They have big guys who step out and open the floor, hey pass well and they have guys who can score. But I think that in the last three or four games of the Eurocup first round, they stepped up defensively in order to advance.

"As for Dynamo, we've played them twice, beat them once, lost once. It's always good to play close to home, and having a game in Moscow will make things easier. They're a really dangerous team, though, and very capable of winning every single game. We've got to make them work for everything. We've got to go with the mentality that we're good, too. With their big guns, you've got to make them make tough shots. Every one on the team is a threat. They've done big things before and have that experience, whether in the Euroleague, national teams, the NBA. They have that edge in that they know what's going on and how to get it done. And they have a great coach. So it's a tough group, top to bottom, with no easy games. We know this and we'll be ready."
Source http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/ulebcup/home/news/i/4262...