By Nacho Garcia |
Miami (USA) (EFE) Snyder to try to recover feelings for the ‘playoffs’.
“Basketball in Europe and the US are almost different sports, they cannot be compared. It’s like comparing basketball and soccer,” said the Serbian player in an interview with Efe.
The news of Bogdanovic and the Hawks in the NBA
Question: This team shows ups and downs and has a new coach. What can you expect from these Hawks?
Answer: Nothing, we have no expectations, that’s how I prepare. Especially in a season like this with changes in coach, role, situations… It’s happening with everything.
There is nothing we can do except be professional, stay focused and do what the team asks of you. We are trying to find a way to get more wins and move up the rankings.
Q: In 2021 something similar happened with the mid-season arrival of Nate McMillan. The team improved and they were close to playing in the NBA Finals. Could something like this happen this year?
A: I hope so (laughs). I’d love to. We are working hard for it. I think our idea is to always compete for that and the circumstances still exist.
Q: How about the early days of Quin Snyder?
A: It is a different situation, in Utah it was eight years, a long-lasting process and it was there from the beginning. He’s only been playing a couple of games with us and nothing happens from one day to the next. He is a great trainer, with experience. I understand his way of looking at basketball and I understand what he wants to do on the court.
European basketball
Q: There is a fundamental coach for you, Zeljko Obradovic. What do you remember from that stage?
A: The most important thing about Zeljko is his ability to motivate himself, to keep improving, working on the game and that’s when you compete for the win. With him it’s not just going to the pavilion and playing. There is a lot of previous work, very hard training sessions. He has greatly influenced my career.
In the NBA you don’t have time to work like that, but you can advance by watching games, analyzing them, you can practice your movements, your shots. I continue to maintain that Zeljko spirit of work.
Q: He always said he didn’t want to coach in the NBA. Do you think he would have done well?
A: Sure. He knows a lot about basketball. But I will confess something: he told me that he cannot cope with so many stoppages between timeouts, shows, entertainment… because he takes basketball very seriously. Maybe too seriously. That’s how he is.
And I respect him a lot. I can see from a distance that there is no reason to think that he would not come, but only because his way of understanding this sport is different from how they see it here.
Q: You couldn’t play the last EuroBasket due to injury. Did you miss so many surprises?
A: Yes, and I want to congratulate Spain on the title. It says a lot about the team, they cared a lot about the tournament, the chemistry that was there. When they won several medals in a row, there was a small break, with a generational change, they suffered, and now they are on top again.
It happens to Spain and other teams in Europe. That has a huge effect on the kids because it motivates them to want to play for the national team.
Serbia, a power
Q: Serbia, just because of Nikola Jokic, has to also aim very high…
A: Nikola brings us a lot of pressure (laughs). But also a lot of quality. The funniest thing about that team is that it’s not about money or anything like that: it’s just for fun and friendship.
Q: How would you explain such different performances of players when they are in the NBA and in Europe?
A: It’s different, they play a different role, a different competition as well. Here you play one night yes and another, there are many games. Everyone is mentally tired. With the ‘playoffs’ the real basketball really begins. A Euroleague team has a week to prepare, they can use league games to get ready. Europe is more tactical.
They are almost different sports, they cannot be compared. It’s like comparing basketball and soccer. They have the same objectives, to put the ball through the hoop, with similar rules, but the way to achieve it is very different.
Q: How is the relationship between the Serbs who play in the NBA and how do they keep in touch during the season?
A: I will tell our secret (laughs). We try to be the best possible host when a compatriot comes to your city. There is an unwritten rule that we comply with every year: the local calls, asks you when you are free and picks you up, he takes you to his house or to a restaurant. He takes it upon himself to organize something, like a family member would. In the end we are a big family.
