Sasa Obradovic, the head coach of AS Monaco, aims to steer the team through a challenging beginning in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
Citing various injuries, notably the absence of Kemba Walker, he shared insights into the team’s 0-2 record.
“People don’t know the struggles we went through and how normal it is to be underperforming,” he told Serbian outlet Meridian Sport.
“Only five rotation players were available during the training camp. This led to us not meeting expectations, which are now higher.”
Kemba Walker, although he hasn’t made his first appearance with the La Roca Team, is progressing as planned, as confirmed by the Serbian tactician.
“He just started participating in team practices,” mentioned Obradovic. “We are still evaluating his physical condition to determine how he can play regularly.”
Monaco has not enlisted the four-time NBA All-Star for France’s Betclic Elite.
The current strategy prioritizes involvement in continental competitions, with thoughts about his potential inclusion in the domestic squad coming later.
“We are only thinking about how he can play in the EuroLeague,” revealed Obradovic and noted possible future issues. “It is not easy to play only in the EuroLeague.”
“He has been great. I believe he can help the team. I would really like that,” he added describing Walker’s approach to recovering from a knee injury.
“His behavior, understanding, and balanced approach are at the top level.”
Monaco boss Sasa Obradovic updates the status of Kemba Walker, and also talks about Mike James and Crvena Zvezda #EuroLeaguehttps://t.co/NvNnVu4UD5
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 16, 2023