Eurobasket, Flavio Tranquillo makes no peace about Gallinari’s injury
Quiet: “Gallinari is objectively irreplaceable.”
Sky Sport commentator Flavio Tranquillo spoke, interviewed by Sportal.it, about the upcoming Eurobasket (live on Sky Sport and streaming on NOW from Sept. 1-18).
Obviously holding the spotlight is Danilo Gallinari’s injury, which will prevent the Boston Celtics’ new player from taking part in the continental review: “Gallo’s injury I think can be destabilizing. I speak from the outside, not having direct experience, however having seen, given my age, years and years. It can be destabilizing and it can be motivating, not that that, of course not even at one for a million makes it a desirable event. It’s both, if you go and look at the two minutes after the injury, the whole team and the whole arena were like in a state of dormancy, a daze, and then, probably for the same reason, there was the reaction. Obviously what happens hot is totally different from what happens two days later and even more so ten days later. The real substance is that the player is objectively irreplaceable. Gallinari will not be there and I assume the team will have an extra reason to give everything they have, then whether what they have is enough to finish first, fourth or 11th, that is also decided by the opponents and circumstances.”
“Who will be that player who will be called upon to make a difference? Italy doesn’t seem to me a team that, for so many reasons, can ask that question, they don’t have that kind of player, in my opinion neither was Gallinari. Danilo was definitely the most irreplaceable, universal and unique player on the team but he is not Jokic, to make an easy reference. Serbia, going to Turkey, knows that the first eight balls they give inside to Jokic and he makes things happen. Italy did not have and even more so does not have such a player. Now it is a matter of solving a problem that, in itself, is absolutely common that is to both look at what you have and try to do with what you have. Italy is forced, in quotes, to play in a certain way so be as unpredictable as possible and have a distribution of loads and responsibilities as widespread as possible, otherwise in my opinion it makes the output even worse,” the commentator continued, stressing how important all the men at coach Gianmarco Pozzecco’s disposal will be.
Finally, a look at the opponents in round C and the prospects of the Italian national team for this Eurobasket: “With all due respect to Estonia, Ukraine and England, passing the round seems to me a minimum goal. There is a particular discourse, the first crossroads of the round of 16 is with another group in which, with the exception of Serbia, honestly the opponents are all on paper, underline a billion times on paper, affordable. I think the best thing is to face without thinking about the key game but, being five games in seven days, you have to try to grow your confidence and manage those loads as best you can, because now it becomes even more critical, coming without such an important player. So I would not look at the single game but at the five-game cycle. The only real goal is to avoid Serbia, but I reiterate, we don’t know if they will come first, second, third or fourth, you can think they will come more first than fourth, but we don’t know now.”
The latest basketball market news
