Basketball / Elan Béarnais: “It’s good to play Pau again now” for Le Mans
“Failure, it’s hard to say. On the other hand, the more you win, the closer you are to the next loss. A little naively, we got caught up in the Strasbourg experience. We succumbed to the frustration of the trap set by Strasbourg. »
Should the desire to bounce back against L’Elan this Saturday at Antares be magnified tenfold by the spirit of revenge born of the first-game loss (89-85) on Dec. 18?
“Of course! I remember that game very well. There was…
“Failure, it’s hard to say. On the other hand, the more you win, the closer you are to the next loss. A little naively, we got caught up in the Strasbourg experience. We succumbed to the frustration of the trap set by Strasbourg. »
Should the desire to bounce back against L’Elan this Saturday at Antares be magnified tenfold by the spirit of revenge born of the first-game loss (89-85) on Dec. 18?
” Of course! I remember that game very well. We missed a lot of things on certain values, which meant that we didn’t have a chance. While everyone still has the memory of the first game, it’s good to play Pau again now. »
Is this sense of revenge a lever you will activate as a priority?
“Oh, so much! I hope we will use this to get better. »
After Pau, your reaction was very good with four wins, including a resounding victory on the floor of Villeurbanne (95-91). Do you attribute this fine streak to Terry Tarpey’s return from injury?
“This is not unusual. When you’re one of the strongest players in the Championship, it’s better to have him on the floor than on the bench. It is also up to the other players to recognize when we lack intensity and character. If all this comes up when Terry is there, it’s because we don’t have enough anchoring, at least not all of us, and we have to be able to force ourselves to do that. »
How do you rate Tarpey’s contribution beyond the numbers alone (9.4 points; 4.1 rebounds; 3.6 assists)?
“The further we go, the more people focus on statistics. We are falling into a slide of individual statistics that is disastrous for our sport, which has been elevated to the rank of justice of the peace and remains a collective discipline. A perfect counterexample is a player like Terry Tarpey. He will not put up 20 points per game, but he will make decisive passes, graying all the columns without exception. »
Is it still a key element of your team?
“What makes him special is that he gives everything for the team, in my opinion he is the best defender in the championship, although he doesn’t score in the ten minutes that some people think otherwise, he never hesitates to give an extra pass. Terry is the perfect example of a team player who makes the team better. So I’m glad we finally got this kind of player in the spotlight. The guys who eat the ball on offense, we could make a whole movie out of him, and on the other hand, the guy who gives everything for his team to win, even though it’s the main thing, no one talks about it. »
Is it hard to spread that mentality to other players?
“It’s broadcast when the players want it to be broadcast. We have a group of players, good guys who want to do well. Sometimes we can wonder how to do it, but having an increasingly vocal Terry who leads by example motivates you to follow. All teams need a strong leader to perform well. »
How is the absence of Valentin Chery, the author of 10 points, harmful on the way that you use an average of 18 minutes?
“Obviously, it’s a tile because his injury was not negligent. A dumbbell that falls on one thumb is crazy! If his absence makes Valentin Chery and I understand that we are better off, it will be a victory for him. You have to be able to compensate for your absence through the collective, you have no other choice. »
What are your ambitions for the second half of the season?
“Our theoretical location is the soft stomach, between 8 and 10. Now we’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re at 5.e After the first game, therefore, the focus is to do everything to qualify for the playoffs by avoiding injuries and being ambitious in the game. We are going step by step in an extremely tight championship with only three wins between 5 games.e and 13e and low-ends that are still competitive. One of the strengths of our championship is seeing the “big” fall in front of the “small”. We make predictions between us every day, and the truth is, most of the time, the majority are wrong! »
So disbelief before buying Pau?
“If we’re not suspicious, we’re either stupid or we’ve got to change our jobs!” »
What inspires you about the journey of the spiraling Béarnais?
“Honestly, I haven’t followed Pau’s career that long. I just know there is no bench depth with high quality players and a coach. Their recent play shows that this lack of depth is due to a budget that has affected this season. Is it better to have ten average players or five strong and do your best for the rest? These are never very obvious choices. I just hope they don’t go on their bad run against us. »
Are you a fan of the zone defense that Palua has been using extensively for a month now?
“I’m not a fan of the zone at all. However, it can be uncomfortable. Limoges, Nanterre also used it. This may be an option by default or to save some players. Few teams have been successful over time with a zone. We’re going to attack that defense on Saturday. »
