If Assane NDoye shone on Saturday night for his first official match with Limoges against Gravelines (19 points, 22 evaluation), the other returning Gerry Blakes remained in the stands. The coach is now forced to make choices. There is one too many foreigners on the team compared to the quotas. Before each meeting, Massimo Cancellieri must choose which one will not be on the scoresheet. To face the northerners, he did without his American rear that he wants to reintegrate smoothly.
The manager doesn’t want to rush with Gerry Blakes
“He’s a special player. A very good player. I want him to come back when he’s ready and when the team is ready. In basketball, chemistry is a very fragile thing. If you think that having quality is enough to make a difference, that’s a mistake. Our experience shows it. We started with a team and then with another kind of team. Another one. And this is the 4th time. I have to be careful not to repeat the same mistakes. I have to think about alchemy first. Not to the quality. This team needs stability. I have to make choices in this direction“explains the Italian technician.
We miss a player like that
This does not mean that Massimo Cancellieri no longer relies on Gerry Blakes, only player capable in his eyes of creating his own shot within the Limougeaud workforce. “He was there from the start but was stopped by his injury. But I think he’s going to give us what we sometimes need when we play close matches. He is the only one who can say to himself, “I’m going to take my shot and put it on.” We miss a player like that“develops the coach of Limoges CSP. For Friday’s match in Orleans, Massimo Cancellieri could also take out another player from the group.
Horace Spencer, the next in the gallery?
The pivot Horace Spencer, long in difficulty? A less obvious choice given its recent progress. “He shows that step by step he is progressing in the approach. And now he’s playing. I always said he would play when he was ready. At the moment, it is. I hope and wish he continues like this. When he’s like that he’s the player we hoped for“said a Massimo Cancellieri who will still have to put one of his players in the stands, even if all are present. And this is absolutely not a problem for him.
It helps me to create competition in the group
“In the end, I like it. It helps me to create competition in the group. Big competition. Normally, the competition in a team leads to playing more or less minutes. There, either you play or you do not play. It goes further and I like it“explains the former Milan assistant with a smile. This competition will inevitably put even more pressure on the players concerned. But is this viable in the long term? How much will his players accept it? Only the future will tell us.