Prigioni, before the Americanup with Argentina: “I do not want to put the team or a floor or a roof”
Speak quiet, just as you usually see it in the games. Pablo Prigioni is not strident, but very clear. Just before getting on the plane that led the Argentine basketball team from Panama to Nicaragua, where he will play the AmericanUp 2025 Since Friday, August 22, the coach spoke exclusively with AM850.com.
“The goal is for the team to try to give its maximum and play with the identity we are looking to developnot only in this preparation but since last year. That we try to do the things that we have set ourselves, both on one side of the court and in the other, “said Prigioni.
He added: “They are young boys who have the opportunity to be in their first tournament, nine of twelve play a continental competition with the selection. We hope to see that competitive spirit, that hunger of wanting to win And we will see how far we are able to arrive. I do not want the team to put any floor or any roof, I want them to face the tournament with the maximum illusion of reaching the highest possible “.
Of the Argentine squad, Only Nicolás Brussino, Juan Pablo Vaulet and José Vildoza have experience in the maximum championship of America. The average age of age (24 years) and the desire of young people to earn a place, can be an important factor for a set in full development. “We do not arrive at our peak, but we are at a very good point after almost a month of preparation. With eight friendly matches, the team is at the right time. The next step is to start the tournament and the boys already need the first game to arrive. I always raised a long preparation and with enough games, the team arrives well and my desire is that it continues to grow within the competition, which finds its maximum point of what we can expect from what we can expect from this team. Argentine coach.
After the last friendly, in which Argentina beat PanamaPrigioni decided The last two cuts of the squad: Lee Aliya and Bautista Placeini. His past as a player of the selected: Did he help him better cross the moment to communicate it to the players? “I did not feel uncomfortable, although I was sorry because I also told me that I could not be in the national teamI spent the first years and it wasn’t a pleasant moment. When this point came, the boys had the illusion of staying. I tried to be as sincere as possible, I think the player respects that, that you do not walk around and that you are sincere. Then, obviously, they can share that decision or not, which perhaps do not share it. But when one gives the reasons and reasons on our side we are satisfied, we are calm because we transmit what we feel better for the team, “said the technical director.
And he warned: “It’s just a step on this path. In November the World Cup classification windows begin and we need everyonesince they are very challenging for the availability of players, for trips, so it means for us in Argentina that there are many of ours in Europe, then there are opportunities for all. I told them not to be discouraged, that they do not disconnect from what is happening with the team, with the group, because they can be representing the team. “
Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Colombia, the rivals in the American
Argentina integrates Group C of the Americanup together with Nicaragua (rival of the debut on the opening day), Dominican Republic (Sunday 24) and Colombia (Monday 25).
The Argentine coach described the opponents, in the order in which he will face them. “The least known to us is Nicaragua has 3 or 4 players who carry the weight of the team, we are studying it day by day a few weeks ago and hopefully be prepared to compete. It is the host team and will have a special motivation for playing that first game against us,” said the premises, team against which Argentina never played.
Prigioni continued: “Dominican is a rival that we know more, who will be with all his potential. For me, one of the candidates for the title because he has a lot of talent, the players have been together for a long time and with the same coach, with which that enhances much more.”
And he closed: “Colombia is also a well -known rival for us, we have had it in the American -class classification window, which we know and vice versa. It will be another difficult game. We are with the necessary knowledge for this first wheel and hopefully we can do it well.”
In Group A there are the United States, Brazil, Uruguay and Bahamas, while the B is made up of Panama, Venezuela, Canada and Puerto Rico. First and second of each area plus the two best third parties will advance to the quarterfinals, located from 1 to 8 according to their final position in the initial phase.
The search for Prigioni as coach of Argentina
Prigioni deepened how he wants him to play his team: “We want to fight to have the best defensive rating of the tournamentthat means trying to leave the rivals at 70 points or below. It is a difficult challenge, but we have the structure and physical, athletic and reading capacity to do so. Now you have to rise and work, bow the tail, communicate, help. All concepts that we have working. And in attack, play with good spaces, pass the ball, create situations of releases that we believe are the most efficient in the game. And play with a lot of determination and trust. “
What is missing Argentina to meet those goals? This is how Paul sees it: “The boys have realized that we can. What is happening to us is that we do it for periods, for 3, 4 or 5 minutes a room and then as we disconnect. So, the challenge is to hold or expand those gusts In which we play very good defenses, we run the field, we take good shots, we put all the pieces of the puzzle together. We have suffered in some matches not to be able to close some rooms well and we have eaten some partials that have punished us. Both against Italy and Brazil, especially. We must maintain concentration all the timedo what corresponds in each possession and be able to seek that consistency. “
The praise of Campazzo and the NBA work style
Facundo Campazzo is the captain of the Argentine National Team. Although he will not play the Americanup, he was part of the beginning of the preparation process, in which he even participated in friendlies. In each public appearance, the Real Madrid base praised the way of working from Prigioni. “I appreciate that. Since I arrived at the selection, I have always tried to install a serious work structure, with a lot of purpose in every thing we do. Then, the team works very well in all the preparations, in each training, in each video session, in how we feed. We have very clear rules that mark the day to day. Obviously, they closely resemble what the NBA is because it is where I work and try to replicate everything that seems to me that it is applicablewhat is currently done at high levels. Perhaps that is why players like Facundo, who have been in the NBA, who are in Euroleague teams, feel comfortable, “said the coach.
Prigioni drew what the objectives of the selected are: “In the short term, develop this young group and use the Americanup so that many of them, in their first important tournament with the selection, begin to find comfortable playing with each other, creating that group. In 80% of the windows of qualifiers for the World Cup. Six, with which half of the team will not be in many games.
Prigioni’s experience in the Americanup 2022
Prigioni assumed the position of main coach of Argentina just a few days before the American American, Brazil, in 2022. The sudden departure of Nestor ‘Che’ García opened the doors to Pablo, who took a full squad of experience and with prominent figures such as Gabriel Deck -MVP of the tournament-, Campazz Garino and Nico Brussino.
On this occasion, the panorama is another. “They are different tournaments because that team was developed, it was more complete, I had players who had been playing together for many years. This is different, it is a team that is under construction, in which you have to work it day by day,” said the DT.
From that emergency appearance Prigioni is in charge of the selected. “This last year is the most comfortable. I have felt. I think it has to do with the fact that we have been able Of the actions and health status of each of our selectable players. explained.
The coach knows that Argentina is far from the level he enjoyed at the beginning of this century, which extended for almost 20 years, and assumes it: “I am not one of those who deny our today. I try to think and talk a lot with the staff, how we can help the selection in the situation in which it is now, where there is a lot of replacement and much to build. Knowing that some of the results may come in the future where perhaps we are not. But that does not mean that we have to do what we think is better for young people who are today and their development in the team. “
Prigioni seeks to transfer to young players their experience in the selection and NBA, both the player and the coach. It transmits calm and patience in a process that promises more development than immediate results.
If Pablo manages to grow his directed as he attended his teammates when he was one of the bases of the team, he will mark an era as coach of Argentina. His story as a player supports him, his present as an assistant in the NBA supports him and his future still has many pages for being written.
The calm and security with which he speaks, must become the aggressiveness he intends from the players.
Argentina, already in Nicaragua, Carretea in search of flight.
