Igor Perovic (194-G-1974) is a former player that currently is in his fifth season as coach of German Pro A team Bozic Estriche Kirchheim Knights. He has previous coaching experience with the Tigers Tuebingen where he coached from 2009-2015. As a player he played in countries like Serbia, Montenegro, Israel and Germany where he played 5 seasons with Tuebingen and Wurzburg. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the big season opening 92-73 win over Giessen.

Congrats Igor on the huge 92-73 win to open the season. How good did this win feel?

Thank you. I knew we have good players this season, but I had no idea how they would react in the first game. We lost many key players from last season. You always want to win that first game as it is important from a mental stand point. It was a big win beating a contender like Giessen who still had many key players from last season. We shot 60% from outside. It is almost impossible to lose.

The team scored 90 plus points and allowed only 73 points. What grade would you give from 1-6 how your team performed?

I would give the win a 1. Well actually that may be a little too much. I will give it a 2. It was a great win.

The game was pretty even in the first quarter until the last minutes where Kirchheim got away. How important was the early support from the German players like Lucas Mayer?

The Germans did a great job. Antonio Dorn got going right away scoring 6 points in 7 minutes. It was a pity that he got injured at half-time. He helped us set the tone and gain control. Mayer also was great giving too assists. He gave us a lot of energy as well.

In the second quarter Kirchheim extended their lead to double figures as the 3 ball was popping as 4 different guys scored. Is the three ball going to be something that could be a huge staple on offense?

We made a lot of three´s, but didn´t take a lot. Teams taking 28-30 three´s is a lot. We took something like 22. Our three point shooting is an important part, but not our only weapon.

In the third quarter Kirchheim did a good job managing the big lead. Kirchheim had a great scorer in Michael Flowers last season. Will a second type of Flowers emerge this season?

We have 3 great offensive scorers with Henry, Graham and Norris. They all have great talent. Norris is an excellent shooter, but because of his size, it is still difficult to score. Henry and Graham can use their physical tools. If Norris makes many shots, then he can score a lot as well.

In the fourth quarter Giessen cut it down to 6, but then bang Kirchheim went on a 12-0 run. How proud are you that the team finished the game strong?

That wasn´t easy. They came back, but we stuck together well. We scored 6 points in a row and then we were up by 12 points, then everything became easier again. It was tough playing without Dorn, but they had problems defending us 1-1.

I guess the only negative stat was the 14-3 offensive rebounding advantage for Giessen. Is rebounding going to be a thorn for the Knights this season?

It can be. It becomes more difficult under the basket without Dorn, but even with him we have problems. We already had problems in pre-season. Rebounding is definitely an issue with us. We have to do a better job on the glass.

What is it like coaching rookie Braden Norris? The rookie never averaged more than 10,0ppg in the NCAA. Could he be a potent scoring point guard in the Pro A?

Scoring isn´t his highest priority. He is a pass first point guard. He is very skilled and has a great IQ. I obviously want him to shoot as much as possible. He averaged 42% from outside in his NCAA career. He went 8/10 from outside against Ludwigsburg in pre-season. He can really shoot the ball. I´m not sure if he could be that top scorer of the team. He just has never done that before and isn´t used to it. I will be very happy when he scores 7 points and gets 10 assists. He is no Flowers. We got Flowers as a scoring point guard. If he scores great, but if not then it´s important that he runs the team.

Aitor Picket had a very good season last season with the Knights. Do you see him having a bigger role this season?

Aitor is my favorite player. He is a great kid with a great attitude and always gives 100%. He also has a high IQ. He isn´t a scorer, but just does so many other things really well. He reads the game so well.

How important was it keeping Demtrius Ward? Is he more than just a mentor and how much longer will he play?

He is a great guy and captain of the team. He is still a very good player. He is very much liked on and off the court. He is heavily involved in our youth program and also working as a coach.

Cameron Henry was sometimes lost in Frankfurt´s deep offensive rotation. Do you see him being more of a scorer?

Frankfurt didn´t build their team around Henry last season, but around many players. Frankfurt wanted to go back to the BBL and didn´t build the team around a rookie. When I saw him play last season, I saw that I could build a team around him. I see him having the ball more in his hands and being a leader. Before I got him, I asked Denis Wucherer about him. He told me that Cam is very talented and about 1-2 years away from the BBL. I see a lot of similarities between him and my ex player Reggie Redding. Henry is taller, but their style is similar. Both can score a lot, but also impact the game in many other areas. Both are really unselfish players. I´m trying to help him reach level so he can deliver every game. It isn´t Frankfurt anymore.

Henry is a great defender. Is he the anchor of the defense?

To be honest, I feel like he has to play better defense. He reads game very well, but just isn´t aggressive enough. His goal has to be to play better defense and increase ´his intensity and play with a sense of urgency. I feel that if he can do that, then he can play at any level.

Do you see a guy like Antonio Dorn having more of a role this season?

Yes he has a bigger role. I think that is he hadn´t got injured last game then he would of scored 15-20 points. We have enough creators that will put him in good position to score. He is super strong and explosive and a great target in the paint.

Kirchheim changed their roster a bit from last season. They were a strong team already last season. How is this years team different than last season´s?

I think this season we have better defenders and better shooters. We are also very athletic at the positions 3-4. We are talented, but I just don´t know how far we will go, but our goal is the playoffs.

The Pro A is so competitive. Do you see it being a battle between Crailsheim and Tuebingen to move back up? Can any other teams make some noise?

Yes for sure. Trier is ambitious to move back to the BBL. I just think Trier had much misfortune that Frankfurt lost to Artland on the last game day which let them play against Frankfurt in the semi-finals. Trier kept a lot of the team and have experience. They will win many games. The Pro A is very competitive, but there will be many surprises.

Thanks Igor for the chat.