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Chris Warren, Air Avellino
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 With an early-season turnaround of sorts, Euroleague newcomer Avellino has evened its record with consecutive home wins and is now part of the battle for survival in regular season Group A. One big reason for that turnaround is forward Chris Warren, who has been nothing if not consistent and solid in almost three Euroleague seasons. Warren was in Mexico in January of 2006 when the call came from Cibona to sign, and he has not looked back, making himself a Euroleague pro in both body and mind, as he says in this Euroleague.net interview. "It's all about the mental aspect of play in the Euroleague," Warren said as he prepared to take his new team on the road against his old one, Cibona, this week. "Every Euroleague team I have played for or against has what I am trying to bring here: tough-mindedness. When things are not going well, when things are not going your way - and even when they are - a Euroleague team is still hungry and still wants more. That's the type of attitude I want to bring to Avellino, to have them never be satisfied."
First, Chris, how do you and your Avellino teammates feel after two wins in a row that put you in the middle of that Group A race?
"We lost the first two games because we were probably not used to playing with each other. Now that we pulled out a couple wins, we need to just try to keep going, keep winning. Now, winning one on the road would be nice, and we've got two away games coming next. We've got to go for both of them. We haven't played Cibona yet, but otherwise it seems like an even group and we've got our chances to finish in the top four."
The homecourt seems to have developed into an advantage already. How are the fans enjoying this in Avellino?
"The fans are crazy. And I mean good crazy. They are very supportive of us, giving us a bit of an advantage, even when we're behind. They're up there beating horns, singing songs the whole time, ahead or behind. That's a lot different atmosphere than what I am used to. It gives you extra energy when you need it."
You've had your finger on the Euroleague pulse enough to know: what are this team's possibilities now?
"It's all about the mental aspect of play in the Euroleague. Every Euroleague team I have played for or against has what I am trying to bring here: tough-mindedness. When things are not going well, when things are not going your way - and even when they are - a Euroleague team is still hungry and still wants more. That's the type of attitude I want to bring to this team, to have them never be satisfied. Whether you are winning by 15, winning by 25 or losing by 10 with 2 minutes left, you always fight to stay in the game and get in the game. You have to worry about every possessions, is what I try to tell the guys here. And most of them have responded to what I said and what that attitude is about."
This week's game is key one, and a road trip to Cibona. What goes through your mind heading back to the place where you kind of made your name in Europe?
 "It's a little awkward. To see them doing well makes me happy for them, but at the same time you still want to beat them. I have a lot of friends and former teammates there, and I'm happy they're doing well, but at the same time they're standing on top of the group and I want to knock them down. We've got to go there with an attitude to get a road win."
You know well about Cibona's homecourt advantage. What will you tell your teammates going into the Drazen Petrovic Basketball Center?
"The crowd going to be into it, that's for sure. When Cibona plays well, the crowd always comes out to support them. That makes it one of the toughest places to play. I say that from experience, it's one of the toughest places to play in Europe. Their guys get energized and play better at home. It will be more difficult if things go their way, too. We have to pay attention and try to limit their runs. They have great shooters, a good team and a good coach. It'll be tough, but that's what the Euroleague is all about - who's got the stronger will."
You took a rather unusual route to the Euroleague, through Mexico and Chile. What were those experiences like and how did they help you get here?
"They were humbling experiences. Very humbling. At Aguascalientes in Mexico, our bus trips lasted 13 hours and there were maybe 500 people in stands. Maybe. And the gyms in Chile were not as good as in Mexico. Basically, I was there trying to build a name for myself. It's gratifying to see how far I have come and where I am going toward in my career. I am never satisfied, but I try to remain humble."
You were still in Mexico in 2006 when Cibona called you before the Top 16, right? Do you remember the call?
"Yes, I was there in Mexico with a new team in January. We were one week into the season, or two at the most. Cibona called me and I knew exactly who was calling and knew that it was an unbelievable opportunity for me. So I jumped on it and got there fast as I could. We had good team and a good opportunity to advance that year, but the point differences and tiebreakers were unlucky for us, that year and the next. Those tiebreakers showed why it's important to pay attention to details in the Euroleague."
What are you guys doing to overcome - or maybe take advantage of - some of the low expectations that any new Euroleague team faces?
"From my experience at Cibona, I've noticed that when you are on a team like this, other people don't pay attention to you and count the victories ahead of time. Other teams see the schedule in the summer and they count you as a victory for them. When they saw Avellino, I'm sure all the teams in our group did that. And I tell our guys that happens and you have to have that in your head. Remember that. It was the same way with Cibona. It's kind of a smack in the face. Then it's about pride and showing everyone that you still have to play the games. We can't let other teams count us as a victory for them. I tell our guys to hold the homecourt and play tough on the road. We're all pros, no matter what the budgets are or what someone has done in the past. We're playing one game on that day, so play hard and see what happens."
Avellino had to overcome the loss a major off-season signing, Dan Dickau, but with Travis Best, you got experience and then some. How does he keep doing it?
 "Travis is like a big brother out there. It's been crazy since he came here, how he's helping guys out. He's got so much experience, almost every situation in basketball that you can think of: including the NBA finals with the Pacers. He's been around basketball for so long, but he still has a lot of game in him and plays at a very high level, It helps the team a lot to have a guy like that. Dan was a good player as well, but situations happen, Players come and go and you have to go with who you have. I'm happy to have Travis here."
With a group that includes like Olympiacos, Cibona, Maccabi and Unicaja, what's going to be key for Avellino the rest of the way?
"Just trying to win every game. In the Italian League, you learn quickly that you can't count on a victory or a home game or a loss on the road. You've got to play every game to win. That's the mentality we have to have. Every game is important. As long as we leave our hearts on court and play our hardest, we can't ask for anything more."
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Monday, November 24, 2008
Frank Lawlor, Euroleague.net
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