Three days before Bayern Basketball's season opener with the southern rivalry game against Ulm (Saturday, 18:00), the Audi Dome's press lounge was packed at the traditional kick-off press conference. Club president Herbert Hainer, managing director Marko Pesic, head coach Andrea Trinchieri, sporting director Daniele Baiesi and the new captain duo Vladimir Lucic/Andreas Obst answered questions for a good hour. Here is an overview of the most important statements.
Andrea Trinchieri
. . . on the difficult pre-season preparations in the European Championship summer:
"I love a hard preseason. If it's too easy, I make it hard. Because if you don't have any problems, you don't face any opposition, you'll never know what the real consistency of your team and your players is. So, the preseason was very difficult, we were missing up to ten players at one point - but we always knew we had a great core of players coming back. (...) We've had two practices now with almost the whole team; still without Bonga and with him I'm extremely curious because I have an idea how he will fit into the game. But when players come back, that's generally always the best thing for a coach."
. . . about the "tailor Trinchieri's" style of play for 2022/2023:
"Fashion has changed a lot in the last few years. You can go to a gala with sneakers now and everyone says, wow! Ten years ago, they wouldn't even let you in with sneakers. So: we have to be very flexible as a team, modern and creative; we need a suit that you can wear when it's sunny, in winter when it's raining or snowing. That's how I see my job: multifunctional players for all positions. Everyone can do a little bit of everything and we always have the opportunity to change something in the game. You can play big, small, go inside or to the three-point line. That's the current fashion. (...)
I think this is a team that people should pay attention to; we have amazing players that are just fun to watch. (...) I would like to add one thing: I have a dream, which is to have healthy players! Done, that's it!"
"The BBL now has a duty"
Herbert Hainer
. . . on the prospects for the new season:
"We are trying to continuously develop Bayern Basketball, both in Germany and in Europe. We have made good progress in the last two years, especially in the EuroLeague, where we reached the playoffs twice. However, we didn't have enough energy at the end of the German championship. Now we have even more players with German passports, which will give us much more rotation options.
Of course, we will try again to reach the playoffs of the EuroLeague. But above all, we want to have enough energy and power at the end to win the German championship. (...) In principle, I am very optimistic for both competitions."
. . . about the positive German team at the European championships:
"I am of the opinion that the BBL now has an obligation, but also an opportunity to anchor basketball much more firmly in Germany. The clubs are already doing a lot, we for example with the SAP Garden. We need a much stronger TV presence, although Magenta does that very well. We need more clubs in the big cities and there needs to be much more communication between games on the subject of basketball. The game schedule can also be better coordinated with the EuroLeague. That's where I already expect the BBL to seize this opportunity in cooperation with the clubs."
Marko Pesic
. . . on the squad strategy this summer:
"We tried to achieve a better balance between the workload in the Bundesliga and the EuroLeague. You couldn't blame any player for that, because a week usually always starts with a game in the EuroLeague. We ran out of players for various reasons, this issue has kept us busy this summer. We've now not only significantly rejuvenated the guard position, but also changed other areas with players that we think will develop over the course of the season."
. . . about the EuroLeague:
"Of the 18 EuroLeague clubs, probably 16 want to make the playoffs, ten want to make the Final Four and five think they could win the EuroLeague. That means the playoffs remain a huge, very high goal. (...) We know exactly how difficult the road was in the last two years to reach the playoffs. That's why this experience is immensely important for us. We will stay calm, no matter how the season goes. Of course we want to make the playoffs, but it will be very, very difficult."
Vladimir Lucic
. . . on the assumption of captainship:
"It's an honor to be a team captain at this club. I have hope that one day, when FC Bayern Basketball has become even bigger, I can say that I was captain here. I was co-captain until now and when Nihad (Djedovic) was injured, I was already the captain. So I have experience in this role and I won't have to change my behavior much anyway."
Compensation with stability and continuity
Andreas Obst
. . . about the short vacation after the European Championship and its impact:
"I had my legs up, let the last weeks sink in a bit and prepared myself mentally a bit for the coming months. Everyone here now seems fit so far, the impression at the first training on Tuesday was good; it was fun again. Of course I have to get used to a few new things again, but I think it will all go relatively quickly. (...)
You definitely take the experience with you from the European Championship, having played at such a level. You get up in the morning with the attitude that you can always win and that you don't have to hide. After such a European Championship you are simply more self-confident."
Daniele Baiesi
. . . about the summer plan to have kept ten players from last year:
"This idea of continuity is something we've always had here. And I think this approach is necessary for teams that, for various reasons, don't have access to signing the most well-known top players. We compensate for that with stability and continuity in our game and program. This approach started after the end of the previous cycle and with the arrival of a new coach, who is now also in his third year here. The players know his system and that helps us get through the problems of a long season."
