Group A of the Uruguayan League of 3 × 3 had a new day in the rambla, with bittersweet feeling for Olivol Mundial, but that continues to fight to qualify for the final instance. After the double day Básquet Total spoke with Luca Otatti a vital piece for the moment of the World Cup.
Otatti analyzed the team’s Saturday morning with a defeat against Urupán and the victory against Urunday: “We started the day badly, it was a tough defeat and we needed this victory to continue fighting at the top with the other teams, luckily I was able to score a couple of important points in the end that served to win.”
The match against Urunday was very even until the end and also the last of the first division day at around 11 in the morning: “The sun felt a lot, the truth is that at times it overwhelms you and the court is not very good either, you slip a lot and you have to be attentive to the game and think about ‘I have to step and brake hard’ because otherwise you go long . Luckily it was won in the end, which is the important thing. “
Asked about this discipline and Olivol’s adaptation to 3 × 3, Luca said: “We are getting used to the game, to defending, above all, to be able more than anything to reach the help of the opposite side to be able to close any penetration of the rival. We are only 6 games counting the friendlies and the officials, little by little we are feeling more comfortable. “
Adaptation is also sought with training with systems other than conventional basketball: “It is different because here it is always a 1 to 1 brand, it is almost impossible to make a brand that is not personal. In attack we like to apply the pique to the opposite side and leave the best shooter on the other side. Because instinctively you are going to defend where the ball is and since there are two players on one side, you already have two defenders and when you do that in a penetration, help will always jump out and you will always have the shooter alone. “
Asked about his opinion about the 3 × 3 League, he said: “The tournament is very good, it is an Olympic discipline so I think it is fantastic that it is important. In addition, being a new tournament gives you the possibility to participate more and practice 1 × 1 a lot, since it is a much more individual game and not as collective as a 5 vs 5. “
Finally, we asked Otatti if he thought it could become a professional game and where there are players who dedicate themselves to 3 × 3: “Hopefully that happens, that there are players dedicated to 3 × 3 and others to 5 × 5, as it is an Olympic discipline, many may want to dedicate themselves to this type of basketball, it is different from the conventional one, but it is very fun to play” .