Virtus is in a hurry now. Morgan and Holiday are there

Watch out for those two. Back to the gym, the Virtus and the most important period of the year begins. Or at least the one needed to give meaning to the season. Having lost the final of Super Cup, out ofEuroleague (even if the championship is not over), Virtus picks up the pieces after the heavy defeat of Coppa Italia. The defeat could have happened, given the value of Milan. The surrender shown from the second quarter onwards, however, was not. Even with all the extenuating circumstances of the case, linked to injuries and 'arrivals' not yet fully integrated.

Virtus, which in the championship is in the group chasing Trento – which will be at the Segafredo Arena on March 10 –, has only the scudetto ahead of it. Four finals in a row – the first won, the others spent watching Milan celebrate – cannot satisfy a group that, dated or not, remains one of the best in Italy.

And from today, in the gym, there will be two guys who will try to recover the lost ground. The first is Matt Morgan, the disruptive playmaker, victim of a banal flu in the most delicate moment of the season. Alone, obviously, he could not have rebelled against Milan: but his head-down attack could have been an example for his teammates.

And in a team that is struggling to find the right balance in the long-distance shot, his presence would have been an additional opportunity to at least try to stay afloat. And speaking of the three-point shot, here Justin HolidayThe former NBA player arrived with good intentions and a positive attitude towards the new reality and the group.

Words, however, must be followed by actions, because in Turin - clearly Virtus did not lose because of him - Justin was little more than an extra. Virtus asks him for an important presence, he was taken for the injured Will Clyburn: Justin will have to provide answers. Starting today.

Even if the entire Virtus team won't be in the gym. Because the National Team commitments have, in fact, halved the available staff Dusko Ivanovic who will have to give up the Azzurri Alessandro Pajola, Nicola Akele and Momo Diouf. In addition to the foreigners Toko Shengelia, Isaia Cordinier and Andrejs Grazulis. And luckily, in view of the first commitment on the agenda (February 28, Segafredo Arena, the untouchable Olympiacos Piraeus) Ante Zizic will be available again.