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Here comes the Final Four!

Tue, 01 May 2007 11:38:05 GMT

Here comes the Final Four! The excitement here is phenomenal, the preparation for the Final Four and all activities surrounding it is still at the highest level like it has always been. As you all know, this is my third trip to the Final Four, but it just as special as the first time and I am looking forward to it, just as the rest of the team is. We are all very excited and prepared, because we are going there on a mission. There is no sign of overconfidence in this CSKA team. Coach Messina really has insisted on this: We are going to Athens thinking that, first of all, we have to play a tough opponent in Unicaja. We know that the loss of Daniel Santiago and the fact that Tusek may not play may damage them, but they still have players that will step up for them. That makes them a little more dangerous, because Unicaja is a good team and the expectations of everybody are kind of worn away. There are a lot of people in the media that already picked us to go on to the final and that is what makes Unicaja a bit more dangerous.

Of course, Marcus Brown will be very motivated in this game. He has the opportunity to play against his old team, CSKA, the team he helped to make it to the Final Four twice. Definitely, this is a special game for him. Unicaja is a team with pride and with very good players. They know what championship basketball is all about, even if they don't have a lot of Final Four experience, I think, or at least not as much as our team. Like I said before, that's not the issue right now, as it all depends on who plays the best basketball in Athens. Our team does have a lot of Final Four experience. Aleksey Savrasenko is in his seventh Final Four, I believe. David Andersen and Matjaz Smodis made it to four Final Fours and won another title in a playoff series, then me and Thomas Van den Spiegel are in our third Final Four, while all the players who have played for this CSKA for a long time made it to five Final Fours in a row. That's a lot of Final Four experience and I hope this can help us in the long run. Any possible advantage that you can get counts right now to win the game. All we are looking forward to the game against Unicaja to go out and compete.

I played with Bootsy Thornton at my first Final Four, against him last season and this time he will not be there. Bootsy is always going to be with me whether if he plays against me or not. We were there together and missed our chance to win the title in 2004, we played against each other last season and unfortunately, he won't be there in uniform this time. I will talk to him before the games. Last year, right after the game, when I came down out of the stands, right after giving my jersey to my wife, Bootsy was the first person standing there, next to the floor, he congratulated me and gave me a hug immediately after the game. He won't be there this time, but we will definitely talk and it is always good to share this with him. I know that he wants us to win, and I will try to help my team in any way possible to hopefully make that happen.

Panathinaikos faces Tau Ceramica in the other semifinal, and that is going to be a tough game. The team that makes it to the final, hopefully will be a little worn down for the championship game. That game is going to be a tough battle, both teams have played incredible throughout the entire season. Panathinaikos will have a lot of home spirit and intensity because they will be playing in front of many of their fans and at their home gym. Tau is a great team put together to win the Euroleague championship, so I think this is going to be a very interesting game and I am sure the...

Addicted to that champ feeeeeeeling!

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:58:33 GMT

SWISH!

What's up? CSKA made the Final Four for the fifth consecutive time, which I believe is a record. It's great to be part of someting special like that and have the opportunity to go to another Final Four. This is my third Final Four in four years and it is always special to be there. I am used to playing basketball around this time of the year and being involved in Euroleague games. It is a great feeling, nonetheless it has become more like a normal feeling, something that I got used to. You always want to have that feeling at this time of the year. I have family and friends flying to Athens to see the games and enjoy the atmosphere, because this is something special you want to share with everybody every time you get it. Some of our players have never been to any Final Four, but even to those of us who have been there before, is always special, because you never know how many chances like this you can get in your career.

My first Final Four was in 2004 with Montepaschi Siena in Tel Aviv. The weather was really hot and our hotel was right on the beach. Everything looked calmed and relaxed in there but things were different on court. Everything surrounding the Final Four was exciting and wonderful. The fans in Tel Aviv were basketball crazy and I guess we can expect the same in Athens this season. Like I said, everything was wonderful but the fact that we lost, but we had a great time that I will share with everybody for the rest of my life. It was my first Final Four, the first chance I had to be involved in such a high-level thing. It was an incredible feeling and an incredible situation. I was chosen for the All-Euroleague second team, but we didn't get the trophy. Our semifinal game was amazing! I still think we should have won that one. Stef (Vrbica Stefanov) and I fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter, but we went to overtime without a starting point guard on the court. We had Bootsy Thornton trying to carry the team the best he could and we went down to the final shot, a three-pointer by Dusan Vukcevic that he normally makes and ended up missing. We lost the game, but I think it was great to be part of it.

The Final Four in Prague was different in many ways. We were a contender, but I still think we were not expected to make much noise. A lot of people thought that Maccabi would win the Euroleague again, as it would have been their third consecutive title, starting with that one they won in Tel Aviv. I still feel we were kind of underdogs, and being in that position can be dangerous for any team because the media and other people thought that Maccabi were the favorites. Some people believe this kind of talk, while others still think that the other team is really dangerous. Right now, there are four teams left in the Euroleague and it really doesn't matter what happened during the season, or the record that the team has. Nothing matters there but playing the best basketball. No matter how strong your team is, if you are not prepared and you don't play the best basketball, you will lose.

After the final in Prague, I ran into the stands, took my jersey off my back and gave it to my family. It was wonderful for me to even be able to share that with them. I don't know why I did it. It was not something...

4,3,2,1....buzzer! It's money time!

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:25:32 GMT

What's up Blog readers!!?? As a basketball fan, you gotta love this time of year! First of all, the winter weather starts to break, and the sun shines a little brighter...Also you have the "meat and potatoes" of the season! The time where every game means that much more, and teams fight for their seasons! one loose ball or rebound or missed free throw could mean the end of your season, while a made shot or defensive stop could save your team's dream! Fans scream and yell until their voices are gone, because they know this might be the last time they get to see their team play in the Euroleague this season. This is the time of the season I LOVE!! Players call it "CRUNCH TIME", or "MONEY TIME"!

Damn, I wish I wasn't injured!

On to the matter at hand! OK, OK, CSKA lost to Macabbi in Tel Aviv... I don't know if anyone was listening after we won the first game, but Coach Messina even said that people shouldn't write us into the Final Four so quickly just because we won by a lot in Moscow. He said they'd be even tougher at home, and that we should expect a fight. Macabbi has a very good team, with pride and heart, and they played like it at home! Their fans are incredible, and they showed why opposing teams have such a tough time in Tel Aviv. Some people say we were "surprised" in Tel Aviv, and that the loss was an upset, because we were the favorites, but going into Macabbi and winning is one of the toughest tasks the Euroleague has to offer, in my opinion... Man, losing in Tel Aviv brought back some harsh memories for me personally. I played with Montepaschi Siena in the Final Four in 2004, at Nokia Arena. Before that we had lost during the regular season there, on a three-pointer at the end of the game from Saras Jasikevicius, who was 0-7 from downtown up until that shot. The, I missed the shot at the buzzer, going for the win... Then at the Final Four we lost to Skipper Bologna in double overtime by 1 point, after which Macabbi went on to win the Euroleague easily.

CSKA didn't play great in Tel Aviv, for sure, but the fact that we had a chance to get back into the game says a lot about the character of our team too! The guys are all fighters, and ready to meet any challenge in front of us! I've been asked if I think that this loss was good and even if it could act as a "wake-up call" for our team... In this time of year no loss is a good one, in my opinion...You want to continue to stay with your "habits"... Winning has become a habit for us, and as all you readers out there know HABITS ARE HARD TO BREAK, and winning basketball games is one habit we definitely want to keep. We'll just continue to work hard, and try harder to concentrate on the things that have gotten us to this point. The fundamentals of defense, and the hard work we always put in. One thing is for sure: Ettore Messina will not rest until his team is ready to play, and win. And even after that, he won't let us rest! :-)

Now the series heads back to Moscow for the pivotal Game 3!! Sounds like a pressure situation, huh!? Well, players live for moments like these. All those times you were in your backyard, or the playground, or wherever, counting down the clock to take the last shot, and win the game for your team...10...9...8...Some players actually...

Hi Mom! This blog's for you!

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:44:46 GMT

First of all, it's good to be in first place. We have been working hard the whole season to be in a position to have the opportunity to succeed and get to the Final Four. We have been able to do that, battling injuries, going through different type of things like expectations or pressure. We didn't feel like we had pressure, but it was there, since we are the defending champions and we want to be in the same situation to defend our title. Right now we are going into the next round as the group champions, we've got the home court advantage in the best-of-three playoff series and we feel we are in the best situation possible to try to get to the Final Four. This is one of the goals that we set to ourselves.

Honestly, until the media and the people started to talk about our 16-game winning streak, we didn't even know or pay attention of that. We just try to win games and reach the goals we had in the beginning of the season. We always wanted to go to the Final Four: this is what our focus has been, so we never thought about keeping this streak alive. We just try to go out there, play the best we can and try to win, and we have been fortunate to do that. It is kind of funny, you see some of these winning streaks in the NBA right now, with teams like the Dallas Mavericks or the Phoenix Suns. The funny part is that everyone is talking about how many games they can win in a row, while the thing people talk about here is whether they will win the championship or not, or if we will get to the Final Four. Streaks are cool, it is fun to keep track, but if we don't advance to the next round, it doesn't mean anything.

A lot of people ask me about my blog: friends all around Europe, players from other teams, people asking me when it is the next time that I will be blogging... As a matter of fact, I didn't even know that some of those guys saw Euroleague.net. Actually, even my mother ended up on Euroleague.net, saw my blog and didn't know about it, so she got mad at me. "You didn't tell me you were going to be on the Internet and that you'd be doing a blog?" she said. I had to apologize. I am surprised that so many people keep up with this kind of stuff. It is something that Euroleague.net should keep for a long time, because you get the player's view, an insider's look at the competition, what is going on and how people feel. A blog is a lot more in-depth than an interview.

I know what is the big question right now: when am I going to be back? I have to take everything step by step and day by day. The most important thing right now is making sure on when I can come back. If it depended on me, I...

All in the family: chemistry counts with champs

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:23:02 GMT

Hello, what's up everybody! It is kind of funny, but a lot of people freaked out when I talked about the jinx in my last blog. I kind of want to clear the air so that a lot of players don't get scared when being interviewed on Euroleague.net. I want to let everyone know that I had some things going on some time before I actually had to sit out. I was already having some pain and it is nothing that happened in the next day after blogging. It was something going on for a period of time and when we finally had the chance to get everything looked at, it was more serious than I thought, but that news came right after writing the blog. Call it what you want, but jinx or no jinx, I am feeling a lot better now, trying to get myself in the best condition to get ready to back to the team and help them to reach our goals.

Our team signed Oscar Torres right before I got hurt. Honestly, we were probably looking to get him or a player like him before I went down for this period of time. He is the type of player that a lot of fans in the Euroleague will learn to like, because he plays hard all the time, doesn't need the ball, is a great teammate and a great person. He is the type of player that the Euroleague is all about and you all will have the chance to see that. We have a great atmosphere on the team, taking one game at the time and trying to get closer to the playoffs. We have a big game coming up on Thursday at Olympiacos. We already understand what it takes to move on to the next round. We know how important it is to get as many early wins as possible. OK, we won two games, but both were at home, which is one of the keys to advance, you have to win at home. We also have to win games on the road and, in the position we are in right now, we have to play two road games against two of the toughest teams in Europe. We have to be prepared for this stretch and get ready to meet every challenge as it comes. We are not looking too far ahead, we don't think that we are already into the next round. First we have to qualify and then try to finish first in our group so that we are in the best position possible to make it to the Final Four.

Olympiacos is a really strong team and we are looking forward to the challenge. Scoonie Penn is playing well, Henry Domercant can score a lot of points on any given night. Since the beginning of the season, when we knew that the Final Four would be in Athens, we knew Olympiacos would be one of the favorites to make it there, as it is a strong Greek team. We have to be as prepared as we possibly can be and put everything that we learned together throughout the season on the court. Our job again is taking care of ourselves. Olympiacos is a strong team but this is the Top 16 and you cannot expect to face weak teams right now. Some teams did not want to face some of the Greek teams, but in my opinion it is better to do it. You have to beat everybody, anyway, if you want to win the Euroleague. So facing a strong Olympiacos team is a good thing. We are looking to go in there and try to get a win.

You know I want to be part of this blog on Euroleague.net, but I have to admit that after reading Jeff Nordgaard, I'm a little worried. Not because his blog is so good, which it is, but because of the way he ended the regular season: injured. When I was growing up in the U.S., there was always the Sports Illustrated cover jinx, meaning something bad happened to any athlete who made it onto that magazine's cover. I won't even talk about the Euroleague.net interview jinx I heard about, because I did an interview with those guys and came out OK. Now, I'm about to do this blog, and I read that Jeff got injured while he was doing it. I'm going to trust there is no jinx here and just go with it. I'll be blogging here at least three times during the Top 16, updating you on how my team, CSKA, is dealing with the challenge of staying champs. It won't be easy, we know that. But it will be easier on me if there's no jinx.

Hey, we went 13-1 in the regular season, but it was probably a bit more of a struggle than people realize. We have ups and downs like any other team. Fortunately, we didn't have to lose games while going through tough times. And that's what we try to do, win games always and make sure bad times don't get too bad. For us, the key factor is having talented players from top to bottom in our lineup. If someone goes down or has a bad game, we've got other guys who step in and make it look like nothing happened. That makes our team more special than others. And to top it off, our coach Ettore Messina has made all the players believe that defense wins championships. For us, it's all about defense. You can get some decent stiffs from the basketball word, teach them to play defense, and have a decent chance of winning something. We play such good defense, it doesn't matter sometimes how we score on offense.

So it's got nothing to do with the cold or the traffic jams in Moscow that affect teams when they come to play us here. I know that 95 out of 100 people like warm weather, so maybe that gets in the heads of visiting teams when they come here. And everyone heard about Napoli taking the metro to avoid traffic here. Napoli heard about the traffic and they made their own decision. And they didn't start that game well at all. Who's to say that wouldn't have happened the same way if they took the team bus like other teams? But in all honesty, I don't think other visiting teams will be taking the Moscow metro any time soon. The truth is, any teams that get bothered by the traffic or the weather here aren't concentrating enough already. They should be thinking first of how to beat Trajan Langdon, Matjaz Smodis, Theo Papaloukas, J.R. Holden, David Vanterpool, Alexey Savrasenko and the rest of our guys. If they are not thinking about us only, they already have a problem. Anyway, it's warm here this winter! The coldest it has been is right now, 10 below zero. Last year it was minus-30 or minus-40 all the time!

I think our Top 16 group is definitely the toughest. Honestly. Taking a look at the other groups, it's kind of funny that we ended up in this one instead of another, because I think the others would make it a little easier on us to reach the next round. But the bottom line is that to get to the Top 16, everyone has to be good. And...