Hi Trajan. How tough was it to lose David Andersen in the middle of the season and do you think you guys would definitely be favorites to win it all if he could play in the Final Four, too? Peter - Sydney, Australia

"I think it was very difficult to lose David when we did. Obviously, he was playing great basketball when he was injured, and was really our best player at that time. All of us have stepped up our game a little bit in his absence. We would love to have him on the floor again now, going into the Final Four, but we don't have that luxury. I don't know whether he would make us the favorites, but I think we have a good chance to win as it is, and with him, yes, we would have a better chance."

Hi Trajan. Who is the toughest defender you have played against in Europe? Dani - Israel

"I can't say that I faced one person in particular who has given me the most problems. There are several out there who I have run across who are tough. I can name two of the toughest because they are on my team: J. R. Holden and David Vanterpool. I go against them every day and doing that prepares me better than anything for other tough defenders I have to face."

Mr. Langdon. Did you have to play so perfect against Efes Pilsen? You gave us no chance, you were great in offense and stopped our own shooters. Are you angry with us? Ufuk Oz, Istanbul

"No, I am not angry at all. I enjoyed my time in Istanbul for one year with Efes. It was just a personal goal of mine this year to get back to the Final Four. It just happened that Efes was one of the teams standing in the way. I think we were just fortunate enough to win two games against a very good Efes team."

Hi Trajan! Who is your basketball idol? I hope CSKA will win the Euroleague and that you will be named MVP of the Final Four! Best wishes, Matija - Slovenia

"I think my idol in basketball is the same as a lot of people's. The guy I enjoyed watching the most was Michael Jordan, both the way he carried himself on and off the court. He and Magic Johnson were two guys I gre up focusing on, and idolizing, I guess you could say."

For Trajan Langdon: CSKA seems to have balance, great team play and admirable defense. Will these factors be the key to the club's first European title for decades? Good luck and I will definitely be supporting CSKA in the Final Four, Angelos Georgiou - Pireaus, Greece

"I definitely think so. I think that's a great observation you make. I think team work has been the key for us. We've had a lot of different games where it hasn't been one person as the top scorer or one person making all the players. It has definitely been a team effort since we lost David. Since that has helped us to success, I think it's also the way to finding success in Prague. It will be one of the things most important for us, to stick with what helped us win all year."

Hello Trajan. How do you see the Euroleague competitive level compared to the NCAA and the NBA? Are there any Euroleague teams you could see playing in the NBA, considering their playing level and organization? Thanks, Raviv - Israel

"In terms of competition, the Euroleague is as competitive as any basketball I have ever played, and I have played in both the NCAA and the NBA. The thing about the Euroleague is that there are only so many games, so each team comes ready to play for every one of them. In the NBA, over an 82-game season, some teams might take the night off or just can't come ready 100 percent, or the same might happen to some players. There are just so many games, it's hard to be 100 percent always. Here, in Europe, every game is a dogfight. On the other question, I think there are definitely teams here who can compete at the NBA level against a number of NBA teams. I don't know whether that is possible on an 82-game basis, but I definitely thing that over one or two games we have teams that can compete against NBA teams."

You think fast, you shoot fast, you generally knock them in, you are explosive, you play smart and versatile, you can pass the ball. What are your deficiencies according to you? Selim - Istanbul, Turkey

"Deficiences? Let me think. I don't think I am the most athletic player., but obviously, a lot of that is given to you naturally. I think my ability to create off the dribble can be better, as well as working on my athleticism. I think that defensively I am getting better. My ability to make things difficult on the other team's offensive player is something I try to take pride in, just as we all do as a team."

Hi Trajan, Being a CSKA fan, first and foremost, best of luck for the Final Four. It is your second year playing in Russia, first for Dynamo and second for CSKA. In your view, what are the principal differences between the two teams and why did you take up on CSKA's offer last summer? Tim, Russia

"I had a very good experience in the Dynamo organization. When CSKA said they were interested in me, it was the chance to go back and play in the Euroleague, playing at the highest level that I could. More important to me was the opportunity to play with a coach I had before and respect, Ettore Messina. I truly enjoyed playing for him at Benetton and those were basically the reasons for my decision last summer."
 
Hi Trajan! Congratulations for your passport for the Euroleague Final Four. Can Coach Messina knowing so well Winterthur's players from Italy - Marconato, Basile, Fucka - influence the game against Barcelona in CSKA's favor? Good Luck! Francisco J. Martinez - Madrid, Spain

"I think it will definitely be influential, in that he coached Marconato at Benetton for three years, and coached against Basile for even more. I think it's also interesting that he has coached against Barcelona's coach more than a few times. In the end, it's our players against their players, but this is a situation where there is a lot of familiarity between both teams and coaches. Everyone knows the other players and their coaching styles. It's all about stopping the other team's players or making the game as difficult as possible for them. I don't think anyone will outsmart anyone in this game, but both teams know each other well, so that makes it another interesting part of a good game."

Trajan, there seems to be a mini Duke-North Carolina rivalry in that semifinal game, with you for CSKA while Shammond Williams and Ed Cota play for Barcelona? Has that crossed your mind? Jerry - New York, United States

"Yeah, it definitely has crossed my mind. When I saw we were going to play them in the semifinals, I knew they had Shammond and Ed, and I got to compete against both of them last year in Russia, too. I definitely thought of them as two North Carolina players coming to Barcelona and making that team even better. I am glad that all three of us are in the Final Four. Again, it adds another interesting angle to the game."