Beşiktaş head coach Dusan Alimpijevic pointed directly to poor perimeter shooting and a lack of competitive effort after his side suffered an 83–67 home defeat against Lithuanian powerhouse Zalgiris in the 10th round of the EuroLeague, Hürriyet reported.
Speaking to reporters at the Turkcell Basketbol Gelişim Merkezi, the Serbian coach did not mince words regarding his team’s inability to convert open looks from mid-range and beyond the arc.
Shooting Woes and Offensive Stagnation at Turkcell Basketbol Gelişim Merkezi
“This night we shot poorly,” Alimpijevic told journalists in post-match remarks recorded by Hürriyet. “If we play with this percentage, we cannot win. Our offensive ball movement did not go the way we wanted. Normally we could be productive on both sides of the floor, but today it did not happen. And in the end, we lost.”
Hürriyet noted that the home side struggled mightily to find rhythm in external and mid-range scoring, squandering multiple clear opportunities created during the game. Alimpijevic emphasized that while his players generated open looks, the execution failed entirely.
Dusan Alimpijevic Criticizes Defensive Effort and Guard Reliance
Expanding on the tactical breakdown, Alimpijevic highlighted a reliance on backcourt rhythm and a need for better reaction when falling behind.
“We are very dependent on the rhythm of our guard players,” Alimpijevic stated. “We needed to show a better reaction. We did not show a good effort. When we miss shots, we must return to defense in the best possible way. When we fell behind by 20 points, I didn’t hear our fans go silent. When they are like this, how can we play like this? Even if some things don’t go well, this is not the reaction we need to give.”
Dusan Alimpijevic did not hold back after Besiktas' loss to Zalgiris 😳 His postgame message to the team was crystal clear: https://t.co/Oa2B4ZNgE3 pic.twitter.com/Z9wopJsASp
The Serbian tactician acknowledged the pedigree of their opponents, describing Zalgiris as a complete roster constructed explicitly with a deep postseason run in mind. “Zalgiris built this team to stay in the Final Four. They built a good roster by keeping their important players,” Alimpijevic said.
Coach Urges Patience with Lonnie Walker
Addressing the performance of high-profile new addition Lonnie Walker, Alimpijevic urged patience regarding the 40-year-old coach’s rotation and the player’s physical condition. Walker played through discomfort during the contest, though the team’s collective struggles went far beyond any single acquisition.
Dusan Alimpijevic: "Cevaptan memnun kalmadın mı? Sen o adam mısın?" Dusan Alimpijevic, Olympiacos ve Zalgiris maçında aldığı molalarla alakalı gelen bir soruyu yanıtladı 👀 pic.twitter.com/sZxRviCH0L
“Walker is not fully ready yet. Basketball players are human, too. They need time to adapt to the team,” Alimpijevic explained to media members. “Beşiktaş is not made up of just one player. Walker was with us today despite his pain. I believe he will be better in the future.”
Unresolved Rotational Questions Facing Beşiktaş
With the EuroLeague group phase demanding rapid adjustments, Alimpijevic admitted that tactical overhauls offer limited utility when open shots simply refuse to drop. The primary question remains how quickly Beşiktaş can rebuild its perimeter efficiency and defensive transition discipline before their next continental fixture, with no immediate update provided on Walker’s exact recovery timeline or upcoming lineup changes.
