It might have been two weeks since the last home game and victory against BBG Herford, but so much has happened in that time. With the ambitious club Dragons Rhondorf wanting to get back to the Pro B, losing the way they were and giving up so many points was unacceptable which led to turbulent times in Dragon country. A day before an important cup game, the club dismissed head cocah Markus Rowenstrunk and Yassin Idbihi took over. Ibihi changed a few plays, but couldn´t change much, but the team still should have won, but had a bad night while the second Regionalliga team had a great night and the Dragons didn´t come to terms with the aggressiveness. And they didn´t have much time to recuperate as 24 hours later, they had to play a league game on the road against Hagen-Haspe, but the team stuck together and exploded winning 111-81 as five players scored in double figures. The defense still remains a work in progress, but it´s coming along. Two days before the game against Herten, the club announced a giant transfer bringing the experienced 37 year old Spanish point guard Enric Garrido Foz. He poured in 19 points and dished out 6 assists in a loss in Rhondorf at the begin of the season. His quickness and aggressiveness along with his good organization of the game stuck with you. He now joins a back court with Anish Sharda who is also 37 years old. Herten came into the game with a strong 5-2 record, but had lost their last two games against the RheinStars and a bitter 67-66 los at home against Dorsten. On a rainy Saturday night, two playoff contending teams met face to face in the Dragon Dome and it was a lightening big run by the Dragons Rhondorf right at the start of the gun that set the tone of the game as the Hertener Lowen played catch up basketball the whole night losing 90-77. Ex FC Bayern Munich 2 forward Killian Binapfel led all scorers with 20 points and his 11 points in the first quarter sparked the Dragons Rhondorf to never look back for 40 minutes. After the big win Texas native Curtis Hollis reflected on the reasons for the win. “We defended hard and never gave up anything easy. Coach Idbihi is a no excuse guy. We had to get the job done for 40 minutes. We played the passing lanes well and got the rebounds and limited them to one shot. We worked on transition defense all week. It worked well tonight. We also changed up our offense a bit running more ball screens and having more open space”, stressed ex Houston Baller(JBL) guard Curtis Hollis. Hertener Lowen center Dijon Smith had a strong game with 19 points and was the teams work horse working hard on the boards knew that they can´t repeat another poor start like that in the future. “We weren´t ready to play. We started off bad and couldn´t execute on offense or defense”, stated Herten center Dijon Smith.

                Before the Dragons started their amazing 18-0 run in the first quarter, fans first were wondering where Killian Binapfel´s jersey was. Maybe it was Halloween already for the German, because he was wearing what looked like a self-made jersey. But his jersey had been misplaced so the club had to produce something wearable so he could play. Maybe the self made shirt was like a good luck charm, because the German led the Dragons Rhondorf on a massive 18-0 run scoring 11 points showing incredible energy at both ends of the court. Binapfel got going right away scoring after 7 seconds and then after a Jure Besedic steal, Binapfel scored again and dropped a free throw for the lightening 5-0 lead after 27 seconds. Some fans may have thought at this juncture that this could be a very fun evening for the Dragons. The Dragons Rhondorf came out playing their best defense of the season making 4 steals in the first 5 stops of Herten. Binapfel scored again as did ex Iserlohn center Gabriel de Olveira twice as Herten was staring at a 13-0 deficit. After a Sharda steal, Binapfel scored again with a two handed dunk and Besedic followed with a trey and the hard to believe 18-0 lead. Herten seemed like they were still day dreaming on the bus somewhere between Herten and Rhondorf while the Dragons played with incredible energy and aggressiveness getting in passing lanes and just dominating the game. But Herten finally woke up and got an offensive rhythm going on a 11.-5 run to trail 23-11. In the run the Hertener Lowen had their own version of a Binapfel as American Dijon Smith was a menace in the paint and scored all 11 team points. Ex BBL player Matthias Perl who had missed 3 games due to his wedding and honeymoon didn´t start, but when he arrived in the game, his high level energy and aggressiveness carried the team back into the game. Despite the run, the Dragons Rhondorf continued to execute well getting the other young German big man Mark Kotieno involved as he scored two baskets. Curtis Hollis took a step back allowing Binapfel to be the go to guy as he had the hot hand. The American had only 3 points on 3 shots in the first quarter, but was filling the stat sheet. “It wasn´t going my way in the first quarter. It was the Killian show. He is really getting comfortable. He is so talented and has so much potential. He is learning everyday and is our glue guy”, stressed Curtis Hollis. After 10 minutes the Dragons Rhondorf had the overwhelming 30-16 advantage. Ex Dragons Rhondorf guard Karl Dia who now plays with the RheinStars watched the game with teammate Reggie Golson and reflected on the big Dragons lead. “The new coach gave the team new impulses. Rhondorf started off strong and Herten wasn´t awake and had no defensive pressure. The strong start by Binapfel was important for the self confidence of the team. When Perl came in, Herten started to get going”, stressed Karl Dia. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 63% form the field and 25% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 41% from the field and 0% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

                The Dragons Rhondorf held control of the game in the second quarter and after Herten cut the Rhondorf lead down to 10 points, the home team reacted with a run that allowed them to lead by 15 points at the break. The Hertener Lowen got off to a lot better start than in the first quarter going on a 7-2 run to cut the Rhondorf lead to 32-23. In the run, the Hertener Lowen got solid offensive production from Bosnian forward Semir Albinovic with two baskets and Fabio Galiano also scored off the bench. Herten had tightened up their defense and made it more difficult for Rhondorf to get into their sets and forcing them more to tough shots as their offensive rhythm was lost. Herten also did a good job getting out on transition and getting easy buckets. Besedic and Albinovic traded baskets and then it was time for a Rhondorf 7-0 run to extend their lead to 42-25. In the run the Dragons Rhondorf got two key fast break baskets from Kotieno and BInafpel and 37 year Anish “the fountain of youth” Sharda dropped a trey. Like in the first quarter the Dragons Rhondorf were consistent on their offensive execution as they also got to the free throw line as Kotieno and Garrido Foz connected. Herten got good contribution from Perl who was a demon in the paint and had an array of finishes that Rhondorf couldn´t handle. After 20 minutes, the Dragons Rhondorf had the comfortable 51-36 lead. “Rhondorf wasn´t playing as aggressive as in the first quarter. Smith and Perl were getting too many easy baskets. Herten was a lot better inside than outside”, added ex Telekom Baskets 2 guard Karl Dia. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 47% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 41% from the field and 0% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds and 15 turnovers.

                The Dragons Rhondorf kept their big lead in the third quarter and led by as much as 20 points before the Hertener Lowen went on a run to put a dent into the Dragons lead, but after 30 minutes the Dragons led by 18 points. In the first few minutes, both teams were executing well as Rhondorf got baskets from Binapfel and Besedic while Herten got buckets from Bulgarian forward Lyuben Paskov and Smith as Rhondorf led 55-40. Rhondorf then went on a 8-3 run to grab the 63-43 lead. In the run it was the Hollis show as he scored 4 consecutive baskets with a pull up jumper, lay in and two handed dunk on transition and an offensive rebound and put back. “I was patient in this time. I picked my spots and scored some buckets”, stated Curtis Hollis. This explosive run by Curtis Hollis didn´t have any effect on Herten as they came back with a lethal 7-0 run to cut the Dragons lead to 63-50. Herten did a good time getting transition baskets from Smith and Galiano. Sharda halted tis run getting hot hitting a trey and a jumper for the 68-51 advantage. Herten got a few baskets from Paskov at the end of the quarter while Rhondorf kept attacking the paint getting baskets from Kotieno and Binapfel as the Dragons Rhondorf led 74-58. “We had our ups and downs. Runs are a part of basketball. We were able to take advantage of their mistakes”, stated Curtis Hollis. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 52% from the field and 28% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 42% from the field and 11% from the parking lot and had 33 rebounds and 17 turnovers.

                In the fourth quarter the Hertener Lowen still had some excess energy and made a last push, but they couldn´t get consistent stops to cut the Rhondorf lead down further. Herten started off the fourth quarter off with a bang going on a 7-0 run to cut the Dragons lead down to 74-65. In the run it was ex Itzehoe forward Fabio Galiano who scored all 7 points giving Herten the extra energy and momentum. “Galiano stepped up. We were ready to play. We got stops and were able to push the ball and get easy baskets”, stated Herten center Dijon Smith. Herten played aggressive defense not letting Rhondorf into their sets and forcing turnovers and getting six stops. “We didn´t get back on transition and let them have easy looks and easy baskets”, said Curtis Hollis. Despite Binapfel free throws and a Hollis lay in. Herten was pressing and cut the lead down to 78-70 with an Albinovic trey. But the Hertener Lowen just couldn´t get over the hump and get stops. Rhondorf continued to execute on offense as Kotieno scored for the 85-75 lead. Three Garrido Foz free throws and a Hollis lay in sealed the victory for the Dragons Rhondorf who improved to 5-3 and Herten fell to 5-3. “We buckled down at the end. Foz hit big free throws. He is very mature and really understands the game”, warned Curtis Hollis. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Killian Binapfel with 20 points. Curtis Hollis added 18 points and Mark Kotieno 15 points while the Hertener Lowen were led by Dijon Smith with 19 points while Fabio Galiano contributed 18 points and Mattias Perl and Semir Albinovic added 11 points a piece. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 47% from the field and 27% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 17 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 43% from the field and 20% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

Pete Strobl has been around the European basketball scene for 20 years having had a stellar professional basketball career and was an assistant coach for German easyCredit BBL team ratiopharm Ulm last season. He recently was named head coach of the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. He played at Niagara (NCAA) from 1997-2000 and then had a 9 year professional playing career that took him to countries like Germany, Austria, France, Ireland, Iceland and Switzerland. He founded The Scoring Factory in Pittsburgh and wrote a must read book called Backspin. He is a very interesting basketball mind that doesn´t shy away from speaking his mind especially on Twitter. German Hoops and Pete Strobl will team up every month talking basketball with the title “Current basketball affairs with Pete Strobl. You can follow Pete Strobl on twitter @petestrobl

You almost beat Munich, are you satisfied with where your team’s progress at this point?

Absolutely not! Munich is an amazing club and the reigning champs. They deserve a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished. I’m proud that we played a very solid game after recovering from a rough start, but at the end of the day we lost the game. I should make it clear that I’ll never be totally “satisfied” even after a win because there’s always something that we could have done better. We’re building something special here in Braunschweig and developing our overall winning mentality requires a high level of focus and determination so we constantly improve. We want success and we’re willing to sacrifice and work for it on a daily basis.

Does Braunschweig have a chance to be a consistent contender in the BBL?

Yes would be my concise and confident answer. Nonetheless, there are a lot of factors at play in order to make our vision here a reality. I know that we’ll be judged in the future for our accomplishments today, but we can’t spend so much time dreaming in the future that we skip over the necessary day-to-day grind required to lay the foundation for future success. I’m extremely optimistic and we know that we’re heading in the right direction. As long as we control that which is within our grasp, I have no doubt that Braunschweig will become a basketball powerhouse.

How would you describe your overall coaching style and philosophy?

I’ve heard from my coaching peers that I have a reputation for details, player development, brutal honesty, positive energy and communication. As a former player I was able to experience and compete against a lot of different styles and strategies. I’ve absorbed different aspects over the years that best fit my own personality. On one side that means aggressive and active defense so the other team has to really work to get good shots, but on the other side we create and make the extra pass to find our most open shot. I’m very demanding of our players, but I also allow a high level of freedom. I want to develop high-level players that can read the game and have the confidence to create like an artist.

 Cedrick Bowen is a 27 year old 198cm forward from Woodstock, Georgia that has four professional seasons under his belt. He has seen a lot in Europe as he has played for teams in countries like Montenegro, Iceland, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Italy and Lithuania. He began his basketball career at Charleston Southern (NCAA) in 2011 and played four years there amassing 117 NCAA games and as a senior played 31 games averaging 7.9ppg, 4.3rpg, FGP: 62.0%, FT: 65.0%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball

career.

Cedrick thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how was your summer? 

I’m home in the state or Georgia and it was good. I got a lot stronger and working on my dribbling and handling.

In your first four professional seasons, you never had problems finding an opportunity. It’s October now and the season is under way without you. How tough has it been sitting at the phone and why do you feel hasn’t the right opportunity come around yet?

It’s very tough but I know I haven’t got a job yet because the right situation hasn’t come for me yet but I know it will come soon enough. 

You have been with eight teams in your first four professional seasons. Would you describe yourself a bit like a basketball Globetrotter? Would you like to be with just one club the next season?

I am well experienced and understand the overseas life. I would love to just be with just club for a season. 

Your cousin is Euroleague player Chris Singleton. How much of an impact has he had on you and does his achievements keep you pushing to continue to grind to keep moving up the basketball ladder? 

My cousin and I aren’t close but I would love to be just like him. I want to reach the highest level 

You paid your dues in your first three seasons playing in lower leagues, but putting up solid stats. Last season you got your first big break for top Italian team Torino that played Eurocup. Your season was short lived. What memories do you have of this season and why didn’t it work out? 

My memories were just learning and knowing I can play at the top level. A lot of the players said I could play and wish I could of stayed but because of contacts and business situations I couldn’t stay.

What kind of experience was it playing for a short period of time for legendary head coach Larry Brown. He had his difficulties sending guys home early and then being dismissed in mid season. Did you guys not see eye to eye, or was it more a numbers game in the end? 

The experience with coach Brown are unforgettable. He taught me a lot and made me a better player. It was just contracts and business is why I didn’t stay with that team.

How disappointing was it never being able to show your game in Italy? Do you feel like you didn’t get a true fair chance with Torino?

It was disappointing because I know I can play but I understand why I couldn’t because of the business side. I got my fair chance but I was little out of shape but once I got into shape it was more the business side why I didn’t stay with the team because everyone wanted me to stay players and coaches wise. 

You kept your head up and finished the season with BC Siauliai (Lithuania-LKL): 32 games: 7.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 58.6%, 3PT: 30.2%, FT: 74.5%. Was it a tough experience having to rebound from the disappointing start in Italy? 

It wasn’t a disappointing start in Italy. I went to Italy to learn and get better. I achieved my goal and got better and learned more about the game of basketball. 

Let’s talk about your game. You never averaged double figures in scoring in the NCAA, but have shown your scoring qualities as a professional. But would it be fair to say that scoring isn’t what your game is all about. 

My game is about winning. Whatever the coach asks me to do I will do. If he wants me to defend and rebound I will do. If he wants me to score I will do. I’m a really good passer and I will do that. Whatever a coach asks me to do I will do.

Defense is a big part of your game as you can play the center position. How much pride do you take in your defensive assignments and do you see yourself as a defensive impact player? 

I can guard positions 2-5. I take pride in that because many players can’t and won’t. Defense wins championships and I know me guarding multiple players makes me a player people want. 

Your body has been described to 4 time Euroleague champion Kyle Hines. When you hear words like that, is his game something you watch to try to pick tips on how he handles himself at both ends of the court?

It’s a honor to be compared to a player like him but I watch a lot of Derrick Williams highlights and want to be like him. I feel like I’m more athletic and explosive then Hines but I would love to have a defensive presence like him and knowledge but I will be there soon enough. 

Your three pointer has been a work in progress for years, but recently you have been shooting the ball a lot better from outside. How far are you away from having that consistent three pointer that will make you content? 

When a team picks me up this season they will see a big difference. I’m not far from showing the confidence in my shot from deep. 

Two seasons ago you played for two Bulgarian teams and one in Macedonia. How crazy was that season and were you living out of a suitcase? 

It was not that crazy because I heard players doing that before. Always being ready for the next opportunity. I wasn’t living out a suitcase because each team I was there long enough to make my presence known. 

You finished the season strong with KK Blokotehna Gevgelija (FYR Macedonia-Prva Liga). How important was it having a guy like Dwayne Benjamin around as Americans were pretty sparse that season on your teams. 

It was important because most Americans want to be around other Americans because of understanding culture and motivation for each other to achieve our highest goals and potential. He was a great teammate and great friend. 

In your second season you had to continue to pay your dues as you played in Iceland for two teams KR Reykjavik (Iceland-Dominos League) playing 13 games averaging 13.2ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 54.2%, FT: 84.0%, in Feb.’17 moved to Haukar Hafnarfjordur (Iceland-Dominos League) playing 6 games averaging 5.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 44.4%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 70.0%. Americans that ball in Iceland usually take apart the league scoring wise. You didn’t, but how did you benefit most from playing there and experiencing the unique culture there? 

In Iceland I just learned how to win with the Top team KR. I learned to become more skilled and as a professional play hard every game and don’t take it for granted. 

As a rookie you played for Studentski Centar Podgorica (Montenegro-Erste Liga) playing 17 games averaging 13.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 71.0%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were very far away from home in Georigia?

Just being on my own and learning how to be comfortable and trusting others. My wake up call was when I wasn’t playing well that coach would get on to me for any small reasons but I was the paid player to make a difference. I could not call or go to anyone else. I had to be a man and handle my business. 

What kind of relationship did you have with scoring ace Sherrod Wright? He was a guy who put up huge numbers in the NCAA with George Mason and ended up having to pay dues in Iceland for years where he led the league in scoring twice at 28 ppg and 27ppg. He now is looking for a team like you. Is he a prime example of how there are so many talented players in the world, but just too little jobs? 

Sherrod taught me to be aggressive and believe in myself. And I know so many players that wait and are hungry and want a job and you have to be patient and when you get a chance. Take an advantage. 

You played at Charleston Southern (NCAA) from 2011-2015 playing a total of 117 NCAA games. Was reaching the 2013 Big South Conf. Tournament final as a sophomore one of your biggest achievements there? 

Winning the regular seasons championship 2013 and 2015 were my biggest accomplishments.

Do you sometimes look online and watch your game winning put back dunk against Ole Miss? It was rated Sports Center’s top play. How much does that still mean to you today?

I looked at it today with friends and I still can’t believe I did that. It means a lot to me because so many people doubted me and look where I was and am now. 

It seemed like you really improved your rebounding as a senior. In a four game stretch you hauled down 24 offensive rebounds. How do you feel did your game develop in your last few years there? 

It was just a mind set like it is now. Be aggressive and know what you do at being the best 

When you were a freshman, Kelvin Martin was a senior. How much of a role model was he for you? I am sure you have witnessed his development as a pro. He had to pay his dues in the lower Italian leagues and play in Holland. In his fifth season he finally cracked the German BBL and this season is playing his third season in Italy’s Serie A. 

I was supposed to be the best kelvin martin in college. He told me and still tells me how great I can be. I want to be just like him and he tells me to be better than him. 

How did head coach Barclay Radebaugh groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career? 

He told me to have fun and be the best I can be.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Paul Gombwear?

It would be a great battle but against anyone I will always say I will come on top even if it’s Michael Jordan in his prime. 

Who was the toughest player that you faced in the NCAA that would play in the NBA?

Solomon Hill. 

Please pick your NBA Rushmore of four NBA heads past or present. 

Michael Jordan Lebron James Shaq Magic Johnson 

What is your personal opinion of the neverending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James? 

Lebron James is the greatest player of all time. He has a better all around game. 

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Joker. 

Thanks Cedric for the chat.

                Ok so the Fraport Skyliners were down by 12 points at the half against top team Alba Berlin in Berlin, a tough deficit, but not a total impossible challenge to try to conquer. If a person´s bladder had gone crazy shortly before the begin of the third quarter and a bathroom break was a must and on the way back to your seat was caught by the tasty aroma of burger´s and fries, you may have been shocked by the score only a few minutes in as suddenly Alba Berlin had trampled all over Frankfurt and run loose on a lethal 17-2 run to extend their already comfortable lead of 40-28 to 57-30. At that time any basketball expert would have uttered those famous 1984 words from Peter Wolf of J Geils Band who had the song “Lights Out”. It was lights out already there for the 2016 Fiba Europe Cup winner as that usual third quarter slump once again reared it´s ugly head on to the floor. At the end of 40 minutes the Fraport Skyliners had suffered a humiliating 87-54 loss which was their fourth loss of the season and put them 0-3 in the EasyCredit BBL standings. The sad thing about the early season misfortune of Frankfurt is that they could have won and should have won their first three games. The question is are the Fraport Skyliners a lot better team than what their record shows. Yes they are. But the big problem is so many guys are underachieving which has helped put the future of the season at doubt. Instead of being 0-3, the team could be 2-1 and be going into the home game against the Hamburg Towers with some extra self confidence, but instead have added pressure needing to perform right away and produce some victories. One doesn´t want to get totally depressed after only three games, but there are numerous question marks. Has the team reached the 10 to midnight mark, a time where Cinderella had to be as nervous as every defensive Line must be when a Tom Brady is in the pocket about changing back to her old self. With the Fraport Skyliners, it´s more like when midnight does happen is when the club will be in a very precarious area in the standings. At the moment, they are in last place, but not in danger to be too far back to get out of the cellar. There are simply too many games left, but then again the next three games don´t get any easier as with ratiopharm Ulm, you have a dark horse favorite for the BBL final and with the Hamburg Towers and medi Bayreuth two struggling teams that have been wounded like an animal and will be super motivated when they arrive in the Fraport arena.

                The injury to starting point guard Anthony Hickey has been key as his playmaking has been missed. Lamont Jones has done a good job in the absence of Hickey averaging 6,7 through 3 games a career high, but because of his focus on the playmaking, his real strength scoring doesn´t have his full attention. He has to create even more shots than usual, because he doesn´t have that playmaker that sets him up for easier baskets. It is no secret that the ex Iona(NCAA) standout is a prolific scorer, but his decision making at times is suspect and when the team needs the playmaking a bit more , don´t get it because he is trying to do more by himself a total normal occurrence when you’re a scorer. Quantez Robertson has been like a hidden point guard for years and does a good job getting assists, but he is needed more on the boards and defense than finding the open man. Not only are they in the cellar in the standings, but also in scoring. They produce a miserable 68 points per game. Even if your defending at a high level and were the Fraport Skyliners of old that liked to give up points in the high sixties, they would still have had problems winning. At least some years ago when Frankfurt was defending with passion and with success, they were averaging over 80 points per game on offense something they can only dream of now. They have improved their defense from the beginning, but still give up 81 points per game which would have been somewhere in the vicinity of 12-14 best in the BBL  only  a few years ago, but the overall defense has suffered in the BBL in the last years. When your only averaging 68 points per game on offense, you won´t be able to win many games.

                A big weakness in the early going has been their three point shooting. Currently they are shooting 31% from the parking lot which is 14^th in the BBL. Not being able to shoot the three  gives team´s an advantage to focus more on the paint area and close range where the team has the most success from. Opponents can also conserve more energy with a zone letting Frankfurt shoot and shoot instead of practicing man to man defense which exerts more unneeded energy. The so called Frankfurt shooters haven´t been able to produce the way the team would need it most. Lamont Jones is at 33%, Akeem Vargas at 23%, Matt Mcquaid and Shaquille Hines at 25% and Quantez Robertson at 16%. Ok so Robertson has never been a consistent three point shooter, but his output this season has never been that weak. A Hines was near 40% from downtown in Sweden and Greece and was at 34% with Braunschweig. Mcquaid who´s shooting is his bread and butter also hasn´t found his touch. The only bright spot has been German Richard Freudenberg who is shooting 46%. He has been searching for his overall consistency since day one and despite having added pressure needing to perform in his third season with Frankfurt, the basketball God has looked down fondly on the German and he has simply produced so far. The question is when will it finally rain three´s for the Fraport Skyliners. Some teams go through long shooting slumps. The Fraport Skyliners don´t have the time. Sometimes it just isn´t meant to be. Frankfurt needs a shooting break out game fast to get their self-confidence going otherwise they will be moving faster and faster to a real lights out for this season.

                Many figured that this would be a season where the defense finds back to it´s old Frankfurt standard. The club showed signs in pre season, but with the loss of Anthony Hickey who has been a defensive demon where ever he has played has been dearly missed on the defensive end. With Robertson and him anchoring the defense, the club may have been in a totally different place now. Shots aren´t always going to fall, but at least play defense. You don´t have to be the most talented defender. It´s all about having passion and heart and wanting it more than other teams. It worked in the past for the Fraport Skyliners. Frankfurt definitely has the talent to be a good defensive team. They finally have to show it when it counts most. Another problem has been too many guys underachieving. One never ever would have dared to say that Quantez Robertson is getting old, but perhaps age is starting to show. He is turning over the ball as much as he is scoring. His biggest strength is his team play. His rebounds, assists and steals are great, but his scoring and shooting accuracy has to improve. Mcquaid hasn´t found to his NCAA form, but he still is allowed more time to get adjusted to overseas basketball. A Hines has to give more offensive input as well as a Vargas. Jones has been an offensive scoring machine and carried the team. A Daniel Schmidt can do more than just bring the ball forward. He definitely needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end. A Richard Freudenberg has had his moments and needs to build on his momentum. An Adam Waleskowski has been super efficient in his 12 minutes per game perhaps overachieved for his age, but at this point having input like that is highly appreciated. Two other bright spots have been Germans Leon Kratzer and Bruno Vrcic. Kratzer is averaging 10/7 stats and can still up his game this season. He has the tools to dominate in the paint. He is a guy that should take that second or third go to guy role. Vrcic made his BBL debut in Berlin scoring 9 points in 16 minutes. His game was refreshing and he showed in his first game that he deserves BBL minutes.

                It would be essential that the Fraport Skyliners win two of their next three games. I don´t believe that they will be able to win in Ulm, but if they can play with the type of intensity that they showed against FC Bayern Munich against Hamburg and Bayreuth then they will see some daylight at the end of the tunnel with a 2-5 record and then have the self confidence for the next stretch of 4 games where there will be winnable games against MBC, Wurzburg and BG Goettingen. The whole season might looked different at this point had they gotten a point guard or a shooter. But it is what it is. The 0-3 team is a lot better than their record shows. Of course there are many question marks with the low amount of points, below average defense and mediocre shooting, but the team was in three of four games. One has to wonder how good this team will be when they start to really play. They have offensive talent, but the guys finally have to come to play. It could be minutes before mid  if the Fraport Skyliners lose against Hamburg, Ulm and Bayreuth, but that won´t happen. The team will reach November with some wins under their belt. They will be able to produce some distance from that dreaded midnight time.

Curtis Hollis is a 21 year old 198cm forward from Arlington, Texas that is playing his first season overseas and first in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf. He began his career at Mansfield Summit High School. In 2017-2018 he played with Hutchinson CC (JUCO) playing 34 games averaging 6.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 27.0%, FT: 66.3%. In 2018 he played in Lavar Ball’s new league with the Houston Ballers (JBL) playing 7 games: Score-5 (29.3ppg), 11.3rpg, 5.3apg, 2.6spg, FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 21.2%, FT: 71.8%. He and I will team up every week to talk basketball in the Miles basketball

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Curtis thanks for talking to germanhoops.com A very turbulent week for the Dragons Rhondorf. The club fired head coach Markus Rowenstrunk. How timely was this move and why wasn’t the team able to win more games?


It was crazy how it all happened because nobody expected it. We lost a couple games because we just weren’t discipled fully and we’re still learning. We are a young group with big expectations so we just didn’t fully realize and have it all together yet.

Yassin Idbihi stepped in to take the coaching duties for now. How is he a different coach than Rowenstrunk and how has he helped the team rebound besides adding a few more plays?

He’s just more no games everything serious. He doesn’t mess around and takes big control over the team. He’s helped us rebound because we changed some stuff up and we’re just getting better of course and learning to be way more disciplined and how to play the right way. Yassin is a great coach.

Yassin Idbihi discovered you in Baunach. Is it a lot easier to play for him? Does he give you even more freedom than before?

It’s for sure easier. It was easy to play under Markus as well and he was a good coach but like you said Yassin discovered me and knows my strengths really well. I have a lot of freedom yes but at the end of the day it’s still about winning and getting my teammates involved for me.

The low point came on Friday as the Dragons Rhondorf lost to a second Regionalliga team kicking you out of the cup competition. Was it this loss that had to wake up the team for the great team win against Hagen Haspe?


That was just a tough day. We had to bounce back quick and adjust and I also have to give credit to that team. They played extremely well and hard. But yes of course every loss is a wake up call for us. There’s a very very low tolerance for losing.

The Dragons Rhondorf won easily 111-81 against Hagen-Haspe even if it didn’t look that way in the first half. Was the way how the team shared the ball one of the biggest pluses from that game?

Yes we moved the ball well and played as a team we also really came out and played hard defensively and limited them to one possession in the second half. That was big for us!

The team still gave up a lot of points with 81. Will getting the defensive side tweaked more of a long work in progress or do you feel confident that the team will make quicker strides in the improvement in this area?

I think a little bit in the middle. I’m very confident but we’re still learning the right way to play defensively but there’s also no time to wait. We have to be better now so it’s a mixture of learning and applying fast.

Did the team find a new three point sniper in Simonas Lukosius. How refreshing was it seeing this young kid come to life and do you see him becoming a role player?

Simas is a stud. He’s only 17 and plays way older than that. I watch in practice and play with and against him so I always knew what he could do but he’s coming on good for us and can knock down shots! I’m happy for him and it’s good that he can help us win games.

Jeffrey Martin also had his first good game with Rhondorf with 13 points and 5 assists. Did it seem like the coaching change made him more relaxed to change his season around to become that consistent scorer?

Yes he played more relaxed and got to his spots and played with a lot of confidence. He plays really hard defense and can really score it so it’s good and exciting that he’s coming on well for us too.

You had another normal day at the office with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. You took the most shots in a game this season with 19. Is this a good example that you have more freedom now? 

Yes it’s a pretty good example Yassin wants me to be aggressive. So I just try to pick my spots and score when I can.

The NBA commences play in a few weeks. Which team among these with the Rockets, Lakers, Clippers and Nets do you see having the most success this season with the superstars that they picked up?

I like a lot of teams I feel like a lot of them got better. Utah, Dallas, Denver, Philly, Milwaukee! The NBA is loaded this year. 

If you had to pick between a Kobe and Lebron mix tape for your last ever basketball watching which one would you choose?

Honestly I’m a Michael Jordan guy and Kobe is pretty close to Mike so I’d have to go with a Kobe mixtape.

Thanks Curtis for the chat.

Octavius Ellis is a 26 year old 208cm center playing his fourth professional season and third with ASP Promitheas Patras (Greece-A1). Last season he helped the club reach the Greek league final playing 34 games averaging 9.7ppg, 6.0rpg, Blocks-4 (1.2bpg), FGP-2 (67.9%), FT: 72.3%; and played 14 BCL games averaging 5.9ppg, 3.2rpg, FGP: 67.3%, FT: 60.0%. He also played with Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia-VTB) and also as a rookie played with KK Mornar Basket Bar (Montenegro-Erste Liga) playing 8 games averaging 12.8ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.0apg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 70.2%, FT: 68.8%; and also played 15 BCL games averaging 9.3ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.1spg, Blocks-5 (1.4bpg), FGP: 64.3%, FT: 69.6%; and played 25 Adriatic League games averaging 10.1ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.0apg, Blocks-3 (1.6bpg), FGP: 66.2%, FT: 68.5%. He played at Trinity Valley JC (JUCO) and played three seasons with Cincinnati (NCAA) and as a senior played 33 games averaging 9.8ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.2apg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 54.7%, FT: 64.0%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Eurocup game in Ulm.

Thanks Octavius for talking to germanhoops.com Welcome to Germany. Your playing your third season with ASP Promitheas Patras (Greece-A1). You already got a dose of travel with KK Mornar Basket Bar (Montenegro-Erste Liga) and Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia-VTB). Was the travel during the VTB season your toughest?

Yes playing in Krasnoyarsk Russia was definitely by far the toughest traveling schedule because we had to fly 5 hours to Moscow and then extra hours to our final destination.

You are preparing for a Eurocup game against ratiopharm Ulm. This is your third time in Germany? What do you know about the country and it’s basketball?

Yes this will be my third year playing against a German ball club . I know that Germany is one of the physical leagues and they always have stacked teams with quality players. They always play good basketball

You have played against German teams Oldenburg and Bayreuth. Do you offhand know what your record is against German teams?

I think that I’m 3-1 so far but I could be wrong hahaha

Congrats on the amazing season with ASP Promitheas Patras (Greece-A1). If someone had told you in the first month of the season that you would reach the final what would you have said?

I would say that’s hard to believe but at the same time it’s basketball and anything is possible with this game 

You kept a good core of last season’s team and added three new Americans. Does the team feel a lot of pressure to be as successful as last season?

Yeah we have 3 new Americans that fit right in with our system
I wouldn’t say pressure but you always want to do better than last season

How refreshing is it playing with Chris Babb? A few years ago, he was a huge reason for the massive turnaround of ratiopharm Ulm. How vital will his presence and play be for the success of the team?

Chris is one of our go to guys when we need a bucket and I like playing with Chriss he’s a great shooter and his passing and defense are very under latex I think he needs more credit for his passing as well. He played on a lot of great teams through out his career so he tries to help me on the little things that can help me get better as a player and I respect that a lot

Last season you had a very strong season in the Greek league scoring 35 points in a league game and having very good regular season games against Euroleague powerhouse clubs Panathinaikos and Olympiakos as well as having a good final series against Athens. How confident are you that you can make the next step this season on the court?

Playing against those big teams you have to show them that you can play with them because the goal is to one day be on one of those teams and doing good against those can help build your confidence as a player because it’s not easy playing against those guys

In the 2017-2018 season you began with Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia-VTB) and then moved to ASP Promitheas Patras. What memories do you have of Russia and was leaving the biggest step in your career?

The memories I have with Enisey were very cold and long travels but I’ve been doing good in my career with Promitheas This club has taken huge steps every year and we don’t plan on taking steps backwards I’m very happy to be a part of this Patras club

Let’s talk about your game. You can score and rebound, but are also a strong defensive presence that can block shots. Would you describe your game as a guy that defines his game through his defense which sparks his offense

Yes because if I’m not making shots I can always rely on my defensive presence and rebounding

If you had to compare your game to an NBA player to whom would you pick that most resembles your game on both ends of the court?

That’s hard to say but I’m going to go a little old school with Keyon Martin , Hakim Warrick, Tyrus Thomas,

You really improved your field goal percentage as a rookie. Is your shooting something that you feel has gone a bit unnoticed over time?

Yes I can say so my coach always tells me to shoot my mid range jumper that’s something that I will start to use more often this season

As a rookie you played with KK Mornar Basket Bar (Montenegro-Erste Liga) playing 8 games averaging 12.8ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.0apg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 70.2%, FT: 68.8%; In the BCL you played 15 games averaging 9.3ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.1spg, Blocks-5 (1.4bpg), FGP: 64.3%, FT: 69.6%; In the Adriatic League you played 25 games averaging 10.1ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.0apg, Blocks-3 (1.6bpg), FGP: 66.2%, FT: 68.5%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were very far away form Memphis, Tennessee?

My wake call was being alone and calling all my friends ,family ,my son and daughter on FaceTime every day and being accountable for myself

How important was a guy like America Lamont Jones in your transition from the NCAA to Europe?

It was very good to have veteran point guard like Momo my first season He tried to teach me the game as simple as possible for me because he could tell that I was lost once I first came over here

As a rookie you beat Mega Leks 87-85 in a Champions League game and you had 6 points, 12 rebounds, seven blocks and three steals. Was this one of your most memorable rookie season games?

Yes it was because my coach talked to me the next day in practice and said you see scoring isn’t everything this can make you a special player.

You started your college career in 2011 at Cincinnati (NCAA) playing only four games before playing two seasons at Trinity Valley JC (JUCO) where you won MVP honors. What was missing from your game then that helped you in your last two seasons at Cincinnati?

I would say slowing down and reading the game let the game come to me you don’t have to be in a rush all the time

Did you know in your freshman year that a guy like Sean Kilpatrick would not only make the NBA, but stay and be an impact player?

Yes I knew because his work ethic was unmatchable at the time he was a basketball junkie

You averaged 9,7ppg, 7,4rpg and 1,7bpg in your last two seasons at Cincinnati. How do you feel did you grow as a player?

Felt good but I think I still have room to improve

In your two years at Cincinnati, you had a 3-3 record against top basketball school UConn. You had some heated battles winning 58-57 or 65-60, but lost your last game against them 104-97 playing 45 minutes and scoring 13 points and getting 10 rebounds. Were these games some of your most memorable?

Yes they where because I think we went to like a triple overtime that game and always playing against UConn was going to tough because both teams had old big east mentally where nothing was going to be easy

In your last game as a junior you lost to Kentucky 64-51, but held your own with 9 points and 10 boards against a team stocked with seven future NBA players. Was that the best team you ever played at the NCAA level in terms of talent?

Yes it was by far the best team I’ve played against and I try to tell people all the time that I’ve been playing against good players and always held my own no matter who I was up against

When you look back at how you held up against big men like Trey Lyles, Karl Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein, do you ever contemplate what they have and you don’t and what separates you from the NBA?. Is there really so much skill difference? Stat wise you were all about the same in this game.

I really can’t say but I continue to do my job and just play basketball and continue to put the work in now with me it’s all about opportunities

How did head coach Mick Cronin groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

He just told me to stay focused off the court and on the court think defense first and save your money and invest

How intense was the friendship and competitiveness on the court at Cincinnati with Coreontae Deberry. In an interview with me he said this about you. ‘Ellis was a good player and one of my good friends at Cincinnati. We played off each other’s energy in games and practices. I’m happy he is still chasing his dream’.

Cory was my guy playing with him was so easy when I played the 4 and he was at the 5 it used to be crazy out there on the court and yes I played the 4 and was very successful and I’m happy my big dawg is still hooping doing thing

Who won a one on one in practice you or Coreontae Deberry?

I don’t think we ever played one on one only 5 on 5 and he was a big dude to guard every day in practices I needed breaks some days

Your cousin is NBA player Monta Ellis. What has been your most memorable with him?

We were at a cook out hahaha

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the NCAA that is in the NBA now?

Karl Towns by far and in high school was this guy named Jarnell Stokes

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

That’s a tough one Kobe Jordan Lebron Wilt

Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time debate with Michael Jordan?

I would say Lebron in my era and they also play different positions

What was the last movie that you saw? 

Queen of the south

Thanks Octavius for the chat

Tony Wroten is a 26 year old 198 cm forward from Seattle Washington playing his first season with Anwil Wloclawek (Poland-EBL). After many years in the NBA, he came overseas last year and played with BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn (Latvia-LatEstBL) playing 15 VTB United League games averaging 15.1ppg, 2.7rpg, 5.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 57.3%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 63.6%; and 3 Estonian KML games averaging 13.0ppg, 4.7rpg, 8.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 87.5%; and 17 LatEstBL game averaging 7.0ppg, 2.9rpg, Assists-1 (7.6apg), 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 19.5%, FT: 46.9%. He played one season at Washington (NCAA) playing 31 games averaging 16.7ppg, 5.0rpg, 3.6apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 18.0%, FT: 57.6%. In 2012 he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies (NBA,1rd (25). He played in the NBA from 2012-2016 with the Philadelphia 76ers playing 110 games and averaged 12,8ppg and 16,9ppg in two seasons. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Basketball Champions League game in Vechta.

Tony thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Welcome back to Germany. You played in many big cities in the NBA and G-League. Is it a huge culture shock spending some time in the middle of nowhere in Vechta?


I’m used to it now. Last season when I was in Lativa it was a big culture shock. But now having traveled a lot in Europe, I’m more used to it. 

You have had so many teammates in your career, but does the name Martin Breunig ring a bell? He was your German teammate at Washington (NCAA).

Yeh I remember him. He went to my school. He was a good dude. He redshirted the year I was there so we never played together. I know that he is also playing in the Basketball Champions League. Maybe we will play against each other. Then we can catch up.

You played at the U-19 World Championships in Hamburg in 2010. What memories do you have of being in Germany and winning the Gold Medal?

What I remembered the most was just having that experience with my teammates. Just being able to play with guys like Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal was priceless. We were in high school and just all the traveling and being without our families is also something I will never forget. Winning the Gold medal was huge. It is something that we can always tell our families forever. 

Your playing your second season overseas and first with Anwil Wloclawek (Poland-EBL). What kind of experience has it been playing in Poland. Do you still have needed adjustment to playing overseas or did you season in Latvia prepare you already?

I don’t need anymore adjustment now. I’m used to it now. I really love playing in Europe. I love the crazy fans and I am able to play for one of the best coaches in Europe. He wants to see me win and be successful. He pushes me to the maximum and never let’s me slack off. I see my future looking bright.

You have three other Americans on board and with Ricky Ledo another ex NBA player. Do you and Ricky sometimes talk about the good old days of the NBA? Do you remember playing against each other?

We actually never played against each other in the NBA. We talk about the NBA. My teammates want to hear stories about the NBA. I have no problem talking about my days in the NBA.I will always cherish the moments that I had in the NBA. Especially the local players on my team like to hear the NBA stories. Playing in the NBA was a dream come true and it’s not over yet.

Last season you played your first season overseas with BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn (Latvia-LatEstBL). What was your wake up call to being your first season overseas when you knew that you were very far away from home?

My wake up call was just knowing that family and friends couldn’t visit me with a 1-2 hour plane trip. 

Last season you led the LatEstBL in assists with 7,6apg. How proud are you of achieving this considering you never averaged that much in the NCAA or pro’s?

That’s what I do. I would always rather set up my teammates first. It was a big achievement, but it wasn’t surprising to me. My season in Lativa was a blessing and one I will build on. 

You played parts of four seasons in the NBA with Memphis, and Philadelphia. The trend has been for years to to come out early and go to the NBA. Do you ever wonder how your career might have gone had you played a few more years in the NCAA to further develop your game?

No I never thought about it. You can always ask the what if’s, but I never ever regretted my decision to come out early. Things always happen for a reason.

You were drafted by Memphis in 2012, but played that rookie season in the G-League with Reno. How tough was that first professional season not getting a chance to showcase your skills in the NBA?

It wasn’t tough. It just motivated me to get better. I knew that I still had things to work on. I knew that my time would come. I showed what I could do with the 76ers. 

In your second season you finally got a real chance with the Philadelphia 76ers. Playing 72 games averaging 12.8ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 21.3%, FT: 64.1%. What was the first example that you witnessed in the NBA where you knew that you had arrived in the NBA?

Being the first person to get a triple double in his first start. 

In your first career start with the 76ers, you set an NBA record of producing a triple double in your first career start. What do you remember from this game and how proud are you of this milestone?

I just remember after getting the triple double that I was here. I realized that all the hard work that I had ever put in had paid off. My record is something that will never be broken. There will be guys that will do it, but I will always be the first that ever did it. 

You played two seasons with Michael Carter-Williams who had a great start to his NBA career. How vital was his presence and daily battles in practice for your game and are you surprised that he hasn’t had those huge roles with his last teams Bulls, Hornets and Rockets?

Michael played a big role. Most guys that play the same position usually don’t get along, but that wasn’t the case with us. We got along great and really went at it in practice. We made each other better and it translated into games. Our constant battles each day made us better and stronger. 

You had your best NBA season with the 76ers in 2014-2015 playing 30 games averaging 16.9ppg, 2.9rpg, 5.2apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 47.3%, 3PT: 26.1%, FT: 66.7%.. The season was going so well, but you then injured your knee. Did this injury cost you your career in the NBA? Do you think that you might still be there had you stayed healthy?

You can always speculate what may have happened if this or that happened. Injuries are a part of the game. You never know what can happen. I think that coming to Europe was a huge step for me. I had still had to mature in some areas. At the end of the day, I have seen my maturity grow here. It will continue to help me in my career.

In the 2016-2017 season you return back to the team that drafted you Memphis. You didn’t play in the NBA that season, but in the G-League and Venezuela. Was it strange returning there after they had given up on you?


It was easy going back to Memphis. It was pretty much the same team. I wasn’t a newcomer.

In the 2017-2018 season you played with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA G League) playing 35 games averaging 10.8ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.8apg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 27.7%, FT: 53.7%. Did you ever have the feeling that season like you could earn a NBA call up?

Yes I did. I am always expecting it. I always want to better myself. Everything happens for a reason. My time will come. 

You played some years in the NBA and also had many great experiences. What did you cherish most about having had the chance to play with the best in the world?

Just being able to soak it all up from so many great players. I was able to take pieces here and there from so many players and add it to my game. In the summer, I’m always working with great players to continue to better myself. There are only 400 NBA players. All are good at what they do.

You played one season with Washington (NCAA) playing 31 games averaging 16.7ppg, 5.0rpg, 3.6apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 18.0%, FT: 57.6%. Was the 86-84 loss against Oregon State where you scored 29 points one of your toughest loses in your career?

That wasn’t one of the toughest. It is a part of the game. It was just a loss.

There were so many talented guys with you at Washington (NCAA) like Terrence Ross and Chris Wilcox and your self that made the NBA. Your talented teammate Abdul Gaddy didn’t. He had a solid season in the G-league last year and in Europe for years. Do you keep tabs on his career?

Yes I do. He is with the Oklahoma Thunder. He is doing very well with them. He may not get there right away, but if he stays with it it could happen.

How did head coach Lorenzo Romar groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

He is a great teacher. He groomed us for so much more than just basketball, but for everything in life. I will always be forever grateful for his guidance

Who won a one on one on one in practice you or Chris Wilcox

It’s crazy but we never ever played. I always played against Terence Ross.

Who was the toughest cover in the NCAA for you at Washington (NCAA) that reached the NBA?

Quinn Cook

If you had to name your own personal NBA Rushmore, which four heads would you chose?

Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant

What is your personal opinion of the never-ending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James?

Lebron is the best.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Joker. I wish that there would have been a little more action in it.

Thanks Tony for the chat.

After four and a half months of summer vacation, the NBBL(U-19) youth league kicked off their season this weekend, but something was very much different. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners didn´t kick it off with an enjoyable, competitive and exciting Hessen derby against Giessen or TV Langen, but instead met the best red team in Germany with FC Bayern Munchen. In the past this famous club was never in Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners´s division and if one had to meet them then usually in the playoffs or in late may at the Final 4. But the NBBL league decided to change the structure of the divisions and created just two which actually made the regular season more competitive. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners not only have FC Bayern Munchen now to battle in the regular season, but also other NBBL powerhouses like IBAM from Munich, ratiopharm Ulm or Porsche Ludwigsburg. Of course it was bitter for Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners to kick off the season having to play against the defending champion, but on top of that even worse that the club´s two German leaders Len Schoormann and Maxi Begue were absent due to injuries. You can never expect too much in the first game of the season, but FC Bayern Munich entered the game as the overwhelming favorite. On a rather mild early autumn afternoon day that saw some spectators trade in the sneakers and bikes for the seats and hot dogs, fans witnessed a very interesting first NBBL game for Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners. The 2015 NBBL finalist fought hard for 40 minutes, but halfway through the second quarter they were playing catch up basketball for the rest of the game and just couldn´t get over the hump as they lost 71-60. The Pro B Munich team had played the day before and had stayed overnight and after the victory, both teams Pro B and NBBL hurried out of the BCM gym to get back home and were unavailable for comment, but new Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners center Julian Steinfeld had joy answering question. He made his debut in the NBBL at age 18, because the 211cm center spent the last two years in the United States. He disappointed no one with game as he was the best Frankfurt player on the court with a 20 point game, 15 rebounds(10 offensive), 2 steals and 2 blocks day. Despite the loss, he was upbeat and reflected on the loss. “The second quarter wasn´t a good one for us. Walz got going and changed the game with his shooting. We didn´t shoot our free throws well, but we defended very well. Grant took us apart, but it´s really difficult to defend him”, stressed Julian Steinfeld.

FC Bayern Munchen Basketball had numerous injuries to compensate as did Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners as they were with out Len Schoormann, Maxi Begue, Clavin Schaum and Risto Vasiljevic. Both teams also had a number of guys coming from the JBBL(U-16) as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had five players and FC Bayern Munchen Basketball had six players. Jordan Samare who averaged 18/10 with the Cologne JBBL team two years ago got Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners on the board first with a tip in. FC Bayern Munchen Basketball didn´t waste their time testing their offense as they got back to back buckets from the Italian Stallion Sasha Grant and big man Mohammed Sillah who was fed nicely from 2019 JBBL MVP Benjamin Schroeder. New Skyliner Erik Brummert who also plays for the Pro B team scored on transition as quickly the game was tied 4-4. FC Bayern Munchen Basketball continued to put on the pressure on offense and got another basket from Sillah and a trey from German Philipp Walz for the 9-4 advantage. FC Bayern Munchen did a good job getting Sillah many touches while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was making simply too many turnovers as they couldn´t come to terms with the Munich on ball pressure. But Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had a secret weapon with German Julian Steinfeld. He played with a high intensity from the get go and was nearly unstoppable the whole afternoon. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners went on a 7-2 run as Steinfeld scored twice including free throws. Both teams would trade leads back and forth with a total of six times. FC Bayern Munchen Basketball got key baskets during the lead changes from 16 year old Michael Rataj, got a Grant lay in and a trey from German Luis Wulf. While Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners saw 14 year old Joshua Bonga make his debut. He didn´t wait long to make his presence felt as he hit a runner. Bonga finished his first NBBL game scoring 3 points getting 1 rebound and two assists in 14 minutes of play. “He made some good plays. He demonstrated that he could play well against older players. He played with a lot of self-confidence and wasn´t afraid of anyone”, stressed TV Idstein head coach Igor Starkovic. With FC Bayern Munchen Basketball leading 20-16, Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners closed out the first quarter in spectacular fashion and Steinfeld continued to rule the offensive glass making a put back and point guard Frederick Fischbach hit a buzzer beater three to steal the lead away from the Bavarian squad 21-20. “Frankfurt did a good job getting offensive rebounds. Steinfeld did a good job in his debut”, added TV Idstein head coach Igor Starkevic. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 42% form the field and 40% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 6 turnovers while FC Bayern Munchen Basketball shot 64% from the field and 67% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

The turning point in the contest occurred in the second quarter as Philipp Walz got hot hitting numerous shots giving the Bavarian team a big lead and one that Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners couldn´t recover from. Both clubs had difficulty finding their offensive rhythm at the start so the guests got into their offense with good defense as Sasha Grant made a steal and went coast to coast for the hard two handed dunk. Steinfeld than made a free throw as the game was dead locked 22-22. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners then lost total control of the game giving up a brutal 15-1 run to trail the 2019 NBBL champion 37-23. FC Bayern Munchen Basketball let it fly as it started to rain three´s. Walz hit two while Schroeder hit one while also making a lay in. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners lost focus and intensity on defense something you can´t allow to happen against a top team like FC Bayern Munchen Basketball. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners just couldn´t get anything going on offense as they couldn´t get into their sets correctly due to the high defensive intensity and pressure the guests were putting on them on every possession. FC Bayern Munchen continued to execute all the way to the break. FC Bayern Munchen continued to feed big man Sillah the ball and he used the abundance of mis matches and scored twice. Grant let fly another trey and connected. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners got a three pointer from German Pierre Bathoum and free throws from Bennet Schubert.  “Munich started to hit shots better and just played with more ease. Munich just played with a lot of power on defense forcing Frankfurt to take tough shots”, added Igor Starkevic. FC Bayern Munchen Basketball shot 71% from the field and 60% from the three point line and had 17 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 30% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 17 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

In the third quarter FC Bayern Munchen had total control of the game and led by as much as 21 points as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners couldn´t get anything going at both ends of the court. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners showed more effort on the defensive end and started getting more stops, but they couldn´t take advantage of their better defense with good offense. It seemed like things were looking up for Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners as they got a basket from Jordan Samare and FC Bayern Munchen Basketball couldn´t hit the ocean. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners got to the free throw line a few times, but couldn´t make all their shots. FC Bayern Munchen Basketball had been hit early with their fifth team foul at the 7,25 minute mark, but Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners couldn´t really take full example of it as their 48% showed from the free throw line. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had made better decisions while the guests had lost total rhythm on offense. Steinfeld continued to carry Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners making a hook shot as suddenly the Munich lead had dwindled down to 49-35. But basketball is a game of runs and it is only a matter of time before FC Bayern Munchen finally start executing. They finally did going on a 10-3 run to extend their lead to 59-38. In the run, they got explosive support from Sasha Grant who scored six points. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had lost their rhythm on offense and they began to do 1-1 play which didn´t give them positive results as Munich had the paint clogged and it was very difficult to score. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners closed out the third quarter with a 4-0 run as German Ben Karbe scored in the paint as did Steinfeld as they trailed FC Bayern Munchen 61-44. “We didn´t hit our shots consistently. We had problems defending their many offensive options. They have many weapons. Sillah was a monster”, stressed Julian Steinfeld. FC Bayern Munchen Basketball shot 53% from the field and 44% from the parking lot and had 29 boards and 16 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 33% from the field and 27% form the parking lot and had 28 boards and 17 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners made one last push, but couldn´t get over the hump never cutting the Munich lead down under 10 points. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners started their push right away tightening up their defense and getting 5 consecutive stops on FC Bayern Munchen Basketball. However they couldn´t take full advantage as they scored only twice on offense. A big problem on this day was that Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners really only had one go to guy/offensive option with Julian Steinfeld. He continued his offensive domination scoring the first two Frankfurt buckets on a transition lay in and a hook shot as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was in range to keep striking only down 61-48. The German finished with 20 points and 15 boards including 10 offensive rebounds. “I was very excited to play. The dunk at the start helped my confidence. I played well on the offensive glass. I don´t know if the 10 offensive rebounds was a personal record for me, because in the States I played against a lot of smaller players”, smiled Julian Steinfeld. But FC Bayern Munchen Basketball had their own scoring weapon in Sasha Grant. It was kind of that situation where coach tells him to take the ball and do work. And that is what he did. He already had a huge physical advantage on every player he went against and he scored time in and time out again. He scored four buckets and even though Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners got two clutch three´s from Karbe, they couldn´t make any ground as they still trailed 69-56. With a minute to play, Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was beat even if they gave it a strong fight. Steinfeld showed his high intensity and aggressiveness until the buzzer as he scored too more time improving his statline, but in the end not getting over the hump hurt them. “We defended very well, but once we got closer, they were able to hit shots.”, stressed Julian Steinfeld. FC Bayern Munchen was led by Sasha Grant with 30 points. Philipp Walz added 10 points. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was led by Julian Steinfeld with 20 points and 15 rebounds. FC Bayern Munchen shot 48% from the field and 30% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 26 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 34% from the field and 25% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 24 turnovers.

After two very unsatisfying Pro B loses on the road in Giessen and at home against Baunach, the dam finally broke for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors as they exploded against ex head coach Eric Detlev and his young Wurzburg squad exploding for 101 points as Germans  Bruno Vrcis and Cosmo Gruehn had career days. The ex FC Bayern Munich guard hit for 30 points while Gruehn netted 28 points and had a personal best of 8 three´s to bolster the offensive attack. Basketball life though didn´t get any easier for Frankfurt as they had a meeting with the mighty FC Bayern Munich who came into the game with a 2-1 record. But as is the case with many organizations, there is always a time for great personal changes and last summer the Bavarian team lost 3 key figures with Bruno Vrcic to Frankfurt, Killian Binapfel to the Telekom Baskets Bonn and Nelson Weidemann to Brose Bamberg. Despite a big void in their experience, the club still has unending potential and is stocked with young talent like Italian freak athlete Sasha Grant or Sierra Leonean beast Mohamad Sillah. It was also the first meeting between Bruno Vrcic and his ex team which had him extremely motivated for a positive effect. Also it is also always a treat to see ex German national team player Demond Greene behind the sidelines as he has been retired since some years as he began his coaching career in 2015. There is always moments in the time outs to reminisce about the good old days when he was flipping the ball to an open Dirk Nowitzki for the open three. On an untypical rather warm Saturday afternoon, one of the last beautiful days of the year, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors found back to their old defensive joy as Bruno Vrcic and Aaron Kayser combined for 29 points leading the club to a huge 68-62 victory in their own living room. Ex FC Bayern Basketball 2 guard Bruno Vrcic exploded for 30 points last weekend in Wurzburg and couldn´t reach that total this time, but his 16 points were golden as he made the big plays and big shots in crunch-time. After the win he reflected on how his team played and was thrilled with how the team made huge strides on the defensive end. “We played well today. Both teams were eye to eye in the first two quarters. We got away from our game in the third quarter and had good and bad phases. We played a lot better defense. We were compacter in the zone and there were less holes than there were in Wurzburg. We did a good job controlling their centers and made them work hard for every shot and we played good help defense”, stressed 2019 NBBL champion Bruno Vrcic. FC Bayern basketball 2 played a hard fought and spirited game, but just couldn´t get their offense going and couldn´t come to terms with the Frankfurt depth. After the tough loss, captain Viktor Frankl-Maus wasn´t pleased with the loss. “I am really proud of the team. We fought really hard despite having injuries and a number of guys not completely healthy that were on the court. We had too many turnovers and let up too many offensive rebounds. Despite the loss, we defended really well”, stressed ex Dragons Rhondorf guard Viktor Frankl-Maus.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had been without three key players Len Schoormann, Maxi Begue and Nigel Pruitt in the first three games, but against FC Bayern Basketball 2, they had two on board with Pruitt and Schoormann. In the first minutes both teams were unable to find a sound offensive rhythm as bricks and turnovers controlled the game while both teams had upped the defensive intensity which limited minimal points being produced. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors finally got going getting out on a 5-o lead as Vrcic made an offensive rebound and put back and ex St Johns forward Richard Freudenberg nailed a trey which had been made possible after an Aaron Kayser offensive reboud. easyCredit BBL team Fraport Skyliners had had the luxury of not having a game this weekend, so they gave Freudenberg the green light to play. FC Bayern Basketball 2 finally got on the board at the 7,26 minute mark as ex Ehingen German Moritz Noeres scored in the lane. Frankfurt then scored again upping their lead to 7-2 as ex Niners Chemnitz center Aaron Kayser who had entered the game shooting 75% from the field got off too a fast start making a left handed hook shot. FC Bayern Basketball 2 then got some vital support from Frankl-Maus who led the Pro B in assists in 2017 with 7,0 hit a trey and made free throws to dead lock the contest at 7-7. Frankfurt lost their offensive rhythm in the last minutes as the Bavarian team got some key support from new player Dennis Alibegovic who drilled home a trey and after 10 minutes the score looked like an American football score as FC Bayern Basketball 2 led 13-9. “We are two young teams and are prone to making mistakes. Both teams defended very well and forced each other to many turnovers”, stressed 2017 NBBL champion Bruno Vrcic. FC Bayern Basketball 2 shot 33% from the field and 50% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 17% from the field and 25% from outside and had 10 rebounds and six turnovers.

The second quarter remained a tight affair with little scoring as both teams continued to defend hard and with passion and five lead changes were present. After 20 minutes the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had the slim 34-31 advantage. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors got on the board first in the second quarter as new player Tennessee native Nigel Pruitt who dominated the Regionalliga for two years with Westerstede made his debut and made a steal and ran the fast break like a guard scoring cutting the Munich lead to 13-11.Both clubs now had some solid offensive execution, but FC Bayern Basketball 2 kept the slim lead. FC Bayern Basketball 2 got a nice trey from ex Chemnitz Niner Emmanuel Womalla and 2017 NBBL champion Julius Duh made a lay in while Frankfurt got two lay in´s from Aaron Kayser who continued to feel comfortable dominating the paint area. The German who averaged 4ppg and 3rpg in his first season in the Pro B with Frankfurt has made a fine development in Frankfurt and finished with13 points and 11 rebounds and two blocks and has the respect of his teammate Bruno Vrcic. “Aaron had a super game. He plays very calm and has improved. We like to look for him on the pick and role. At the moment he is playing with so much confidence”, stated Bruno Vrcic. “I feel good after this win. It is good to have my own rhythm again. I have a bigger role this season. I feel a lot more comfortable this season. It simply took a little longer than maybe for other players. I want to keep building on my game”, warned Aaron Kayser. Frankfurt gave up some very bad turnovers which led to easy baskets as Frankl-Maus made a steal and coast to coast drive for the easy lay up and 20-15 FC Bayern Basketball 2 lead. It´s still early in the season, but Frankfurt´s communication wasn´t at it´s best in this game. But Frankfurt then found some daylight and were able to go on a lethal 7-0 run to retake the lead at 22-21. The run was started by a hustle play by energizer German Konstantin Schubert who is in his sixth season with the Frankfurt Pro B team made an offensive rebound and put back. After a FC Bayern Basketball 2 miss, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors produced the most spectacular play of the game as English man Jaz Bains and Richard Freudenberg teamed up with a massive alley-op dunk. “That alley-op worked well. One would have thought after seeing that dunk that they have been playing together for a longer time. He had a dunk last weekend against Munich and today again. He can really dunk”, stressed ex Bamberg center Leon Kratzer. Freudenberg wasn´t done with the stuffing, but then hit a trey as Frankfurt led. Frankfurt was spreading the scoring around as it seemed like every player got their chance. After Freudenberg, it was Jaz Bains chance as he nailed a trey made a lay in for the 27-24 lead. But FC Bayern Basketball 2 remained on Frankfurt´s heels as Noeres connected on a three to tie the game at 27-27. FC Bayern Basketball 2 continued to get valuable support from German Dennis Alibegovic with his second trey of the game to give the lead back to Munich. But Frankfurt grabbed the lead back getting big buckets from the kids Jordan Samare with a two handed dunk and 2018 JBBL MVP Len Schoorman hit a trey for the 34-31 Frankfurt lead at the break. “Both teams defended very well and there were many fouls. Frankfurt had the lead, because FC Bayern Basketball 2 never really found a good rhythm. Frankfurt´s offense wasn´t that great either, but they were playing ok”, added Fraport Skyliner Leon Kratzer. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 40% from the field and shot 21% from the three point line and had 15 boards and 11 turnovers while FC Bayern Basketball 2 shot 43% from the field and 33% from the three point line and had 18 boards and 14 turnovers.

The third quarter experienced many lead changes and two runs and at the end of 30 minutes no team led as the game was dead locked at 48-48. Vrcic got Frankfurt going rapidly with a three pointer upping their lead to 37-31. But like in the first quarter, it was Frankl-Maus who led his team back closer with a trey while Duh scored inside as Frankfurt led only 37-36. Vrcic had no mercy and hammered another trey into the face of his ex team Fc Bayern Munich 2 for the 39-36 advantage. As dangerous as that three seemed, it had absolutely no impact on Bayern Munich 2 as they shot back with their best offensive execution of the game with an annoying 9-3 run to retake the lead 45-39. Frankfurt had defended so well in the game, but had some lapses in this run from which they couldn´t make adjustment on. Bayern Munich 2 did a good job spreading the scoring around as four guys contributed. The run started with a lay in from 2019 NBBL champion Sasha Grant, a trey from Austrian guard Erol Ersek, another three by Frankl-Maus and a steal and coast to coast run and lay in by Womalla. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had lost their rhythm and couldn´t control the boards in this run. 17 year big talent Sasha Grant finished with only 4 points and 4 rebounds in 23 minutes, but it isn´t always his game that gets the most admiration, but his body. “He has a very big body for his age. He still needs to fine tune his game, but he has the body for the BBL. He is very athletic. I remember his dunk from last years NBBL final game”, stressed ex Baunach center Leon Kratzer. Frankfurt finally calmed down and closed out the third quarter in style fighting back going on a 7-1 run to tie the contest at 46-46. In the run, Kayser continued to be productive at close range scoring, Vrcic nailed another trey and Cosmo Gruehn also scored a trey. Frankfurt had brought immense energy as Vrcic led the team forward while FC Bayern Munich 2 missed open shots. Vrcic  continued to play with a high amount of intensity and didn´t shy away from anyone going hard at the hole and scoring for the 48-46 lead. Shortly before the end of the third quarter 17 year old beast Mohammed Sillah who only started playing basketball two years ago reeled in the perfect lob pass from Frankl-Maus for the easy lay in and 48-48 game. “We wanted to play with a lot of motivation and play our game in the third quarter, but didn´t. But we finally found our game I the second part of the quarter. We didn´t force things, but found the open man. The way we ended the quarter gave us the feeling that we could win the game”, stressed Bruno Vrcic. “Frankfurt defended well and hurt us with their penetration and offensive rebounds. We couldn´t make big plays”, added Viktor Frankl-Maus. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 40% from the field and 24% from the parking lot and had 26 rebounds and 17 turnovers while FC Bayern Munich 2 Shot 43% from the field and 29% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 16 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter the game witnessed some more lead changes as it was tight, but in crunch-time the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to execute better and made the big stops to secure the win. Frankfurt had one of their nicer scores to begin the fourth quarter as three year man Cosmo Gruehn muscled down an offensive rebound and went out and then beat his man and drove and fed ex Cologne player Jordan Samare with the massive two handed dunk and 50-48 Frankfurt lead. Both teams would trade leads as FC Bayern Munich 2 countered with an Ersel lay in and three from ex Heidelberg forward Constantin Schmitt while Frankfurt got support from a Schoorman step back jumper and then found back to his old ways of going coast to coast with a lethal hard one handed dunk as the game was dead locked 54-54. Frankfurt used the momentum of the massive Schoorman dunk and went on a 4-0 run as Kayser and Gruehn scored to extend the Frankfurt lead to 58-54. Frankfurt had upped their intensity and great defense led to great offense while Bayern Munich 2 had lost some energy. FC Bayern Munich 2 clawed back getting some free throws from Ersek and Womalla, but Frankfurt still led 58-57. But Frankfurt just was the fresher team and executed perfectly as Vrcic continued to lead the team nailing a jumper and Kayser remained confident and aggressive scoring inside again as Frankfurt led 63-57. “My teammates did a good job finding me. I thought that I moved well and took what the defense gave me”, stressed Aaron Kayser. But FC Bayern Munich 2 just didn´t give up and got free throw from Duh And Grant made a huge bucket inside to cut the Frankfurt lead to 63-60. Frankfurt also had some fortune as they got a few 50/50 balls. After going 0/6 from the free throw line Kayser finally made one for the Frankfurt 64-60 lead with 50 seconds to play. FC Bayern Munich 2 still had a chance, but then it was Kayser making a huge block on Duh sealing the win which led to a Vrcic runner for the 66-60 lead with 21 seconds remaining. “On the block I saw Freudenberg in front of me and the Munich player did a pump fake and waited until he shot and went up and blocked it. I thought that I anticipated it well”, smiled Aaron Kayser. Duh made a lay in with 4 seconds remaining to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 66-62. Gruehn then iced the win with free throws. “Defense was key for our win. They had real problems to score. We really have improved our defense and have to keep it up”, warned Bruno Vrcic. “We defended well, but they hit tough contested shots. They executed well and we had too many turnovers”, added Viktor Frankl-Maus. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Bruno Vrcic with 16 points while Aaron Kayser added 13 points and 11 rebounds. FC Bayern Munich 2 were led by Viktor Frankl-Maus with 14 points while Erol Ersek added 10 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 40% from the field and 21% from outside and reeled in 38 rebounds and had 19 turnovers while FC Bayern Munich 2  Shot 43% from the field and 27% from outside and reeled in 31 rebounds and had 21 turnovers.

Mike Taylor is in his 19th season as a professional coach and is in his second season as head coach of the Hamburg Towers. Last season he led the club to the easyCredit BBL and this past summer led Poland to an incredible 8th place finish at the World Cup. He is the son of Dick Taylor who was an NCAA coach and assistant with the New York Knicks. Mike Taylor started his coaching career in 2001 with Chemnitz (Germany-2.Bundesliga). In 2002-2003, he got valuable experience in the UK with the Essex Leopards London (United Kingdom). In 2003, he started to coach for ratiopharm Ulm leading them into the Beko BBL in 2006 and Beko BBL playoffs in 2009 before leaving in 2011. He had a record of 101-15 in four years of second Bundesliga basketball. He also has coached Kansas Cagerz (USBL) in the summer time as well as being an assistant for the Czech national team. In 2011 he made the jump back to the states and was an assistant for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (D-League). He then was head coach of the Boston Celtics D League team Maine Red Claws and they reached the playoffs for the first time in team history. He spoke to germanhoops.com at the start of the 2019-2020 BBL season.

Congrats Mike on an amazing and successful World Cup with Poland. Be honest on the flight back from China, do you think you reflected more on the World Cup success or were you already looking ahead to the Hamburg Towers season?

Thank you Miles! To be honest, I slept 7 of the 10 hour flight from Beijing back to Germany. The World Cup in China was a fantastic basketball and life experience and I am thankful our Polish National team could enjoy it together. I definitely tried to reflect on the flight but it was more flashes as the entire run had not completely set in yet. Coaching against team USA Saturday, I tried to be completely present in the moment because it was such a special game. On the flight home, there was also a lot to look forward to in the inaugural Bundesliga season with the Hamburg Towers. Mostly I just thought that I am thankful to have two great teams to coach.

You already had legendary status in Poland as a head coach as you helped the country reach the first World Cup in 52 years. What kind of feedback and congratulatories from Poland did you get after this masterful run?

Poland was so positive after our run. Many nice messages and phone calls from friends to say congratulations. President Radek Piesiewicz and the Federation have been so generous to the team and we really appreciate it. There was so much coverage of the team and the players and the success. The World Cup run has been a positive boost for basketball in the country and I am so thankful our players will be remembered for doing something special for Polish basketball in their National team careers. I hope it helps inspire the next generation of boys and girls playing basketball and lifts up the game in Poland. 

You have had a lot of success as a head coach leading ratiopharm Ulm and the Hamburg Towers into the BBL and now this with Poland. Was having this World Cup success the biggest success in your career?
Finishing in the top 8 at the World Cup is the biggest success of my coaching career to this point and I am so thankful to have shared the experience with our team and staff. Winning on the World stage with our team and leading Poland to a historical World Cup run is something I will always hold in my heart. 
Please explain what the secret to the success of this summer’s Poland national team was? They surely didn’t have their most talented team as a Marcin Gortat wasn’t there, but had very good players that came together.Our success was rooted in teamwork and toughness which developed over time. Throughout our time together starting in 2014, we developed our core of players through both positive and difficult experiences. As our qualifications for the World Cup went on, we focused on players who put their heart into the Polish National team and really wanted to be there. Of course this meant maybe passing on a more talented player or bigger name player in favor of a hardworking, blue collar guy who would be completely committed. Our experience together and chemistry became our strength and powered us to the top 8 finish in China. While our team may not have NBA names, we have a core of high quality Polish professionals who put the team first. Prior to my arrival, many Polish teams were built for star players or big names. I believe basketball is a team game and teams win. I am proud our Polish National team developed into a tremendous example of that.

Poland reeled off four wins in a row in the World Cup. Was this a perfect example of what a basketball team can do with a very strong preparation period leading into the competition?
I think we peaked at the right time. It was years of hardwork and teamwork coming together. Our experiences together from the past prepared us for the moment in a deep way. Our core knew itself and our identity very well and we used our preparation games to help develop a few young players for important moments in China. We knew we needed some contributions from a few players new to the team. An example would be 18 year old Olek Balcerowski who was the youngest player in the World Cup. Olek gained confidence and important experience in our 10 preparation games prior to Beijing. As it turned out, Olek really helped us throughout the tournament. I was very proud of him holding his own against high level players. Our first win against Venezuela set the stage and our big win over China was something special we will remember forever. That win was all about toughness and overcoming adversity. The guys took care of business against Ivory Coast and then really showed their heart coming back to beat Russia in the second Round. The World Cup became the dream run we hoped it would be and a lot of it was about peaking at the right time.

You beat two very good countries with China and Russia, but then lost the last four games to three very good countries Argentina, Spain and USA and good country the Czech Republic. Is the loss to the Czech Republic where you once served as an assistant coach one of those loses that will stick with you for a while and not be forgotten so quickly?
It was a matter of our team reaching our limits. Playing in the first World Cup for Poland in 52 years was something special and our 4 game winning streak was an amazing experience. It was uncharted territory for our team and we were doing our best to rise to every challenge. After beating Russia, Argentina’s victory over Venezuela sealed our spot in the Quarterfinals and opened up two great games for our team. Playing Argentina and Spain, the two teams who eventually met in the finals, we did our best. I was very proud of our players and staff. For me, the game against the Czech Republic was special because of my connection with Czech basketball. My wife’s father Gerald Dietl is a former Czech National team player and coaching four summers for my good friend Pavel Budinsky as an assistant with the Czech National team was so much fun. For both Poland and Czech Republic to be the two positive surprise teams in China added to the story. When we met, we really wanted to win but Tomas Satoransky made the difference and they made more plays down the stretch than us and earned the win. For me, that was like losing to your brother — despite coming up short, you are happy for their success. I think all of the games will stick with me, but the Czech game will stick with me for positive reasons because it brought so much of my personal past together on the World Cup stage

I believe you witnessed the development of Tomas Satoransky early in his career and have followed him since then. Does he have the potential in the next years to really move up and become a top European player in the NBA?

Saty is a great story. He is a player everyone should root for because he is a positive person and brings positive energy every day. I enjoyed working with him when he was younger on his way up and it is fantastic to see the player and person he has become. It has not come easy for him. Saty has worked his way up and earned everything in Europe and now in the NBA. What impressed me about his play in the World Cup was how he made his teammates better. To me that is what a star does — raises the level of his team and teammates. I hope he takes confidence and experience as a leader with him to Chicago and am really rooting for him in his career. He also said he has me scouted pretty good too joking with me he always knew my first plays. We tried to change it up on him in Shanghai. Another interesting fact about Saty is that he is a singer. Saty Loves to sing and is always humming a toon or singing something. And he is good too! He is really a fun guy for a team. 

You guys didn’t have much luck against Argentina who found back to their amazing form from 2002-2006 with some ex NBA players an aging Argentine super star Luis Scola. What have been some of the biggest reasons why this country made such an amazing run and is back on the basketball map?
Argentina was so impressive in China. They really took us out of our offense with their defensive pressure and they really played an excellent offensive style. Of course Luis Scola was a great story playing at that level at 39. I really enjoyed watching the two young Argentine guards Facundo Campazzo and Nicolas Laprovittola. Sergio Hernandez did an excellent job coaching the team. While fans may remember the former generation of players, I think this World Cup gives Argentina a lot to be excited about for the future. 

How special was it playing the United States. You coached in the G-League for many years and are a known coach there. How did you experience the whole process leading up to the game and what will you remember most from having had the opportunity to battle against your home land?

It was a dream come true coaching against Team USA. It was something we really did not expect adding an amazing finishing touch to our World Cup. I will remember the professionalism of Coach Popovic and the team USA staff. Something small that really impressed our team was 90 minutes before the tip off, one of the first people onto the floor for team USA was coach Steve Kerr who was putting Kris Middleton through warm ups. You could tell he was there because he loved the game and wanted to help the players. One of the most enjoyable parts was simply the game preparation with all the NBA players. I was really thankful that our Polish National team players were on the big stage for a moment playing against team USA. I have seen how hard our guys have worked over years. I told them to go make some highlights that they would remember for the rest of their lives and they did!

You have coached so many games, but what is like playing against your home country? How is it having to beat your own country?

That game definitely stood out as something special. The most emotional part was hearing the Star Spangled banner pre-game. I have been coaching with National teams for 10 years with both Poland and Czech Republic. Standing at attention for national anthems is always respectful and part of the routine, but I never imagined I would hear the Star Spangled Banner. It was a nice moment and really brought everything together. I am a big basketball fan and a big Team USA fan so matching up with them was fun to begin with, but the Star Spangled banner meant a lot.

How vital was the success of the team and game success of the three top players Mateusz Ponitka, AJ Slaughter and Adam Waczyinski? Do you feel like the added exposure will continue to help them make steps up the basketball ladder?

I love those guys. Mateusz was tremendous throughout the tournament and really made plays. He will go down in Polish basketball history for his big plays in the China win. I was really proud of Mateusz and his performance, especially as a go-to-guy and team leader. Some of the highlights he made against team USA made me happy. Adam, our captain, was such a great leader. His shooting sparked us and he led the entire tournament in Free throw shooting. Adam is such a smart player, it has been so much fun to see him establish himself on the highest levels in Europe. I enjoy talking basketball with Adam and really respect his basketball IQ. I am also so proud of AJ. To see AJ grow into the impact player that he has become has been one of the best things about my experience in Poland. I am so proud of AJ as a player on the floor and as a person off the floor. These three guys are really meaningful to me and I appreciate coaching them so much. When you work with guys for 5 or 6 years, sharing those moments of success is the best feeling in the world. Poland can be proud of Mateusz, Adam and AJ and our entire team.

How do you feel have you developed further as a head coach in the last 8 months in the time from leading the Hamburg Towers to the Pro A title to the 8th place finish at the World Cup with Poland?
I think just the experience preparing to win on the big stage and winning pressure games. The experiences over the last year with Poland and Hamburg have been a fantastic ride. I appreciate the support from both the Polish Federation and Hamburg Towers organization. Many people on both ends work hard to support me and I am fortunate enough to have two great teams to coach. I love to coach basketball and have enjoyed the time with players and staff from both teams. This summer, when Poland came to Hamburg for the Super Cup we took a team picture with both the Polish National team and the Hamburg Towers. That is one of the most meaningful pictures I have. I love it. 

You are with the Hamburg Towers now having been in a training camp in Budapest and now getting ready for the BBL. What was the toughest adjustment for you coming from the World Cup to the BBL right away?
I think I paced myself well in China so I feel good ahead of the new BBL season. It’s not a difficult adjustment. We have developed both teams in a way that the systems are similar. I know the personnel well. We have good support staff in Hamburg. Our assistants Benka Barloschky and Austen Rowland along with conditioning coach Melvin Wierdu have done an excellent job with the team while I was with Poland at the World Cup. I see Poland as an example for Hamburg. Poland at the World Cup is the finished product after developing a team throughout different experiences over several years. In Hamburg we are at the beginning of the process and will be challenged in our first year in the Bundesliga. I love to coach and build programs so I am very excited about the future in Hamburg. 

How involved were you with the off season transfer period of the Hamburg Towers? Were you able to be involved despite your duties with the Polish National team?
In Hamburg, Marvin Willoughby and I work closely together and I was heavily involved in events throughout the summer with the Towers. Again, the support from both Hamburg and Poland makes it possible to work with both teams and the results speak for themselves. When a person is organized and manages time well, it is possible to effectively balance both coaching situations well. 

You want to play team basketball on offense and play an aggressive defense. Can one look more ahead than just having that goal of staying in the league with the quality of players that you have now?
We must respect the challenges ahead and respect the Bundesliga. For us, it is about maximizing the potential of the Hamburg Towers team. We must find the Bundesliga level and establish our ability to win. It will be a process but I am looking forward to helping the players and team grow throughout the season. We will start at ground zero and work our way up. 

The Heiko Schaffartzik pick up was huge. You coached against him a lot back in the day with ratiopharm Ulm. Is there a particular game you remember vividly where he totally displayed his amazing ability to turn a game around instantly with his sniper qualities?
We are so happy to add Heiko to our team. His experience and playing style will really help us. I have coached against Heiko a lot in Ulm and with Poland. I remember him making so many big shots from deep range with his quick release. It is great to finally have him on our side! Heiko has made a positive first impression and is ready for a great season ahead.

Do you see young German talent Justus Hollatz being able to make a big jump now that he has a possibly mentor in Heiko Schaffartzik on the team?
We love Justus. He has such a great feeling for the game and his passing ability is something special. We want to help Justus grow and develop in all aspects of his game. I see him having a solid role in our Bundesliga team and I do believe Heiko has a lot of experience and expertise to offer him. Justus is a great kid and I really enjoy working with him. I hope he can have another quality developmental season with us in Hamburg. As a 17 year old in Pro A last season Justus really improved and showed his skill making the game sealing three against Nurnberg in the finals. This season, we hope Justus can make another big jump and make some more big jump shots!

German Kevin Yebo has had a Cinderella type career coming form an unknown Regionalliga player to Ehingen and becoming one of the leagues best power forwards. What will be most important for his game development this season for him to make the transition to the BBL best?

In Hamburg Kevin will play at the small forward position for the first time in his career. It will be a transition for him, but we believe for his future it will be great for his development. We hope to help Kevin develop his perimeter skills and perimeter defense this season. Kevin has so much talent and a long, athletic basketball body. He fits the profile of our team and we are really happy to have Kevin with the Towers. In the preseason, Kevin has already had some highlight alley oops and dunks in our games. I hope Kevin fills Edel Optics Arena in Hamburg with highlights all season long!

You saw the Fraport Skyliners recently winning a test game. What is your impression of them? Your 24/7 basketball and follow the sport closely, but with all your duties can you still be able to know that young Skyliners coach Sebastian Gleim has been a huge force in the development of German players in Frankfurt?
We played the Skyliners after our training camp in Budapest and it was our final preparation game. After a slow start, we were able to come back and edge out a close win in a low scoring defensive game. I was happy for our guys because it did not come easy. Frankfurt looks solid and they have some explosive scoring in the backcourt along with the veteran presence of Quantez Robertson. I met Sebastian in Las Vegas this summer. He impressed me as a good young basketball coach and I have heard many good things about him from the Towers people who know him from his time coaching in Wedel.

How will the Boston Celtics be better with Kemba Walker than with Kyrie Irving and will Daniel Theis have an even bigger role and can he make his real break through this season?
I expect Boston to play better together with Kemba Walker this season and I hope Daniel Theis can earn a bigger role with the Celtics. 

What was the last movie that you saw?
Spider man into the Spider Verse

Thanks Mike for the chat