Trinchieri sharply criticizes PAOK's offense despite the win

PAOK beat Ulm 87-78 in Week 4 of the EuroCup. Speaking at the post-game press conference, Italian head coach Andrea Trinchieri did not hide the things he was unhappy with despite the win.

Trinchieri said his team was consistent on defense for 40 minutes and played very well in the third quarter in particular. The coach, who also said they did a good job on the boards, noted that they kept in check the desire of Ulm, the highest-tempo team in the league, to start its offensive possessions within the first 14 seconds.

According to the Italian coach, the real problem was turnovers. PAOK committed 21 turnovers in the game. Trinchieri called this a "deadly sin." He also noted that poor ball handling out of the backcourt and bad positioning led to them giving up dunks in one-on-one situations.

Trinchieri said, "Right now we are playing ugly." He said the team is able to do what is needed to win, but that improvement will take time. Stressing that defense and rebounding brought the win, the coach also alluded to the Italian football notion of "playing badly and still winning."

Noting that the organization of the offense and the way the team creates advantages are not at the level they should be, Trinchieri said, "I need to change something." He acknowledged the absence of Nick Calathes, who is in the process of returning from injury, but said they do not see it as an excuse.