Penjaroja Unsure on Lovernj, Lakic Before Athens Tournament

The last practice at Humska before the trip to Athens looks like any other, balls flying, the rim ringing, but Djoan Penjaroja stands off to the side studying a roster that does not read quite the way he would like. Two names are underlined with question marks, and seven days before the Euroleague start, that is not the kind of message a coach wants to carry onto the plane.

Partizan leave for the Greek capital today, where they play in the traditional “Pavlos Giannakopoulos” tournament alongside host Panathinaikos, PAOK and Burg. The black and whites open the tournament tomorrow, Friday, September 18, at 16:30 against PAOK, coached by Andrea Trinkijeri. In the second semifinal, at 20:15, Zeljko Obradovic’s Panathinaikos meet Burg, while Saturday’s schedule holds the winners’ and losers’ games from the semifinals.

The problem Penjaroja flagged before the trip concerns two players. Center Zofri Lovernj (34) and guard Arijan Lakic (26) are carrying injuries that put their Athens appearances in doubt, while captain Vanja Marinkovic (29) is still gradually working his way back into the rotation after Achilles tendon surgery.

“The tournament is very good, with very good teams. Our last two preparation games are preparation for the start of the Euroleague and the ABA League. We will see whether we have a complete roster for tomorrow’s game, because right now I have doubts about Zofri and Lakic,” the Spanish coach said before the trip to the tournament in Athens, as relayed by Mondo.

The coach immediately added what these two games would be used for, personnel gaps notwithstanding.

“These two games will help us get into rhythm, work on the details, improve our character and be ready for next week,” Penjaroja said before the trip to the tournament in Athens, as relayed by Mondo.

That sentence is worth remembering, because it shows Penjaroja is not treating the Athens tournament as a trophy to chase, but as a final test before the season turns serious. When a coach admits, seven days out, that he does not know whether he will have his full squad, the two games in Greece stop being a formality and become a dress rehearsal.

The preseason numbers say Partizan have gotten through their preparations solidly, if not flawlessly. The black and whites have played three exhibition games and posted a 2-1 record. They beat Spain’s Fuenlabrada convincingly in Belgrade, also got the better of Dusan Alimpijevic’s Besiktas, and lost to Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv. Besiktas, by the way, is the team Partizan thrashed at Kalemegdan a few days ago by a score of 89-71, so the win over them in Athens last week was a preview of that result, not a coincidence.

What makes the Athens tournament more serious than a routine preseason check is the quality of the opposition. Panathinaikos with Obradovic on the bench and PAOK with Trinkijeri are not sparring partners, but teams that will themselves enter the Euroleague and European competitions with ambitions. For Partizan, who in recent years have gotten Humska used to a high standard, this is a chance to measure themselves, ahead of the official start, against opponents playing at the tempo that awaits them from September 25.

That date is the next big stop. The black and whites open the Euroleague at Belgrade Arena against Armani Milan, and that is exactly why Penjaroja is not taking risks now. If Lovernj and Lakic are not ready for Athens, it is more likely the coach holds them back for that game than pushes them through pain at a tournament that, however strong, remains preparation.

We will not know until tomorrow at 16:30 who takes the floor against PAOK. If the injury list does not change, Partizan travel to Athens short-handed, but with a clear message: a team that closed the summer with two wins and one loss knows what it wants from itself, it just still needs a complete roster to show it.