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Group D player analysis: Ermal Kuqo, Efes Pilsen
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In his fifth Euroleague season, Efes Pilsen big man Ermal Kuqo has established himself as a signature player in the competition not only for his rock-solid standing in a high-achieving team, but for a love of the game that is symbolic every time he steps on the court. Kuqo very much embodies DEVOTION and he knows that such spirit is among the main factors - just as much as talent or teamwork - in deciding which teams go farthest in the competition. With the Top 16 starting soon, Kuqo used his knowledge, experience and his sense of the moment to analyze Group D - with Efes, Panathinaikos, Monteapschi Siena and Aris TT Bank - for Euroleague.net. "We have to be conscious of the tough task ahead of us, but that's what makes it special anyway," Kuqo says. "The great arenas, the loud fans, the high level of basketball, and the extraordinary players that await us: they just make this challenge even more fun. Also, the fact that this is the Euroleague's 50th anniversary, I think it adds up to the excitement and the meaning of the competition."
Ermal, it was an up-and-down regular season for Efes Pilsen. Wins against Group B champ Lietuvos Rytas were offset by losses against Cibona or at home against Aris. How has the season been for you guys and what do you expect in the Top 16?
"Well, it's true that it has been tough so far, losing a couple of games here and there that we could have easily won. But what has been more frustrating is that somehow we just couldn't get some consistency in our play. We need to play a full 40-minute game, not just 25 or 30 minutes. Winning against teams like Rytas and Malaga certainly helped our confidence, but then we go and lose at home against Aris and suddenly we start questioning ourselves. One thing is for sure, we cannot allow ourselves to be inconsistent in the Top 16, where the margin for error is so low and there isn't anything you can do to make up even one home loss. Anyway, I feel like we've been handed a straightforward group, compared to the other ones, and I feel like we're good enough to compete for a top spot in it."
Among your Top 16 opponents, there is Panathinaikos, a regular opponent of Efes Pilsen in recent years. They just added a former Efes player, Niksa Prkacin, too. What can you tell us about Panathinaikos?
"You can say that there's a real rivalry between Efes and PAO, especially the last three or four years. I love Athens, and I love to play in OAKA. The atmosphere created by the Greens' fans in that gym fulfills my needs of excitement created by this game I love so much, and makes me happy and proud I am a Euroleague player. That arena is the ultimate stage of top European basketball, and their current roster makes it even more exciting. Anyway, if we aim for the top we have to go through PAO, and playing our first game at home, we definitely need to start with a win. As far as Prkacin is concerned, he was the first person I called when I was watching the draw live on Euroleague.net. I'm not going to share with you what we talked about, but I can only say that it wasn't a very friendly conversation. Just joking. He is one of my best friends and a very important person in my career, I learned a lot from him and it will be interesting to see how we play against each other for the first time after four years of going at it every day in practice. I know his game better than anybody, and he knows mine, so there are no secrets there!"
Montepaschi Siena lost Kaukenas because of a long-term injury but still has enough stars with Romain Sato, Ksistof Lavrinovic or above all, Terrell McIntyre. What's your analysis of Siena and what do you have to do to beat them?
"To tell you the truth, Siena intrigues me a lot. I haven't had the chance to watch them play, but I've followed them from the Internet and from what I heard from people who've seen them. Losing Kaukenas is definitely a big blow for them, but it looks like they've had adequate cover for him in Romain Sato, who really stepped up for them this past month. They have one of the best European big men in Lavrinovic, and a great point guard in McIntyre, and I know Ben Eze from our junior college times in the U.S. They also have one of the best x-factors in Europe in Stonerook, whose rebounding and defense are crucial to Montepaschi's system. We play the second game against them in Istanbul, so just like the game with PAO, we need to jump right at them in order to get a win."
Partizan seems stronger than any time in the last five years, too, with a superstar in Nikola Pekovic, surrounded by guys like Milt Palacio, former Efes swingman Dusan Kecman or Novica Velickovic. What's your opinion about Partizan?
"I like Partizan a lot, and one of the main reasons behind it is that they play basketball like it's supposed to be played, simple, smart and team oriented. They share the ball, they play fast, they have a good inside-outside balance on offense, and play very tough on defense. They have the best center in Europe right now in Pekovic, in my opinion, who is maybe the most fundamentally sound big man since Vlade Divac. He is a real center, nothing less, nothing more. And what makes them even better, and dangerous, is that they are young and hungry for basketball. Just like PAO, they have an unbelievable crowd that makes it very hard to snatch a win in their packed Pionir Arena."
Last but not least, what can we expect about Ermal Kuqo from now on in the Top 16 after a solid regular season?
"I'm never satisfied with my performances, and that actually keeps me going, working harder and harder every day, trying to be the best I can be. This Top 16 to me isn't any different from the previous ones: I expect a lot from my team as usual, and even more from myself. We have to be conscious of the tough task ahead of us, but that's what makes it special anyway. The great arenas, the loud fans, the high level of basketball, and the extraordinary players that await us: they just make this challenge even more fun. Also, the fact that this is the Euroleague's 50th anniversary, I think it adds up to the excitement and the meaning of the competition. I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to all of the 50 half-century European Club Basketball heroes, and in particular to Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, and Nikos Galis, who I grew up watching, for their influence and for making me love basketball the way I do. I am happy and proud that one day I will be able to say to my kids that I played on the same arenas where these great players played, that I played against Cibona, Aris, Jugoplastika and the elite teams of European basketball. Thank you!!!"
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Thursday, February 07, 2008
Euroleague.net
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