Epifanio Ahead of Debut: "This Week Was the First We Could Have All 13 Available"

Monbus Obradoiro makes its Liga Endesa debut this Saturday at MoraBanc Andorra, and does so with work still unfinished. Diego Epifanio summed it up in the press room with a telling statistic that explains the Santiago summer: until this week, he hadn't been able to train with the full roster.

A Preseason Under Pressure

The head coach pointed to the FIBA windows and their scheduling as the factor that has disrupted the preparation of nearly every team, especially those that have brought in new players unfamiliar with the competition.

In Obradoiro's case, several setbacks piled up. "We also had Efe arriving at the last minute and various injuries," he explained. That leads to the statistic that closes the diagnosis: "The four training sessions this week are the ones where we've been able to have all 13 available players from our first team."

Epifanio added another constraint for the debut: "You have the handicap of a long trip and also the handicap that there's still a player who hasn't played any game."

Even so, he didn't lower expectations. "With all the excitement we all have about the club being back in the league, we're going to see if we're capable of putting on the best image we can right now, being aware that we still have a lot of growing to do as a group and especially tactically."

Galán Recovered; Abogidi Landing

On Álex Galán, who had been carrying a knock from EncestaRías, he was emphatic: "Galán is an animal. We've had to hold him back from returning to the court and since he's come back he's going full throttle." The coach noted that he arrived in very good physical condition and the injury kept him out of a couple of games.

With Efe Abogidi, who couldn't debut in the last friendly due to an administrative matter, the discourse is different. Epifanio highlighted his attitude, his body language, and his communication with the group—"it seems like he's been with us for a long time already"—but added a caveat: "He's trained for five days. Like any player, he needs a process, and especially him, since he's never played in Europe."

How Much the Team Knows About Itself

Asked about where the team stands, Epifanio avoided giving percentages and pointed to the real unknown: "Preseasons often don't give you exact information about what your team is. They give you certain combinations that we've seen work, certain connections, but it's still too early."

What concerns him most isn't the enthusiasm, which he takes for granted, but the reaction to adversity: "What I don't know is what automatisms we'll have when things go wrong, which is what makes teams strong. And there we're still an unknown."

Backcourt Play Still Getting in Gear

The longest section went to the perimeter game. On Brandon Childress, Epifanio explained that he's in the middle of adapting to the league and his role: "Within his characteristics as a scorer, he hasn't freed himself up much yet, he's playing very inhibited in those situations." The goal, he said, is to find the balance between giving him freedom to score and taking advantage of his passing ability.

He attributed a similar situation to Caleb Agada. With Sergi Quintela he sees it as more straightforward, because "he already has experience" after finishing last season playing point guard.

The coach also explained why that adaptation is slow: "When directing a team, it's also important to know the players you're playing with, and both Brandon and Caleb still didn't know Leo. Leo arrived two weeks ago, Efe just landed, Joel two and a half weeks ago."

From there comes the game plan he anticipates: "Given the player profiles we have this year, we're going to have to defend well and try to rebound so we can run, which is where the three players directing the offense feel most comfortable." And he admitted a shortcoming: "If the opposing team scores on us, in that static five-on-five, right now we're not at the level we possibly reached last season."

Lundqvist Still Far Away

On Olle Lundqvist, Epifanio deferred to the medical staff and praised their work. The player is already in a second phase, with court work, and the feedback is positive, but he was clear about the timeline: "Right now he's very far from being able to train with the full group."

He did highlight his role off the court: "He's always very attentive to all the players who have joined, talking to them, trying to help them. In that respect, he's being very important."

What He Expects from Andorra

The coach sees the opponent in a similar situation to his own, "still being built," with the uncertainty of James Akinjo, who has barely been able to play one preseason game.

He warned of several names. On Kyle Kuric, he said he's a player who "normally gives fewer bounces, what points he scores and what assists he distributes," and who attracts a lot of defensive attention. On Artem Pustovyi, who "remains one of the great centers in the competition," with more than ten points in preseason despite playing few minutes and with great ability to draw defenders near the basket.

He also mentioned Kassius Robertson, who has been playing point guard, and highlighted Wesley Iwundu's work on the offensive glass. His conclusion on the opponent: "I think it's a fairly complete team. Offensively they can put us in a lot of difficulties."