“I hope those who had questions got answers. We showed a completely different face. » The words of Matthew Strazel at the end of the match clearly reflected the doubts that many observers had about AS Monaco, sluggish in Betclic ELITE (1v-1d), at the start of this new EuroLeague campaign. But with 12 points ahead at the end of the first act, 21 at half-time, and 13 at the final whistle (93-80), the Roca Team showed great mastery Thursday against Olimpia Milan (93-80). The only downside in this more than convincing start on the European scene is the injury-related exit of Furkan Korkmaz (2.01 m, 27 years old), hampered during summer preparation and lined up for the second time this season by Sasa Obradovic against the Milanese.
“We are suffering at the playmaker position”
A situation, combined with the prolonged absence of Nick Calathes (1.96 m, 35 years old), still unavailable, and the return from injury of Mike James, to which the Serbian technician returned at the end of the meeting. “We are suffering at the point guard position in the absence of Nick Calathes. But we also have to be careful with Mike James, who has only been training for a week, although, as you see, everything is different when he is on the floor. »
Furkan Korkmaz in his debut with Monaco jersey ⬇️
10 PTS
4/5 FG
2 STL
14 MIN pic.twitter.com/F8e5WEcn2P— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) October 3, 2024
Before adding, concerning the premature exit of his Turkish winger, author of a full match in 14 minutes of play with 10 points on 4 out of 6 shots and 2 interceptions. “We will follow the evolution of the injury to the leg of Furkan Korkmaz. » Then to move on, satisfied with the level of play displayed by the former 76ers sniper, far from the expectations of his coach until then and subject to a specific program. “His talent is obvious, and we were able to see it this evening (Thursday). He was productive. He progresses with each training session. »
And if the collective performance of the Monegasques impressed against Milan, the 55-year-old technician remains convinced that the team needs reinforcement given the context mentioned above. “We need new blood. Nick Calathes will come back, but we are suffering on this post. We’re going to have to look to the market, because it’s obvious we’re missing a combo-guard. »
