BARQUISIMETO (DIRECTV Liga de las Americas 2017) - Guaros de Lara face the prospect of their Liga de las Americas title defence with an ambivalent feeling.

On one hand the team carries the valuable pride of being the reigning champions, but on the other hand they are wounded after a disappointing performance in the DIRECTV Liga Sudamericana. The team from Barquisimeto now looks at the continental league as a redemption.

Few but important changes were made to a team that maintained its national player structure, but modified its reinforcement player line-up and put the team in new hands, giving the technical direction to Jorge Arrieta.

The flamboyant strategist, who will have a demanding debut in the 2017 edition of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas, is known acquaintance for Guaros, after serving in the technical staff a couple of years ago.

Arrieta knows the power of the team, but also the pressures that arise. He assumes the challenge and assures there will not be a lot of changes, although defense will become a priority.

How is Guaros preparing for a new participation in the Liga de las Americas?
We started training on January 3, after a fair and necessary vacation, for a squad that had worked consecutively for almost two years. A change in Head Coach naturally generates changes in the way a team plays and works. I will try not to change much, because I want to keep the good things that were done in previous years. The task done by Néstor García in some respects was very good and we will try to maintain that previous team work.

Being champion and having to defend the title generates a greater responsibility?
The organization always had as characteristic of having the best and always fighting to be champions. Now we have the responsibility of defending the continental title, the first championship of Venezuelan basketball in this competition. It is a great compromise, because we are no longer Guaros de Lara, we are Guaros de Venezuela. Winning the title was difficult, but it will be even more complicated to defend the title.

Guaros had a disappointing performance in the Liga Sudamericana. How did the team assimilate that situation and how will that influence the team?
It is true that the Liga Sudamericana was a bad experience for Guaros, but we must accept that all teams have cycles. Maybe they were not at their best form in that tournament. The players could have paid the price of physical wear, after many competitions with Guaros and the Venezuelan National Team. It is clear that the team did not play well, it did not meet the expectations, especially in defense, and in that we will emphasize our work. We want the team to be more defensive.

How do you evaluate the current roster of the team? Will changes de made?
The base of the roster has quality and will be maintained. There are several members of the National Team. Then you add experienced players like Rafael Guevara, Martinez or Urdaneta. Team Management was in charge of the reinforcement players that after what happened in the Liga Sudamericana logical changes were made. I think they made the best possible choice, repeating Graham and adding Puerto Rican Alex Abreu.

What do you think of the preliminary group with Fuerza Regia (MEX), Caballos de Cocle (PAN) and Leones de Quilpué (CHI)?
Mexican basketball at club level improved a lot and Fuerza Regia is an example. Not only is the team powerful, they currently lead their National League and in addition there in the midst of their national competition. They are the favorite of the group, because they are the host. The same with the Chileans, who will arrive accumulating games from their national competition. Guaros accomplished great things the last years, and because of that we shouldn’t have problems on qualifying to the Semi-Final Phase, although it will not be easy either. The postponement of the Professional League of Venezuela does not favor us and we will not have a good game-pace for the competition.

Postponement of the beginning of the National League complicates the team, since you will not have competition rhythm, something you had for the previous tournament?
Last year Guaros arrived at the competition after having played some national league games, this time that will not occur, and that will be a complication. Nor will there be alternatives to have preparation matches. We have the advantage that the large core of the players has played together for a long time in Guaros and in the Venezuelan National Team.

FIBA