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Quote:PUR – Puerto Rico’s Rodriguez pulling all the right strings for Donetsk



DONETSK (FIBA Americas/ Superleague) – Ukraine is a long way from San Juan, Puerto Rico, but when a job offer in basketball is on the table, it’s never too far to travel.



It makes it easier if the team has a chance to win some silverware, which is why Puerto Rico international Andres Rodriguez is now plying his trade in the Superleague.



Rodriguez, one of the most spectacular point guards in the history of the Ukrainian top flight, joined a very ambitious BC Donetsk team and is arguably the biggest reason why the Superleague newcomers have a shot at winning the championship.



Surrounded by stars like PJ Tucker, Chris Owens, Demetrius Alexander and Milutin Aleksic, it’s down to Rodriguez to make sure Donetsk jell.



The 28-year-old leads the league in both assists (7.0) and steals (3.3), and is doing his best to make sure Donetsk find their rhythm.



Numerous injuries and new signings during the course of the season have made it hard though.



Donetsk are third in the standings behind powerhouses Azovmash and BC Kyiv with a 13-8 record.



Rodriguez , who is averaging 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, spoke to FIBA.com’s Oleksiy Naumov after their last-second 74-73 win over Sumykhimprom this week.



FIBA: Congratulations on the win, Andres! The game was much closer than most people expected it to be, considering Sumykhimprom had lost nine in a row before this, and you only won with a last-second shot. Did this surprise you?



Rodriguez: Not really. We knew Sumy was a tough team, they played us pretty good at home and we knew that out here they were much better, so we were expecting a really tough game and we definitely got it. They played really well. We started very bad on defense and they scored a lot of easy baskets and this gave them the confidence and when you got a team with a lot of confidence it’s really tough to beat them. We are still struggling in getting to know each other on the court. We got a lot of good players, but all of them got in different systems, so it’s up to us to figure it out. We know it’s going to be a tough month, but as soon as we get everybody on the same page, we are going to be really good.



FIBA: Yes, this is what your coach (Olympic champion Igors Miglinieks) was talking about – that you basically have a new team and it’s like a pre-season camp for you. PJ Tucker got hurt nine games into the campaign and Milutin Aleksic and Demetrius Alexander joined during the season. How difficult is it for you as a point guard to be able to direct the players that don’t know the system?



Rodriguez: It’s really hard. It’s one of the hardest things in basketball when you get a different team every now and then and you got such high expectations. Our president got together a lot of players that had won championships in different leagues, so I think he is expecting somewhere around that. This is my first year that a team is changing so much and I guess I have to learn it the hard way.



FIBA: Your roster is probably the strongest in the Superleague right now, especially after Azovmash, Khimik and Kyiv let most of their key players go. How much more time does Donetsk need to realize its full potential?



Rodriguez: It all depends. Once we start clicking, you will see the difference on the scoreboard and on the way we play defense and offense – you will see a different team. Right now we are still arguing with each other over how each of us plays and for the coach it’s really hard to get everybody playing in the same way. The problem is not only getting the new players, it’s also getting players back from injuries. But we still have seven games left before the playoffs, so hopefully everybody can jell before it starts.



FIBA: Looking back at your upbringing in the sport, were you taught to be a pure point guard?



Rodriguez: When I was 14, I was more of a scoring point guard and I started to play with the guys that pretty much molded me into what I am today. I don’t really think about shots unless I have to shoot, which could be a disadvantage, but I’ve already won four championships so obviously it works for me and I’m going to stick with that.



FIBA: Who is your favorite point guard in the world?



Rodriguez: Jason Kidd.



FIBA: He also doesn’t think much about scoring, but gets a lot of triple-doubles. How many have you had?



Rodriguez: Not sure how many, but had a few. I had seven rebounds today. And I also missed a triple-double once with points.



FIBA: We checked out your profile on your team website and it lists Ronaldo as your favorite athlete. Why him?



Rodriguez: Well, my favorite athlete is Michael Jordan, but my favorite soccer player is Ronaldo. I started watching soccer with the Brazil national team and he was their main guy and started just following him to the Inter Milan, Barcelona, Madrid. I like him, I really like his game. He’s very confident when he has the ball and when he can make the pass he makes the pass. He doesn’t just think about scoring all the time.



FIBA: Andres, tell us about your national team experience with Puerto Rico.



Rodriguez: I played on the Puerto Rico junior team as well as the senior national team. I went to Pan American games and Central American games and we won Gold at the Pan American games. This coming summer I am due to play for them again, not sure what tournament it’s going to be, though.



FIBA: It’s been great catching up with you. We look forward to seeing you wear the Puerto Rico jersey again.

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