Former San Antonio Spurs player, Julius Nwosu has tasked Nigeria men’s senior basketball team-D’Tigers under the tutelage of German William Voigt to blend the team’s strategy with African flavour in terms of cohesive defensive formation infused with the free-flowing European style as the team is scheduled to face Mozambique today at the ongoing 2015 Afrobasket Championship in Tunisia. The round of 16 game is scheduled to start at 6.30pm.
While speaking with Tribunesport, he noted that the team is still on the verge of not moving ahead when the battle gets tougher starting against Mozambique-one of the African super-powers. “Really, I have been following somehow through the FiBA youtube channel and I can see that Nigeria is playing much of the European free-flowing game which placed less emphasis on defence. That’s fine however, I believe the coach (Voigt) remembers that this is FIBA AfroBasket rather than Olympics or NBA game. As the games progress, the African power strategy will be unleashed by other African contenders like Angola, Senegal and the likes who will utilise it to stop and muzzle-up offensive moves against them. Teams will begin to play offensively and defensively to pick vital points. Thus, we don’t need to be asymetric in our approach henceforth. We’re reaching the knock-out stage now,” said Nwosu.
When asked what should be done in the event of his new insight, Nwosu, a former assistant coach of D’Tigers maintained that Voigt needs to adopt the middle-court defensive wall to halt any rampaging offensive runs so that his lads will not coerce under pressure.
“Voigt is an experienced coach undoubtedly. Still, we need to have some players totally for defensive task. All of them don’t need to score in a game. They are to halt, break and distort offensive rhymes in the course of the remaining games as our efforts can take us. Remember, players from these countries are playing in top leagues and are used to this European style. The only edge is in the team that hold the defence rearguard and leading the offensive streak. No playing to the gallery anymore,” Nwosu stated.
Also, US-based Nigeria-born basketball coach, Alex Nwora faulted D’Tigers style of play saying that Nigeria needs to play more a team.
”I have been monitoring the team on the internet and I’m excited by the impressive results and the stats, but, if we’re to win this elusive trophy, the team must be ready to play as one unit where everybody play and defend to ward their opponents vice-versa,” said Nwora who coached Cape Verde to the 20I3 Afrobasket in Cote d’Ivorie.
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