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GB stay positive despite defeats

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In retrospect, Team GB has started to attract the attention of a large level of the O2 Arena, and against three euros Basket bona fide qualification was a good idea.

Unfortunately, the date (the original timetable for GB against Michael Jackson’s Farewell Tour) served, the team played its first Summer Games of the fans before, but perhaps a little rusty necessarily.

To do so, the teams of five players from front line (Luol Deng, Robert Archibald, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Andy Betts and Boyd Flinders, the latter for most of the weekend) was twice the damage, but the Coach Chris Finch not accept that, from preparation for next month Euro Basketball final in Poland, with three defeats at home is a setback.

“It was not in my mentality in planning - I felt that there was no pressure on us all,” he says flat on the final press conference of the weekend.

“I wanted the training camps, and then we play here. If you play in a place like this, a little stuck on available data.”
A fatigue fracture of the leg is excluded Deng, Archibald is short of a return of hernia, Mensah-Bonsu said that the signing of a preliminary contract for the NBA next season and is back lit in Spain his family for personal reasons.

“We have the players - we simply are not here,” said Finch. “But if we simply wanted games can we sat in section B - that’s what we wanted, what we deserve. I expected us to come here to compete and play hard, and better, and I think we have done. ”

Finch should not worry, it was easy for many games in the warm-up tournament, which starts in Seville on Wednesday.

In addition to the Olympic silver medalists, Spain, United Kingdom will play Lithuania in the semi-finals in Beijing and Slovenia, a team offers a wealth of NBA talent. Archibald Boyd and possibly bed and Mensah-Bonsu could function in this tournament

After Deng has been for the summer, the great diversity of the offensive Go to permutations of its creativity and Finch squad lost much of the weekend in Greenwich to the consideration of alternatives, with varying degrees of success mixed.

The bad news is that the transmission and the shooting by the guards little in the way the score significant contributions throughout the weekend.

“I like the vigilance of our association - we must find a way of several projectiles them,” said Finch.
The best contribution was 16 points against Israel by Mike Lenzly, the recovery team in the absence of last summer.
“Mike’s back in the mix, and it is much more now,” said Finch. “I told him I wanted him more aggressive. Back in him is great - it gives us a different experience, covering shots can do. ”

Another advantage of this weekend were the first high-level concerts for 20 years by Dan Clark, whose mother played for England and whose father was, until recently, women GB Coach.

Raw, Friday at his debut against Poland, it has a key contribution in the second half Saturday against Turkey as a prelude to tree comfortable and provided for the entire game Sunday against Israel.

“With Dan, we’re looking a bit like Breakout Joel (Free Country) had last year,” said Finch. “When it forms in the game, several of his recordings were for him. It is probably not played as many games back-to-back, because it in our age of 18. ”

Freeland, who is in bed reading ‘absence, and with much of the music of the last, Go has been best player of the weekend, with the I-energy Nick George, the second place.

Free countries in the maturity and power of the defensive end denied that there is still only 22 years. It Euroleague giants Malaga next season, but its evolution is consistent with little doubt, he is responsible for the NBA.

“It’s great for me, from an experience of vision,” he said. “I have not had this kind of pressure on me before, but I have every minute.

“I feel like me to grow, the team will develop and Poland, if we are to prepare.”