Mourning and fighting spirit: Giants Leverkusen against Paderborn in the hardship test!

Mourning and fighting spirit: Giants Leverkusen against Paderborn in the hardship test!

The basketball department of the Bayer Giants Leverkusen is faced with special challenges this week, which are additionally burdened by the sudden death of Stephan Ruers. Coach Michael Koch commented on the sad news that many players personally affected, and emphasized the thoughts of the team at Ruers' family and friends. Stephan had a big influence on the Giants and his absence will be noticeable.

This weekend, the “Giant from the Rhine” will meet the Gartenzaun24 Baskets Paderborn, a club that has recently relegated from ProA. The match is important for both teams; Paderborn works hard to compensate for the painful departures in summer, in particular the loss of coach Steven Esterkamp, who is now working for the Eisbären Bremerhaven. His successor, Milos Stankovic, has already attempted to configure the team. The start of the season was mixed after first defeated the BSW Sixers with a clear 80:55, but unhappily lost to the ETB Miners in the previous week.

adjustments in the Paderborn squad

The Baskets Paderborn has so far been a balanced team that is strongly acting in the attack. With a remarkable scorer, Neil Masnic leads the scorer list. The Power Forward, which moved from the Dutch-Belgian league to the Paderborners, quickly integrated into the offensive tactics of his new team. Also worth mentioning is the young scorer Jannis Sonnefeld, who draws attention to himself with his constant achievements, including two “double-double” games.

Dominick von Waaden, a shooting guard that previously played at PS Karlsruhe Lions, is also new to the team and has already found his core role, while import players Jose Joaquin Carrasco Martin and Kevin Hunt give the team additional momentum. In summary, the team around Stankovic shows signs of potential to become a serious aspirant in the ProS, which makes Leverkusen listen.

Leverkusen's coach Michael Koch is the challenges that Paderborn brings with it is completely conscious. He describes the team as prone to injury, but also as talented. "The hall is known for its loud atmosphere," explains Koch, "that's why we have to stay calm and consistently play out our defensive strength." He also raises the importance of keeping the pressure high.

On the staff front, there are positive news for the Giants, who had to do without key players last week. Luca Kahl has recovered from his injury problem and trains again normally. Moritz Hübner shows progress and could also be ready for use soon. Dimi Djordjevic is already in development training, but it remains unclear whether you can take part in the coming game.

The support of the fans is of great importance for Leverkusen. Around 70 followers will accompany the Giants to Paderborn. The fan bus is almost full and the travelers are asked to appear in red to support their team. Coach Koch recognizes the need for fan support, especially in difficult moments of the game.

The game is also via stream on www.sportdeutschland.tv , and a live ticker can be reached on the website of Barmer 2. Bundesliga. In this way, nobody remains excluded from the tension of the game.

The next few days are characterized by emotions and the preparations for the upcoming duel in Paderborn, and the Giants are determined to show a respectful performance that does justice to Stephan Ruers' memory.