Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Lega A
You're right Stefans. But I wonder when they will announce Benjamin Eze. A couple of sources say that an agreement is reached but then I'm thinking if a deal is reached why does it take so long to give a press conference with him and Dan Peterson
Reply
BC Khimki and Benjamin Eze part ways. This will likely mean that he'll go to Milano



http://www.bckhimki.ru/news/clubnews/2011/january/1721/
Reply
Benjamin Eze and Milano have reached an agreement. Benjamin Eze wil arrive tomorrow at Milan and will sign his contract after he passes his medical tests. Great move by Milano



http://www.olimpiamilano.com/index.php?o...&Itemid=63
Reply
Quote:Interview: Nikos Zisis, Montepaschi Siena



As a former Euroleague champion in his 11th season in the competition, point guard Nikos Zisis of Montepaschi Siena has collected a rare amount of experience for a 27-year-old. Right now, Zisis is calling on everything he has learned to lead Siena through some troubled waters after the team's starter at his position, Bo McCalebb, was injured right before the start of the Top 16. Zisis came a centimeter away on a three-pointer at the buzzer from giving Siena what would have been a huge road win at Efes Pilsen last week. Now, the going gets tougher as Real Madrid comes to town on Wednesday in what is almost a must-win game for a Siena team that changed its playing system after McCalebb's injury. Zisis made a brave decision four years ago, leaving a starter's job to become a backup at CSKA, where he won the Euroleague title. Now, he's been thrust back in charge, and he's confident of being ready to do what Siena needs. "What's most important is to win and to win titles," Zisis told Euroleague.net. "Having a good scoring average is OK, but the taste of winning big games and titles, that satisfaction is more amazing. Hopefully I will keep doing that."



Nikos, in your 11th Euroleague season, does this one prove more than most that anything is possible in the Euroleague?



"Yeah, for sure. Of all these years that I have been playing in the Euroleague, this regular season more than any, there has been no team that has stood out as an absolute favorite. Other years, there are teams that are really dominant and teams that you have to believe are going to at least be in the Final Four, favorites to make it even to the final. For sure some teams are great now, but especially this season, I think, no one has showed so much consistency and quality to be the big favorite over the others. Of course, that makes it more fun for the fans, since there are more interesting games. And that makes the Top 16 even better, because now is the time for teams to show they are one level above and keep moving on."



This season shows how suddenly things can change, too. How was the team psychology affected by Bo McCalebb, the team's top player until now, getting injured?



"For sure, Bo was playing fantastic this season, and was the main reason for our success. It's unfortunate for us, just as it has been unfortunate for other teams struggling with injuries all season. Maybe we are a little unluckier because your top player going down at the key part of the season is a disadvantage. But after the first couple days, you have to keep going, forget what happened and be ready for the next game. This is pro sports and you've got to get ready to play. For sure with Bo's absence, we can't have all the same things he gave the team. But we need to find the chemistry to keep winning."



Your coach, Simone Pianigiani, said the team's whole system was changed before last week's Top 16 opener against Efes Pilsen in Istanbul. Was there enough time for that?



"We basically had less than a week after his injury, because we had two days off right after it to rest. It's not that we completely changed, but we definitely needed practices to adjust. For sure we wanted to change some things, but the main parts of what we do remained. And we had a new player coming in, Marko Jaric, who had to adjust to us, just like we had to adjust to him. That takes time, and keeps happening. But with all that, we were close to stealing the win against Efes in Istanbul. So we'll go from there. Now, we have to show that at home we are ready to play and beat everybody."



You hadn't played 34 minutes since you were with Benetton four years ago. What was it like to take that responsibility again?



"For me, it's fine. For sure, it's a difficult role to play 15 minutes or 30 minutes, but I have the experience and I know what it takes. And it's fun to play these games. Unfortunately, the most important thing is to win, and we didn't do that in Istanbul. Hopefully, the next game will be a win for us and I can guide the team to it by taking a key part of the responsibility."



Your three-pointer in the last quarter gave Siena a chance to beat Efes. Then you tried again on the buzzer but missed. Were you crushed?



"Honestly, yes. At that moment, I thought it was going in. And I had the same shot in Top 16 against Efes six or seven years ago, and it went in . Honestly, I believed in the shot. I was aware of the time, I counted the steps and I tried to score, but it just missed."



You were still young and had been a fulltime starter for two teams when you decided to take a backup role at CSKA. What went into that decision for you?



"Sometimes this happens in sports. I wanted to go to the next level. After two good years at Benetton, to be called by CSKA was an honor for me. And I don't regret anything. I know that with more playing time, the more you can show your skills, but at the end of the day, I played with great players, I won and I learned a lot. I have no regrets. It's not as though I am 32 or 33 and at the end of my career. I still feel I can perform at a high level on the court. Of course, being on teams with big expectations always means having good players and competitiveness. What's most important is to win and to win titles. Having a good scoring average is OK, but the taste of winning big games and titles, that satisfaction is more amazing. Hopefully I will keep doing that."



Now, what does experience tell you about this situation, trying to help save Siena in the Top 16?



"The most important thing is not to get panicked and feel incredible pressure. You need to play the game, practice well, prepare every game well individually. You try to concentrate on what your coaches ask from you and from the team in general. And you go from there. We all know what Bo gave to our team, but you cannot dwell on this until he comes back. A lot of teams have succeeded with one main player out. Hopefully, we will keep advancing and have him back for bigger games in the playoffs. You need to find motivation always, to be focused and ready for big challenges. This is one of them, the Top 16, and we have more coming up in the Italian Cup. It's pressure but it's fun, too. It's fun to play these big games."



Fun, but considering the group you have, also tough, right?



"We knew after the draw that the three teams in our group play great at home. We had a chance last week to win at Efes, and with a little better game, we could have won. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Now, we have to play five finals, starting Wednesday at home, where from experience we know that you're forbidden to lose in the Top 16. It will be exciting to play against Real Madrid. They are in good shape now, playing very well lately, and have a lot of great players. We will prepare, listen carefully to the game plan from our coaches, and be ready. For sure, I think we will be. We are also playing in Siena and the fans are excited about seeing a big Top 16 game. It's a big challenge and a big motivation for us to play well for them after a great regular season. Now, after losing last week, we may be a bit forgotten, but we have to show and play our hearts out in this game, 40 minutes, every single play."



Is there a lesson in CSKA getting eliminated early for other big teams in the Euroleague?



"It just shows the level of the competition. For sure, if the competition started over today, it would seem impossible for it to happen again to CSKA, but it happened. I think there were a lot of factors. I think that with 10 weeks in a row of Euroleague games for the first time, they had no break to practice more and get back on track. Everything seemed to happen to them right away. They had to adjust to a new coach - and a great one, in my opinion - and it seemed that they got psychologically down and in the end didn't have the time to turn it around. They also paid the price for a tough group, with Panathinaikos, a surprising Olimpija and Efes, but also Milano beating them in the very first game on the road. But mostly I think it shows that the level of the Euroleague is so big that you have to be ready for anything."



http://www.euroleague.net/features/inter...schi-siena
Reply
Lottomatica Roma has interest in signing Pops Mensah Bonsu to strengthen their frontcourt
Reply
Yesterday Milano has presented Benjamin Eze to the press



http://www.olimpiamilano.com/index.php?o...&Itemid=63
Reply
Today Virtus Bologna won the case against Marcelus Kemp, as ruled by FIBA.

The American player won't get the transfer to play for Roanne with whom he agreed last week after the arrival of KC Rivers in Bologna.

Kemp had some issues with Virtus during the Christmas period. The player flew to US to visit his grandmother but did not come back claiming a lack of payments.

Then Virtus Bologna signed from Roanne KC Rivers while Kemp agreed with Roanne but today FIBA blocked the transfer and Kemp is obliged to return to Virtus Bologna with whom he has a valid contract.
Reply
[quote name='Kenneth23' timestamp='1296137413' post='28079']

Lottomatica Roma has interest in signing Pops Mensah Bonsu to strengthen their frontcourt

[/quote]



They really needed some signs.It was disaster against Maccabi. <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/agree.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Agree' />
[Image: 26637_navijanjeee409_blic_markodjurica_f.jpg]
Reply
It would be nice to see Pops back to Europe, it doesn't matter if he goes to Spartak St.Petersburg or Lottomatica. I would enjoy seeing him in Rome as the club has some pretty good players at the moment - I'm a big fan of Vladimir Dasic and Nihad Djedovic is also pretty talented... plus they got Charles Smith who is a proven name... maybe the missing parts are a real playmaker and a solid big man
Reply
Roma has a good team. Vladimir Dasic and Nihad Djedovic are very talented and are playing good for them. They will get improve a lot. Nihad Djedovic is still owned by Barcelona and they will let him stay at Roma so that he can keep developing. I hope that they keep Dasic after this season because I'm a big fan of him and he's very good player. Charles Smith is also a good player and he has helped Roma a lot this season.

Akademix17 you're right, Roma needs a real point guard and a solid bigman. Gordic is a point guard and he has a lot of talent but he's for the future and needs to develop. If they signs Pops they will have a very good bigman. Maybe they can sign a good playmaker for ext season. Washington is a avery good player but he isn't really a pass first point guard
Reply
Dejan Musli will finish the season on loan at Sutor Montegranaro. The young center signed last season with the Spanish champions but did not have too many chance to play due to the big competition in the frontline of the roster coached by Dusko Ivanovic.



It's a good move for Dejan Musli because at Montegranaro, he'll get more playing time and that is good for his development. In the future he'll be a good player for Caja Laboral. But at this moment he needs playingtime so he can develop further



http://www.baskonia.com/es/noticias_gene...ticia=3307
Reply
Lottomatica Roma lands young prospects Matías Bortolín and Aleksandar Ugrinoski



http://www.tuttosport.com/9/97/2011/02/0...e+Bortolin
Reply
Montepaschi Siena celebrated the Coppa title tonight. They held off ambitious Bennet Cantu in a tight title game. Ksistof Lavrinovic stepped up with 21 points and 6 boards to lead the Siena outfit to yet another Cup trophy.

The defending champions strongly started the game. They posted a 20:12 lead after ten minutes. But Bennet Cantu stopped the rot in the second quarter. They went on a 10:2 run to level things up at 22. Soon Cantu went on a 9:0 rally to take a 31:26 advantage. Cantu maintained the lead as they entered the second half up by two points 36:34. Maarten Leunen stretched the margin to 5 points early in the third frame. However Montepaschi triggered a 12:2 spurt to take back the lead. The Siena team ensured a 58:55 lead with ten minutes to go in the game. Mike Green dragged Cantu within one early in the final quarter but Montepaschi responded with 10 points in a row and never looked back en route to the win. Nikolaos Zisis provided 16 points for Siena. Marco Carraretto and Rimantas Kaukenas had 11 points apiece in the win. Maarten Leunen replied with 16 points and 6 boards for Cantu. Mike Green delivered 15 points in the loss.



Montepaschi Siena: Ksistof Lavrinovic 21, Nikolaos Zisis 16, Marco Carraretto 11, Rimantas Kaukenas 11

Bennet Cantu: Maarten Leunen 16, Mike Green 15
Reply
[quote name='Kenneth23' timestamp='1297629901' post='28743']

Montepaschi Siena celebrated the Coppa title tonight. They held off ambitious Bennet Cantu in a tight title game. Ksistof Lavrinovic stepped up with 21 points and 6 boards to lead the Siena outfit to yet another Cup trophy.

The defending champions strongly started the game. They posted a 20:12 lead after ten minutes. But Bennet Cantu stopped the rot in the second quarter. They went on a 10:2 run to level things up at 22. Soon Cantu went on a 9:0 rally to take a 31:26 advantage. Cantu maintained the lead as they entered the second half up by two points 36:34. Maarten Leunen stretched the margin to 5 points early in the third frame. However Montepaschi triggered a 12:2 spurt to take back the lead. The Siena team ensured a 58:55 lead with ten minutes to go in the game. Mike Green dragged Cantu within one early in the final quarter but Montepaschi responded with 10 points in a row and never looked back en route to the win. Nikolaos Zisis provided 16 points for Siena. Marco Carraretto and Rimantas Kaukenas had 11 points apiece in the win. Maarten Leunen replied with 16 points and 6 boards for Cantu. Mike Green delivered 15 points in the loss.



Montepaschi Siena: Ksistof Lavrinovic 21, Nikolaos Zisis 16, Marco Carraretto 11, Rimantas Kaukenas 11

Bennet Cantu: Maarten Leunen 16, Mike Green 15

[/quote]



They are like Partizan.Unstoppable in domestic league. <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Cool' />
[Image: 26637_navijanjeee409_blic_markodjurica_f.jpg]
Reply
Rok Stipcevic could move to Cimberio Varese after leaving Cibona



http://www.solobasket.it/News.asp?ID=11539
Reply
Cimberio Varese signs Rok Stipcevic until the end of the season



http://www.pallacanestrovarese.it/index....&Itemid=83
Reply
According to a reporter of Solobasket.com Ettore Messina has met during Christmas time with the Armani Jeans Milano management who wants him on the bench of the Italian team from next season.

Ettore Messina has another year of contract with Real Madrid and, according to AS, the Merengues would like to extend him another season but, now, some rumors are circulating that during the Copa del Rey,there were talks about the possibility for the Italian coach to return to Italy.Armani Jeans Milano is badly looking for a new head coach to launch a project which could counteract the power of Montepaschi Siena



I don't think that Messina will leave Real Madrid. He has a better team than Milano has
Reply
Benetton family will withdraw from basketball this summer...
Respect and thanks for everything:

Alvertis, Bodiroga, Jasikevicius, Radja, Wilkins, Vrankovic, Fotsis, Rebraca, Kattash, Gentile, Koch, Middleton, Kutluay, Rogers, Papadopoulos, Becirovic, Tomasevic, Siskauskas, Pekovic, Lakovic, Vujanic, Chatzivrettas, Maljkovic, Spanoulis and many more to follow in the near future.
[Image: vspa.jpg]

Reply
What's going to happen with the club? I hope that they'll find another investor because otherwise they have to sell their best players like Motiejunas etc.
Reply
I will love Virtus Bologna to take charge.And to play Euroleague.
[Image: 26637_navijanjeee409_blic_markodjurica_f.jpg]
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  2012/2013 Italian Lega A Signings and Rumours Kenneth23 2 4,331 Aug 30, 2012, 1:54 pm
Last Post: Kenneth23
  2011/2012 Italian Lega A Signings and Rumours Kenneth23 2 5,218 Sep 30, 2011, 10:36 am
Last Post: TeoTheGreek13
  2010/11 Italian Lega A Signings and Rumours Black Urum 11 11,032 May 26, 2011, 3:43 pm
Last Post: Kenneth23
  2009/10 Italian Lega A Signings and Rumours Black Urum 23 18,245 Jun 13, 2010, 5:35 pm
Last Post: stefans
  Italian Lega A awards its own Oscars Black Urum 0 3,228 Nov 12, 2009, 1:36 pm
Last Post: Black Urum

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)