It’s one of those games that sports fans are particularly looking forward to, and not just because it’s a derby: When BG Göttingen plays the Löwen Braunschweig in the basketball Bundesliga at 3 p.m. on Sunday, the lever should be den Veilchen after the dry spell of the past few games and the shock of the injury to top scorer Kamar Baldwin. “It’s time to show a reaction,” says assistant coach Olivier Foucart.
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The violet fans are also eagerly awaiting the premiere of Baldwin’s replacement Jeremiah Martin in the BG jersey. However, head coach Roel Moors dampened expectations on Friday: “He only took part in one training session. It’s difficult to say anything about it.” The 25-year-old is fit, “but of course he hasn’t played for six weeks, you can tell that. We have to give him time and explain to him what he has to do in his role. Replacing Kamar is not that easy.”
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A system change is out of the question for Moors
It is also clear that Moors will not change the BG style of play because of Baldwin’s injury. “Changing the system this late in the season is difficult, so it’s important that Jeremiah steps into Kamar’s role as soon as possible. It doesn’t happen overnight, it has to come together, the team has to grow again,” says the head coach.
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Mathis Mönninghoff, who has torn a ligament, is getting better every day, but an assignment is out of the question: “He’s not even walking yet,” says Moors. Mönninghoff is a valuable player for the team, but there’s no point in complaining: “Harper Kamp’s absence also hurt. You just have to deal with that.”
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Pictures from the game against Würzburg:
The BG Göttingen conceded the third defeat in a row against s.Oliver Würzburg.
© Swen Gatekeeper
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The other side is how the team is coping with the injury to star Baldwin. “It’s a difficult situation and the atmosphere is strange, a bit different than usual,” reports the Belgian. “We must now try to get the players back in the same direction.”
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That’s why Moors ordered the team to take a little break after the sobering defeat against Würzburg – the players should clear their heads. “It was about them recovering mentally. After that we trained well.”
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When Moors talks about the “same direction” he wants to take the team in, he means a return to the successful BG game the team played for much of the season. “I want the players to have the same idea. We missed that a bit in the past games,” he says.
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It’s important to win against Braunschweig, “not only for the table, but also mentally,” emphasizes Moors. The fact that this is a prestigious derby is more of a side note for the coach: “Every game is important for us.”
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The lions are no strangers to personnel worries either
Braunschweig is a good team “that beat us twice” – in the BBL Cup and in the first leg. But the lions are no strangers to personnel worries either, and in this respect the game is an exciting affair. In fact, captain Robin Amaize has been absent since December, recently German national player David Kramer and point guard Tookie Brown, who are among the four most efficient players in the Löwen, also had to pass. The current table thirteenth is a team “that works very well together and can be unpredictable,” warns assistant coach Foucart.
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Reaching the playoffs is still the big goal of the season, and Baldwin’s injury doesn’t change that, Moors explains. “It was also difficult with Kamar because we were never favorites on it. But it remains our goal because it’s not my style to give in now – even at the risk of being disappointed in the end,” he says. “It’s gotten a bit more difficult, but anything is still possible.” However, the prerequisite is “first and foremost that we believe in each other again,” says Foucart.
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