Reyer, Tucci: “De Raffaele a brother, now responsibility”

Venice coach presented the challenge against Lietkabelis

After the farewell to Walter De Raffaele, Umana Reyer Venezia turns over a new leaf. Wednesday in the away game in Lithuania against Lietkabelis the team will be led by Gianluca Tucci.

“First of all, I want to spend a personal deep word of esteem and brotherly affection I feel towards Walter De Raffaele,” explained the former assistant coach, “with whom we shared, in 7 years of Reyer, countless hours of always strong emotions, destined to continue in everyday life.

“Life places before us changes, even sudden ones, toward which we must have the ability to react with the spirit of those who face every difficulty head-on; it is clear that we are now all called to a great sense of responsibility. This absolutely must lead us to interpret the Eurocup competition as an opportunity to express all the intensity and desire for redemption that at this moment, resides, for various reasons, in each of us.”

“It will all have to channel into a high tempo offensive contest, then trying to limit the Lietkabelis’ counterattack, the plays of a key player like Orelik whom we know very well, and the physicality of many players who in the roles of 3, 4 and 5 have athleticism to spare. Like then many Lithuanian teams, Lietkabelis’ best games were those in which all their outside players, not just go-to-guys Kullamae, Morris and Lipkevicius, were able to shoot 3-pointers with high percentages.”