Alba expects Piraeus to be the next Euroleague heavyweight

After five defeats in a row, Alba Berlin is expecting the next difficult international task. On Wednesday (8:00 p.m./Magentasport), the Bundesliga basketball club will welcome the Greek champions and current leaders of the Euroleague, Olympiacos Piraeus. It’s the best team in the league this year. It’s fun to watch them. They have a great style of play, said coach Israel Gonzalez.

The respect for the Greeks is great. They play great team basketball and run the ball very well, center Yanni Wetzell said. However, the German champion does not see himself as completely without a chance. We also beat Baskonia when they were top of the table. So we have a chance this time, Gonzalez said. Especially since the Greeks’ style of play could suit the Berliners more. They play very similarly to us, so we can learn a lot from them, said the Alba coach.

If Alba does not want to remain in last place until the end of the season, victories are urgently needed. So every game for us is now a do-or-die game. But what’s more important is that we improve our game and have the right direction, Wetzell said.

National player Maodo Lo will definitely be missing. The 30-year-old guard is still plagued by knee problems and is also ill. It helps that other players are getting in better shape now – like Wetzell. He’s played better in recent games, especially in the BBL. It’s a process, Gonzalez praised the New Zealander.

After initial problems at the start of the season, the 26-year-old has blossomed more and more in recent games. He’s more part of the team now and benefits from his teammates because he’s more integrated into the game. Everything feels easier, I play with more confidence now and I can play to my strengths better,” he said.