Obradovic lauds Nunn’s historic display after Panathinaikos beat Real Madrid

By Javier Molero / info@eurohoops.net

Following Panathinaikos’ triumph against Real Madrid, Željko Obradović commended Kendrick Nunn for his exceptional showing, highlighting the American guard’s professionalism, commitment, and capacity to surmount a difficult beginning to the campaign.

The coach noted that Nunn’s unique situation complicated his assimilation into the squad, disclosing that the guard had participated in more matches than the number of training sessions he had attended.

“I have never experienced anything like this in my life: having a player who has played more games than he has had training sessions. Kendrick Nunn did not have a pre-season, and his first game came after just half a training session with the team,” Obradović explained in the press conference.

Obradović pointed out that Nunn’s love for the game and his personal efforts were vital in allowing him to achieve peak form despite insufficient preparation time.

“This is not easy, but he is someone who loves basketball. He works on his own, with coaches, and we all know the quality he possesses. We had to be patient with him, with Kostas Sloukas and with everyone who had been injured. It is not easy to start playing again after a two-month break. He has had a fantastic game,” he added.

The coach also tackled a key worry before the clash with Real Madrid: ball retention. Citing mixed results versus Aris and Anadolu Efes, he underlined the necessity of protecting possession against a side famous for its fast pace and transition scoring.

“We played a poor game against Efes, while against Aris it was completely different. We talked about something that cost us a lot in both games: turnovers. Against Aris, we scored 91 points but committed 20 turnovers and missed 12 free throws,” he said.

According to Obradović, these statistics illustrated both the squad’s attacking capabilities and the requirement for sharper decision-making.

“That shows that the team has offensive potential, but we have to take better care of the ball. We had to understand how important this was against Real Madrid, a team that always plays at a high tempo and constantly looks to run in transition,” he concluded.