Justin Anderson, a player of Valencia, spoke in an exclusive statement after last week’s game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, about the upcoming challenges, as well as the possibly decisive game against Partizan.
Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Valencia and thus instilled doubt in Alex Mumbru’s team. Two games remain until the end of the regular season of the EuroLeague. These games are against Asvel and Partizan, and our interviewee briefly reflected on the game against the “Pride of Israel.”
“I think the next two games are very important for us. We made a lot of mistakes against Maccabi Tel Aviv that we need to look at and clean up. We can’t repeat that against Asvel. Right now, we also need to focus on the Liga Endesa where tough games await us. We know what’s at stake, and we’ll fight for it,” Justin Anderson started the conversation for Basketball Sphere.
They want this season to be fruitful
Former NBA player evaluated the Liga Endesa and EuroLeague as highly competitive and, of course, very unpredictable leagues. Valencia is fighting for a spot in the playoffs in both competitions, and wins are needed to achieve that goal.
“This is basketball at a very high level. We play great basketball and work hard, and many respect us. That’s felt when we play, and of course, we respect every team. What’s most important is preparation, and we must be ready to play from start to finish. In both the Liga Endesa and EuroLeague, everything is very close, and we put ourselves in a position where we want this season to be worth our effort and hard work.”
Asvel is next on Valencia’s agenda. It’s an important game for the team in orange if they want to reach that play-in spot, and the former Rio Breogan player told us how they will prepare for this game, considering that Pierric Poupet’s team doesn’t have the imperative to win, while Alex Mumbru’s team certainly does.
“We are preparing like we do for every game. We will learn what they do well and try to take that away from them. We will play hard from the start and must quickly execute. We just need to play simple; we have many talented players and must focus on our defense. When our defense is at its best, we cause problems for many teams. It’s hard to give a precise forecast for that game, but we will play hard, I can say that.”
Stefan Jovic is an exceptional point guard. He held the record for the most assists in a single game for a long time, and Justin Anderson highlighted what it’s like to play with the Serbian point guard.
“Stefan Jovic is a great playmaker, that’s a very nice way to put it, and he’s a great teammate. All you have to do is run, and he will find you. He knows how to pass and finish plays as well. Overall, he’s a great player. He knows how to press you on defense. He will do whatever it takes to win.”
The last game in this part of the EuroLeague for Valencia is do or die. They are facing Partizan, and the experienced NBA player is well aware of the atmosphere created by the “Grobari” (Partizan’s fans), but he remains quite composed about it.
“I’ve seen videos, and honestly, I don’t worry about it that much. What’s important is playing the game, and those things make me happy. But it’s good for them and their city, but it doesn’t affect our game preparation. The only thing that matters in our preparation is what we can control,” Justin Anderson concluded for our website.