In Roanne, from -19 to -3 in the space of a quarter of an hour. Against Dijon, from -10 to an equalizer at the buzzer in less than seven minutes. Against Podgorica, from -18 to -2 in the interval of a quarter. But forever the same end: defeat. Since its start in early December (+23 against Paris and +30 against Bursaspor), JL Bourg is now four defeats in a row, for a total of 13 losses in 20 games in all competitions.
The reception of Buducnost (82-86) on Tuesday evening was the summary of the start of the Bressan season: as in rare exceptions (Le Portel, Gran Canaria …), the JL Bourg offered a coherent copy, interspersed with a hole of ‘tune of five minutes, at the end of the first half in this case. Enough to allow a team of the quality of Podgorica to widen a significant gap (46-31 at half-time), then leaving the Burgiens to exhaust themselves to get back in the game, before being stunned by the offensive panoply of Justin Cobbs (13 points in the last quarter, 24 overall).
“It’s always the same”, regretted Laurent Legname, at a press conference. “We are always in reaction when we should be in action. And in the end, you always end up losing. Tonight, the athletic and physical difference in all positions was glaring. Even in the league, we are limited in number and in impact. The players are brave, fight, try but at one point, the difference is too great … We must continue to work and hope for better days when we have the full team. “
Words which also reflect the weariness of the former Hyères-Toulon shooter of having to strum with a reduced staff for long weeks, particularly in the racket. Eric Mika has not played since the sinking in Las Palmas on November 10 and has still not been replaced, while Hayden Dalton’s departure to the truce has not been offset by the hiring of a new one. interior. “I know what does not work”, he said last Saturday in remarks relayed by the journalist Ghislain Gros (Magville), during a press conference establishing the objective maintenance for the JL Bourg. “I have analyzed all the reasons why we are here and that does not surprise me. I am not a magician. I’m waiting for the injured to come back and I’m waiting for a post 4. I’m not talking about the playoffs anymore. As it stands, we are fighting to stay in the league. “
“We feel a team that is affected by what is happening”
In fact, the Burgundy club is probing the market in search of a new interior, while also studying profiles on the position of leader (where Hugo Benitez should be absent for the last two games of the year). When we see the construction site carried out by an athletic monster like Willie Reed (10 points and 7 rebounds from halftime), a new big man would not be a luxury, especially insofar as Laurent Legname continues to deal with the uneven performance of JaCorey Williams (4 points at 2/5 and 1 rebound in just 9 minutes). Despite himself, the former pivot of Trento symbolizes what is currently happening in the Ain: hoped as a leader of the domestic sector in view of his statistics last season in EuroCup (15 points at 59% and 7.4 rebounds for 17.1 valuation), it is far from the expected level (6.8 points at 56% and 3.7 rebounds) but remains invested. Unused throughout the second half on Tuesday, the Alabamien remained active on the bench, the first to stand up and encourage his teammates during their attempted comeback (from 39-57 to 73-75). The proof that, despite the difficulties, the flame does not go out.
“I felt a team concerned, a bench rising,” agreed Laurent Legname. “We feel a team that is affected by what is going on and that wants to do well. We can blame a lot of things but there is no abandonment. Everyone is pulling in the same direction but simply, as I said, we have a lot of injuries and I am paying for my mistakes on the complementarity and the construction of the team. We miss someone like Eric Mika very much: he was there for that, to oppose the opposing density, for these EuroCup matches against these templates. Tonight the difference was glaring. It is complicated. Everyone is affected by what is happening: the players, the coach, the staff … It’s part of a career, of a season. We must not give up and continue to work because things will end up turning out, that’s for sure. The players try to do well but they don’t do this on purpose. We must remain united, united, continue to make efforts for each other and find consistency over 40 minutes. Defensively, there are still mistakes and it bothers me, it saddens me because it is repeated, worked things up … I think that defense is what makes progress, win games, which must be the basis my teams. However, in collective situations, there are still errors and that, on the other hand, is not normal, it is incomprehensible. “
And if that has not been resolved in four months, there is little reason to hope for a miracle in 48 hours, when it comes time to visit the leader Boulogne-Levallois on Thursday evening, and his shining attack ( 92 points average, if we exclude the inaugural accident at Le Mans). However, between his trip to the untouchables Metropolitans 92 and the reception of Orleans and his four straight wins, JL Bourg would be well inspired to break his losing streak before the new year. Under penalty of passing a very agitated truce …
In Bourg-en-Bresse,
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