iLerna Lleida, convinced of fishing in a troubled river against Baskonia

iLerna Lleida, which has a streak of five consecutive defeats in the Endesa League and is in the relegation zone, is convinced that it can beat Kosner Baskonia this Saturday (9:00 p.m.), according to what its coach, Gerard Find, said this Friday.

The Ilerdenses, with only one victory to their name, occupy seventeenth place in the standings. In the last game, they lost a resounding 125-98 against UCAM Murcia.

After the defeat, the president of the entity, Albert Aliaga, appeared before the media last Wednesday and regretted the “image” shown by the team. However, he reiterated confidence in the coaching staff and hope to reverse the situation, starting with this weekend’s clash.

Regarding the coaching staff and the squad, Find has appealed to “collective responsibility” to improve the deficiencies, especially in the defensive section. “We have had a very good week of training. I see the team very focused, eager to grow and improve,” he expressed.

In that sense, the Ilerda coach has called on the fans to turn the dynamic around: “I hope to see the same Barris Nord as always: who pushes, helps the team and is there through thick and thin. We have to give them something, because they get tired of giving and not receiving anything.”

The Catalan team is the team that has conceded the most points in these first six days of competition (641) and the second that has received the most fouls per game (24.5).

However, he is weighed down in the physical section. In addition to center Atoumane Diagne and point guard Adrià Rodríguez, who are long-term casualties, point guard Dani García has not yet rejoined group training. On the other hand, power forward John Shurna and center Kur Kuath are recovering sensations after their physical problems.

For its part, Kosner Baskonia has started its season in the ACB on the right foot, and is third with four wins and two losses, results that contrast with its poor balance in the Euroleague (1-9), which keeps it at the bottom of the competition.

Find has declared that the Vitorian team is “one of the most physical teams” in the competition. “They are competing very well in the Endesa League. I expect a very demanding rival,” he added.

Baskonia’s good performance in the domestic competition is shown in the fact that they are the third team that averages the highest rating (117) and that has the best three-point shooting (42.14% success), the fourth in assists (20.17) and recoveries (8.83), and the fifth in points (94.5).

In last season’s match at the Barris Nord, iLerna Lleida achieved a worthy victory against the team that ended up becoming champion of the Copa del Rey (86-80).

The proper name of this Saturday’s duel is that of Lleida center Zacharie Perrin. In addition to his good performance (12.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 17.8 efficiency), the Ilerda club has rejected this week an offer of half a million euros from Baskonia to acquire the player’s services, according to local media.

The Basque team had already made several offers before the season started, but all of them were also rejected.

For the Catalans, a victory would be key in their aspirations to end the negative streak. “We live in high performance and winning or losing has too much of a reward. One of the best motivations to grow and improve is to win,” concluded Gerard Find.