"Maccabi season has been very inconsistent until now. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs. Of course a lot of that has to do with the fact that there were so many changes, both as far as players and the coaching staff. I only took over after four games. I think we improved and were much more consistent by the second half of the season."

"I have not had time yet to scout each of the teams that we will face in the Top 16. I can tell you that the Top 16 always has some surprises. With two top teams from Spain and the team from the host city of the Final Four, you never know what can happen. And our group features some top coaches that will help to make it interesting. Barcelona had an excellent regular season. Just looking at its results and by how many points it beat Panathinaikos and Montepaschi tells you how strong a team it has. They have a very good and very deep front line led by David Andersen. He adds a lot to the team. I don’t think the fact that Maccabi beat Barcelona in the playoffs matters at all because the rosters have changed and Barcelona is much bigger and stronger now. I’ve seen Real Madrid play twice this season, but not from the perspective of a coach who would be playing them soon. I did wee the game in the Spanish league against Malaga this weekend and I can say that Madrid is a very strong team."

"Alba is the team that I’ll be focusing on the most now, because we play them first. I agree with what I heard their coach say, which is that they could be the dark horses of the group. The most important games could be the ones in Berlin, because even if Alba doesn’t challenge for one off the top two spots, the results from the games in Berlin could have a great impact on the other three teams. I will still have to learn these teams better, but I can certainly say that nothing in this group is predictable. Maccabi is playing better now and hopefully we can take one of the top two spots and advance to the playoffs again."

"I think that with the new team that we have, we didn't start as strong as we would have liked or a lot of fans or people would have expected. We’re a lot better now, playing with a lot more confidence and knowing each other's games a lot more at this point. I am definitely pleased on how we have progressed so far. I definitely think that when you beat a quality team on the road, like we did against CSKA in Moscow, it gives you a lot of confidence. At the same time you have to have your feet planted on the ground. We didn't win a championship or anything like that, you have to continue to get better and be able to play that well when it is most important."

"We have to play many times against Barcelona. I was thinking about it last night and it is the classic, 'el clasico' for us. Obviously to play against a big rival so many times can be good and bad, but if you want to win something, you always have to play against the best teams. The thing about us is playing in Spain against Barcelona, Tau, Unicaja... then we are going to have to cross paths at some points to reach our goal in the Euroleague or in the ACB championship. Obviously, they changed a lot from last year, bringing David Andersen, who had a lot of success in the Euroleague. Definitely it is an experienced team and a lot better than last year. They are playing that way. Obviously, Maccabi had a lot of success in the Euroleague and they are always a dangerous opponent. I think there is a lot of pressure on them to play well. They are a dangerous teams with a lot of experienced guys. We have to play our best to try to win the two games against them. Alba Berlin is also dangerous. If I am not mistaken, I think it is the first time that they have qualified to the Top 16, which is very big. That didn’t come easy for those guys, they had to play hard. You definitely have to respect what they have done. They played with pride and now they will play to play in the Final Four in their city. Again, another very good team."

"Personally, I am just trying to do the things that my coach asks, be an all-around team player that tries to win games, be ready to do my best when the most important games are in front of us. I don't look that much at what I do individually. I just like to focus on how we progress as a team. Considering what we went through last year, I am definitely feeling that we have to take another step forwards and doing that, you can expect to see our level of play rise when the Top 16 comes. And hopefully we can be one of the teams that people are talking about."

"We are a little sorry, because we thought we had a chance to put Panionios in the Top 16 in its first Euroleague season. Before the competition started, I think nobody expected us to play the kind of basketball we played. People thought we would be easy for all the big teams, but we showed good basketball when we were healthy. In the first half, we had a lot of injuries and couldn't get our rhythm. After that, we played some very good games against Efes on the road and beating Real Madrid at home, which gave us our chances. We can be sorry for missing that chance, but we can also be satisfied for our performance in the club's first time in the Euroleague.

"Our Euroleague season has been a little bit strange because of the many problems we have in terms of injuries and personal problems, which did not allow the team to get the right dynamic in a competitions with a short regular season like the Euroleague is. You always pay for your mistakes and we made a few, partly because of not being able to win certain games, but also because our lack of continuity in the beginning of the season. Pops Mensah-Bonsu got injured really early, Bracey Wright had a personal problem while Ricky Rubio did not start the season with us either, because of an injury. This returned the Euroleague into a very complicated competition for us. When you try to the Top 16 with only 10 regular season games, you pay a high price for your mistakes."

"Real Madrid has an lot of options to advance, like all four teams in this group. Madrid is a great team with a lot of players that has been together for several years. That means is has a solid core, and the new players they added are helping them. It looked like they struggled to adjust in the beginning of the season but now they are with a great dynamic. I saw them play lately and they are at a great level, at both ends of the floor. It is a serious candidate to reach far in the Top 16. Their key players are doing well, just as usual, and those that are a bit more unknown always add value to the team. As for Barcelona, they are in great shape. We played against them not so long ago and struggled against them because of their consistency. They are one of the best defensive teams in Europe, no question about that. It is very well-coached, works very well as a team and has stellar players able to decide any balanced game. Juan Carlos Navarro or David Andersen are two of them because of their experience, while Fran Vazquez is having a very good season. Players like Victor Sada and Roger Grimau are not that famous but equally important, just as Gianluca Basile, always giving positive things to his team. We haven't faced Maccabi this season. Of course, just saying the word 'Maccabi', immediately means respect and expectations. They didn't start well but they advanced and that is good, psychologically speaking. When a team doesn't have a good start but qualifies anyway, it is always positive. It is a tough team to beat in Tel Aviv, of course. These three teams are the top candidated to advance to the next round. Its tradition and results in recent seasons says it all about Maccabi. Alba is a great team, tactically speaking they work really well, very disciplined that knows his opponents' strengths. They have an extra motivation with the Final Four held in Berlin. They already reached their initial goal and from now on, they have no pressure, especially in this group. Whatever comes next is an extra, but I don't see them competing for one of the playoff spots. There are three very powerful teams in this group and little room for surprise. Alba will be looking for big things and without pressure, and considering their good tactical work, they may upset any of its opponents in this round."

"It is tough to say who will win the Euroleague this season. I haven't seen many games of first-level teams like Panathinaikos, Olympiacos or CSKA. It is impossible to say at this point, because they are is a long way to go and anything can happen in the meantime in terms of injuries, dynamics. As for which teams in this group will advance to the playoffs, it is also very, very complicated. For sure, the two teams will be either Maccabi, Madrid or Barcelona, because I don't see Alba with that many options. It will go down to small details - a key basket, the tie-break average, a certain defense. I can't be able to say right now."