Ainars Bagatskis shared his thoughts on the Ukrainian national basketball team's second consecutive victory, emphasizing the need for more consistent performance despite the positive result. The head coach highlighted quality of play as the primary focus during this preparation phase for upcoming pre-qualification tournaments.
"I would like to say that I didn't even expect us to play quite well today. It was like a roller coaster: about three-four minutes of very good work with patience, with emotions, with execution. And then within a minute and a half, we lose everything we did before. And then we start from the beginning," – Bagatskis explained.
The Ukrainian squad showed improvement in ball movement, recording 28 assists in their latest game compared to 20 in the previous match. However, Bagatskis wasn't entirely satisfied with this aspect of their performance.
When asked about the team's passing game, the coach offered a nuanced assessment: "Both yes and no. Because yesterday, for example, when we played terribly in the first two quarters, there were only about three or four assists."
The first intensive phase of preparation is now complete. The squad will get a well-deserved day off before continuing with a lighter training schedule.
"No more long training sessions, no more training twice a day. It was very, very difficult for us in the first week," the Latvian specialist admitted. "Now after these two games, players and coaches also deserve a day off tomorrow."
Interestingly, the team's preparation journey is just beginning. After three more training sessions in Riga, they'll travel to Croatia for additional pre-season games. Bagatskis hinted that some roster changes might be coming for those matches, though he couldn't provide specific details.
Can the team find the consistency their coach demands before the real competition begins? The roller coaster performance suggests there's still significant work to be done.
