Three players from Saturday’s championship between the Egerszeg Blue and Whites and Paks were included in the team of the round

The blue and whites of Egerszeg are having a strange season in the domestic top flight. In the first round, Szeged left Egerszeg with a victory (93-97), then came a big loss in Oroszlány (114-79), but these could be explained by the wave of injuries that hit the team. In particular, after the addition of the squad, the team beat Kecskemét (94-80), even more so Szolnok (115-83), and then came the victory in Körmend (84-85), which is always a cathartic experience in Zala. After that, of course, no one thought that the home victory against Pécs (80-78) was anything but confident. But then came the two already mentioned defeats, which were suffered by ZTE KK, who had climbed to fourth place, against lower house teams.

After the match in Somogy, Lubomir Ruzicka, ZTE KK’s master, blamed the selfishness of the players and the insufficient team defense, and after the meeting against Atomerőmű SE, he spoke about how the blue and whites did not actually defend or play physical basketball in the first 15 minutes. and thus they did not force the opponent to make a mistake. The success of Paks was based on the fact that the team scored 42 points from long range (ZTE scored 27), and Ruzicka highlighted: the opponent aimed with 27 percent accuracy from beyond the three-point line in previous games, but now increased this efficiency to 67 percent. Of course, with the help of the Zala defense, whose weaknesses were also discussed by the player of the home team, Iván Keller, at the press conference after the match. Also, he emphasized: they started the match very badly for the second time in the season, and the reason for this must be found in order to continue successfully.

On Saturday night, perhaps no one in the Egerszeg hall felt that they saw particularly good basketball, after that it is somewhat surprising that, according to the website of the Hungarian association, three basketball players from this match were among the five players of the national team of the round. Of course, strictly based on statistics, and the numbers don’t lie. It is not disputed that, according to them, Mario Ihring from Paks (VAL value of 38) and Kassim Nicholson (30), as well as Danilo Ostojic from Egerszeg (34) deserved the recognition. By the way, the latter already produced an outstanding total of points in Kaposvár (38) and, as the best player in the field, was also among the best of the game day. Although he would certainly be happier if, instead of (or in addition to) the individual results, the team’s production was something better.

And speaking of individual performances. Among ZTE’s legionnaires, Tony Kicks was a key player in Kaposvár, but against Paks he could not exceed the mediocre level that Mishula and Lekunas brought in the two matches. But that still beats the production of Quinton Green, who posted VAL values ​​of -1 and then 5 in the two meetings, which is very little for an American player. Even if we take into account that he is spending his first season in Europe and still has to get used to the conditions here.

However, as a fan, it is probably best to give him and the team confidence in the medium term, also considering that the team is in the top eight in the table, in other words, they will achieve their pre-season goal. And in the dark moments of unexpected defeats, everyone should think about the end of the match in Körmend.