His new team lost in his first change in charge, but there were plenty of positive signs for the future.
Coach Pozzecco provides ASVEL with optimism despite worst-ever start
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5 Mins read
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has endured its worst-ever start to a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season by dropping to 0-5, yet the French side still managed to emerge from its latest loss – at home to Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Friday night, an 84-87 thriller that went down to the last few seconds – feeling good about its prospects.
The answer to that apparent paradox is one man: new head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.
Anyone with even a passing interest in international basketball will be fully aware of the non-stop energy transmitted by Pozzecco in charge of the Italian national team over the last 18 months. Most recently, he inspired the Azzurri to an epic victory over Serbia at last summer’s FIBA World Cup, while last year he went viral after jumping into the arms of Greece star Giannis Antetokounmpo at EuroBasket 2022.
EuroLeague fans, welcome to Coach Pozzecco
Now, for the first time, Pozzecco is bringing his must-watch style of coaching to the EuroLeague, and Friday’s debut with ASVEL following his appointment to replace TJ Parker – despite the result – did not disappoint.
As expected, Pozzecco provided entertainment for the watching TV viewers during a timeout by urging his players to feed forward Mike Scott, because “he’s the best shooter that I’ve ever seen in my life.”
But the key point about Pozzecco is that there’s substance to go with his style. He is more than just a funnyman; he is a basketball man whose approach succeeds in getting the best out of his players. And that was shown by Scott, who responded to his new coach’s expression of confidence by making 5 of his 6 shots on the night, having converted less than half – 17 of 37 – in his previous four games for the club.
Scott wasn’t the only one to shine. Youssoupha Fall knocked down a season-high 16 points on 8-of-10 two-point shooting, Joffrey Lauvergne battled his way to 14 points and Paris Lee took control of the offense with a season-high 10 assists.
ASVEL refused to give up
More importantly than those strong individual displays, however, ASVEL was able to compete as a team throughout the full 40 minutes of a game that went back and forth with 16 lead changes and neither team ahead by more than 5 points at any time.
“We are not afraid. I want to see you play like this. I want to see all of you play like this,” stressed Coach Pozzecco during the aforementioned timeout. “We don't give a f*ck if we lose the game, but everything has changed. They (Virtus) are afraid now.”
That change in mentality and the way the French team kept fighting was surely the most significant immediate improvement, with ASVEL previously having had an unwanted habit of regularly enduring long periods of games when nothing would go right and somehow collectively disappearing.
On Pozzecco’s debut, in contrast, the consistency shown for the duration against a confident Virtus team was a great sign for the future, even if the game ultimately resulted in a narrow loss.
The 51-year-old certainly thinks so, commenting after the game: “I’m really happy, really proud of my players. We did what we had to do and took a step forward.
“We just didn’t win the game, but we could have won and that’s the most important. I’m so happy about all my players. They played really tough, they fought. We’re on the right way.”
Friday’s performance suggested that closing statement is certainly true, allowing ASVEL to now look forward with hope rather than trepidation. And its next opponent, Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday evening, will know that despite a 0-5 record, ASVEL will be no pushover. The first win of the Pozzecco era did not come on Friday, but it will surely come soon.