pic credit: Fiba

Oliver Kullamaee (186-G-2007) is a 17 year old 186cm guard from Estonia that is playing for the ratiopharm Ulm organization that this season played for various team like BBU 01 Ulm (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 10/4/4, for Orange Academy (NBBL) averaging 6/2/1 and for the NBBL team averaged 5/2/3 helping them reach the NBBL top 4. Last season he played with BBU 01 Ulm (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 7.7ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 57.9%, 3PT: 18.8%, FT: 83.3%, played also at OrangeAcademy U19 team (Germany-NBBL) averaging 11.8ppg, 4.4rpg, Assists-2 (6.7apg), Steals-5 (2.7spg), FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 50.0%. He came to Ulm in 2022 coming from Audentese SK. He spoke to eurobasket before the NBBL top 4 in Berlin.

Thanks Oliver for talking to eurobasket.com. Congrats on reaching the NBBL top 4 in Berlin. How excited are you to be there?

I’m very excited. This was the goal for us at the beginning of the season and I think we have a great chance to win the top 4.

Congrats on the great 16-1 season. Was playing in the B group an advantage or disadvantage? 5 times the team scored more than a 100 points, but the competition wasn´t as tough. Now you play Alba Berlin a team of that talent you didn´t see before?

I think playing in group B had its positives and negatives. Playing in group B meant that we could put all our focus on the Pro B season. But that also meant that when we finally reach the playoffs, the jump in the level of competition will be very big. I think the Frankfurt series shows exactly that. We weren’t quite ready for it in the first game.

You played a tough series beating Frankfurt in 3 games and swept IBAM. How is the team stronger now than say in December?

I think we have just gotten used to playing with each other. Last year most of us were playing on 2 different teams, whether Orange Academy or ratiopharm Ulm.

A big strength of the team is their individual talent. In the Frankfurt series, I saw more iso play than team basketball. Will we see more team basketball against Alba Berlin?

I’d say that in the Frankfurt series, we played more iso ball to take advantage of specific matchups. Alba Berlin is a different kind of challenge. They’re an all around great defensive team, so we’ll need to move the ball better and get everyone involved. It’s something we’ve definitely been focusing on. But I would also add that iso ball is certainly not bad. When you have a lot of guys who can create their own shots you have to take advantage of that.

You’re a pass first point guard. How challenging is it to get and keep team basketball going when you have so many talented teammates?

It’s definitely a challenge at times, but it’s a good problem to have. When you’re surrounded by so much talent, everyone can create their own shot. As a pass-first point guard, my job is to keep us balanced. Meaning recognizing when someone has the hot hand, but also making sure the ball keeps moving so everyone stays engaged.

What other strengths does Ratiopharm Ulm have besides offense. It also showed on the defensive end that it can lock down teams.

We’ve definitely shown that we can lock in and make life tough for our opponents. We’re lucky to have a guy like Endi inside, who gives others a chance to be a bit more aggressive on the perimeter. When we defend hard, it also fuels our offense and gets us into transition, so for us, it all starts on that end of the floor.

How important has head coach Florian Flabb been for the success of the club? What have you learned from him that has helped your game most this season?

Coach Florian has been really important for us this season. He gives us freedom to play, but also holds us to a high standard. For me personally, he’s helped a lot with decision-making, especially when it comes to controlling the pace and taking care of the ball. Turnovers were something I wanted to cut down, and he has helped a lot.

What has it been like being teammates with Jordan Mueller at the point guard position? How do you guys compliment each other best?

I really enjoy being teammates with Jordan. He has made my transition to Pro B way easier. He’s a great leader so every time I need advice or have a question he helps me. Unfortunately I haven’t really shared the court with him this year. Usually we just sub for each other.

A key player against Alba Berlin will be Frederik Erichsen playing against their very deep big man rotation. Will he be up for the challenge?

Fredi always wants to prove himself so I have no doubt that he will be ready. I don’t see him having a problem, even against a bigger opposition.

Another very vital player will be Endurnace Aijamenkhue. He also will have to make an impact against Alba´s bigs. Is he still raw? How have you seen him improve his game this season?

Like I mentioned before, we are lucky to have a big like Endi. He always brings the energy and gets us all hyped up. He works hard and has definitely improved a lot over this year. Everyone saw that during the ANGE Ulm.

A huge talent is Niko Jerkic, the son of ambitious dad Dario. What do you appreciate most about his game?

Niko has a special ability to score. When it gets tough we can always rely on Niko’s individual talent to get a bucket. He’s very important to us.

Lethal scorer Jervis Scheffs is a guy that can explode at any day. Could a big game against Alba Berlin from him be the difference between reaching the final and going home?

Like Niko, Jervis has the same ability to create for himself. Of course when Jervis has a big game in the semi finals, it could definitely make a difference. I would also add that when he’s in the mood, he’s one of the best and aggressive defenders on the team. When his shots are not falling, he can also have a huge impact on the defensive side.

How important is it having Swiss army Joel Cwik back? Could he also be a player that could make the difference between winning and going home?

Having Joel back again is massive for us. He’s the kind of guy every team needs, super versatile, can play multiple roles, and just brings a ton of energy. He can easily be the difference maker in that game.

You battle Alba Berlin. It will be a game of them trying to bang inside and ratiopharm playing fast and sharing their great individual qualities. What else will be key to winning?

The key to winning for us is our transition defense. Alba plays fast and we want to prevent as many fast break points as possible. Ultimately it will be on us to bring the energy and hustle. Just doing everything possible to get the win

Thanks Oliver for the chat.