Kontsar: I Need to Be Better on Offense in My Olympiacos Debut

John Kontsar made his first appearance for Olympiacos against Crvena Zvezda. The game was played at the SUNEL Arena, and Olympiacos lost 57-62. Kontsar played 19 minutes and 45 seconds. He did not make any of his four three-point attempts, and he recorded 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 2 drawn fouls.

The 30-year-old American guard and forward told reporters that he wants to improve on offense. He said he thought his defensive performance was good, that he brought energy, and that he made a few blocks. Kontsar also stressed that it was his destiny to come to Olympiacos.

Kontsar said that games in the Euroleague are more physical than in the NBA and that every offensive possession is important. After the game, he also appeared on the Playmakers program on the Nova channel. There he explained that the opponent slowed down the tempo, that they could not score on transition plays, and that they had to stay behind on the scoreboard. Noting that Sasha Vezenkov scored 27 points in the 57-point match, Kontsar said the team played better in the second half and that accurate shots were missing.

Kontsar said he wants to improve by learning the system in upcoming games. He described coach Yorgos Bartzokas as a successful coach in both defense and offense, and stressed that the team must be more careful on every possession in order to win.