FC Bayern Basketball celebrates an important victory against Olimpia Milan. After the success, there is special praise for a European champion who rarely stands in the spotlight.
Unlike what fans in the SAP Garden are used to, this time there was no spectacular offensive party, but a real defensive battle.
Leon scratch fights his way into the spotlight at Bayern
“I want to praise my players for an outstanding performance. This game showed that we can also win games where our offense struggles, with our commitment in defense,” emphasized coach Gordon Herbert after the game at the press conference.
For one European champion, he had special praise: “Leon Schieber didn’t play the first 25 minutes, comes in – and has an outstanding four minutes. You can see how he’s always engaged on the bench and encourages his teammates. Then he comes in and is immediately there. We fought them down because the guys from the bench were ready, that was great.”
Giffey praises scratch: “Someone who likes to do the dirty work”
That Herbert specifically highlighted Schock is special, especially since he played only 4:12 minutes against Milan and didn’t score a single point. But in those minutes, he gave it his all. Bayern won those minutes by nine points and turned the game around.
Furthermore, probably no one in the Bayern squad embodies the fighting heart needed for the victory against Milan as much as European champion Rache. The center’s game is rarely delicate, but it doesn’t need to be, since he comes through with pure fighting spirit.
“Leon has found his role. He’s someone who likes to do the dirty work and isn’t too proud for it. That’s good. That’s exactly what we need,” Niels Giffey praised his teammate Rache when asked by SPORT1 .
And this dirty work paid off completely for Bayern against Milan. At 31:35 with 7:35 minutes remaining in the third quarter, scratch first came onto the court. The subsequent approximately four minutes were won by FCBB 11:2, and with the center on the court, they didn’t concede a single field goal.
Additionally, he secured two important defensive rebounds, an area where Bayern had previously been weak. And the center also showed in offense that he can sometimes act elegantly, when he fed Niels Giffey with a dream pass and he finished for 40:37.
Scratcher plays a very special role at Bayern
After nearly four minutes, despite his top performance, he went back to the bench and didn’t return. Frustrated about that? Not at all! Scratcher cheered on the team loudly, celebrated every action of his teammates frenetically. Every team wishes for such a player.
Leon scratch celebrates a three-pointer by his team
“He’s someone who plays completely for the team and is always really there for the team,” emphasizes Giffey to SPORT1 . The center is the ultimate team player.
And precisely this quality earns him a very special role at Bayern in the EuroLeague. Until the game against Milan, Schlachter started every match, but after being substituted in the first two games in Athens (after 2:12 minutes) and against Red Star Belgrade (after 3:45 minutes), he didn’t return to the court.
Only in the bitter home defeat against Zalgiris Kaunas did Herbert bring his big man back after his first substitution (after 5:11 minutes). Scratch played 10:49 minutes there.
Overall, the European champion averaged only 5:14 minutes on the court in four EuroLeague games, scoring 0.5 points and 1.2 rebounds. In the BBL, he played nearly 19 minutes in two matches (three points and six rebounds).
As the ultimate team player to European champion
But Scratch’s importance for a team isn’t measurable by statistics anyway. This was also shown at the Basketball European Championship in late summer.
There, the center belonged to the German national team squad and also played the role as backup and motivator. Scratch only saw action in the group phase and scored only one basket in the entire tournament, yet he was extremely important.
Even with the DBB team, he always kept the mood high. Celebrated every action of his teammates and motivated loudly when things weren’t going well. He fulfilled exactly the role needed from the twelfth man in a long tournament.
Leon scratch (r.) celebrates the European Championship title in summer
In terms of playing ability, there might have been better options than scratch, but not every player sits on the bench without complaining and is always fully engaged despite limited playing time.
At FC Bayern, the center currently even has a quite important role on the court and is increasingly becoming the unassuming hero.