Crushed After Debut, Motley Aims to Bounce Back for Red Star

Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos commented on the difficult debut of center Jonathan Motley, who suffered a historically poor performance in his EuroLeague opener. Motley recorded a PIR of -13, with six turnovers and four offensive fouls in the team's loss to Zalgiris Kaunas. "He was probably the person who slept worst in the whole city that night," Sfairopoulos said. "He was crushed the next day, but it's not about how many times you fall, it's about your character and how you get back up."

Motley has since trained well and shown good energy, according to the coach, who expressed confidence in his ability to recover and contribute. The team is preparing for a tough road game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, which features former Red Star players Chris Jones and Jonathan Motley. This marks the start of a double-game week for Crvena Zvezda, following an unexpected opening loss to Bayern Munich.

Additionally, Sfairopoulos noted that new signing Patrick Baldwin Jr. is questionable for the upcoming game after missing the previous one. Another key player, Chima Moneke, is also doubtful due to a problem he experienced during Sunday's practice, with a decision on his availability to be made before the game.