This coming Sunday, Germany´s team FC Bayern Munich will try to get revenge in their comfy living room from their early season loss on the road against the Fraport Skyliners. For some before the basketball has even started there will be various delicious attractions in the Audi Dome like getting to the food line early and being able to feast on a traditional 5 Euro German Brat Wurst which is the American equivalent of the good old hot dog or seeing how many Bayern Munich celebrities one can witness from the football department like former president Uli Hoeness who is one of the main reasons why the basketball department got the needed funding to make it´s course to the Beko BBL or 1996 European champion and current head of the board Matthias Sammer or any of the various players like Jerome Boateng or Holger Badstuber who have visited games in the past. When one finally has got their share of enough food and celebrity watching, then comes time for the basketball encounter at 3.00pm. On the basketball side, there are enough fine attractions to wet one´s mouth again even after the fourth Brat Wurst as one can be astonished by the big man duel of power vs elegance between John Bryant and Johannes Voigtmann or witness the ultimate team player like Aaron Doornekamp doing the nitty gritty work inside or the ultimate duel of the high flyers Quantez Robertson who is his own special airline every time he is gliding through the air and Bryce Taylor who can electrify any crowd with his crushing dunks even awakening that poor tired soul that dared to fall asleep during the game. However put all these scrumptious treats aside as the biggest and most anticipated battle will be the revival with the ex Fraport Skyliner Justin Cobbs against the potential league MVP Jordan Theodore.
Author: Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Xavier Roberson(Hamburg Towers) I Think Our Guards Are Some Of The Best In Pro A Basketball
Xavier Roberson is a 26 year old 186cm rookie from Houston,Texas playing for the Hamburg Towers. He started his basketball career in 2009 with TCU (NCAA) playing 26 games: 4.0ppg, 1.1rpg. He then played two seasons with S.Alabama (NCAA) before finishing his college career with Our Lady Lake (NAIA) playing 32 games: ScoreNAIA1-1(25.1ppg), 3.7rpg, 1.7spg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 43.8%, FT: 78.4%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.
Congrats on the 74-65 win against Nurnberg. Was the 26-6 second quarter one of the best this season for the Hamburg Towers?
Yes as I recall that statistic was the best this season for us.
There were 48 turnovers in the game and Hamburg had 23. Is taking care of the ball a big issue in practice this week?
Coach always stresses the point to value possessions. He’s constantly reminding us so I would say it’s always important topic for us.
In the two times this season where the Hamburg Towers played double weekend games you were swept once and won both the other time. This weekend you play the last placed team Rhondorf and playoff team Gotha. What will be key in getting two wins?
Coach always stresses the point to value possessions. He’s constantly reminding us so I would say it’s always important topic for us.
The Hamburg Towers had a five game winning streak at the start of the season and now a three game winning streak. How confident are you that the team can continue to win now?
I’m very confident we can keep up this race as long as we do our job.
Despite having injuries and the recent career end for Kay Gause, what do you believe has been the key to success and the team staying together all season long through thick and thin?
Our biggest strength is the desire to win. I think with a few experienced players it makes it better for us to fight through adversity. Unfortunately injuries like Kay happen unexpectedly but you have to find a way to get it done.
The big team strength is defense as it is allowing 69 points per game, but scores only 71 points per game. Why do you feel that the club in unable to score more points on a consistent rate despite all the scoring power that is has?
Yes defense is one of our best strengths. I think the biggest thing is to find the right solution consistently. We are definitely capable of scoring a load of points though that is not our main focus. Our main focus is only to Win ball games.
The Hamburg Towers are a very young team and even if you are a rookie at age 26, how important has veteran Robert Ferguson been for you maturing and learning the ropes as a rookie?
Rob is definitely a captain on our team. He often shares his thoughts with me on the game and his experience as a professional helps me adjust to the game more easily than expected.
How beneficial has it been playing with two very talented guards in Anthony Canty and Bazou Kone? How have they helped you get adjusted best to the German Pro A despite being younger than you, they have many years experience in Germany?
I think the area of basketball they helped me improve the most is pick and roll offense and defense. Their experience also helps me improve tremendously as a player. That’s a huge part of the game in Pro A basketball
Do you feel like the guard trio of Canty, Kone and Roberson is too underrated in the German Pro A?
I think our guards are some of the best in Pro A basketball. We have a great program here and coach does a really good job working with us on a consistent bases. As far as the ratings and opinions I would prefer leaving that up to the spectators to critic and decide on that thought.
Currently your averaging 11,0ppg, 2,1rpg and 1,9apg which is solid. Is your three point shooting something that continues to be a work in progress this season?
I can always improve in every statistic. I’m almost never satisfied with overall stats so yes I can definitely improve on my three point area.
You have had no problems adjusting to the German Pro A as you led the NAIA in scoring last season with Our Lady Lake. However what do you feel has been the toughest thing to get adjusted to in the German Pro A?
I think the toughest thing to get adjusted to in Pro A is the pace of the game. It’s not like college where you run and gun its more strategic and pick and roll play.
You had very solid stats at S.Alabama (NCAA): 11 games: 13.6ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 44.7%, 3PT: 44.3%, FT: 74.2%. What did your final season in school in the NAIA give you to help develop your game to the professional level?
My last year in NAIA molded my mindset. Playing at that level you take nothing for granted and never underestimate players. Playing division one basketball was way more athletic but NAIA player had a tremendous level of desire to win also.
It has been a while since your freshman season at TCU, but what do you remember from being teammates with Garlon Green? Was it just his athleticism that stood out or was there another part of his game that you could see starting to grow?
Yes I remember playing with Garlon like it was yesterday. He was more than just athletic. You could see then that he developed his game from his older brother Gerald who is a complete scorer. Garlon had already developed a great three then I haven’t seen any games lately but I could guess he’s doing more than just jumping out the gym.
Who wins a one on one in practice you or Anthony Canty?
Haha I win one on one with anybody no offense to my boy Canty
Recently NBA player Dennis Schroeder was in Hamburg at a game. Is it his pure speed that amazes you most about his game or something else?
I think it’s amazing to see Dennis blow by guards but it’s also more impressive that he sees the floor. He’s a floor general!
How do recap the NBA trade line deals? What teams did the best?
I can’t recall the NBA trade line deals because I’m usually not watching T.V so don’t watch much NBA unless it’s On my way! Of my boys playing. I do like the Pacers because my former high school teammate Joe Young is currently playing for them
Recently ESPN ranked the top 100 NBA players of all time. They placed Lebron James at #3 before NBA legends Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Bill Russell. Do you feel that is justified?
You can argue all day long about the ESPN rankings. Lebron is one of the greatest players of all time but Magic & Bill is a tough two to put him in front of.
What was the last movie that you saw?
The last movie that I saw was Nine Eleven.
Thanks Xavier for the chat.
Kruize Pinkins(Hebeisen White Wings) Every Game Is A Playoff Game For Us Now
Kruize Pinkins is a 23 year old 201cm forward from Marianna, Florida playing his first professional season in Germany with the Hebeisen White Wings currently averaging 13,0ppg, 9,0rpg and 1,0apg. He started his basketball career at Chipola (JUCO). He then played at USF (NCAA) from 2013-2015 and as a senior played 32 games averaging 13.9ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 39.0%, FT: 65.0% He spoke to German Hoops after the 74-69 win against the RheinStars.
Kruize thanks for talking to German Hoops. A big 74-69 win against the RheinStars in Cologne. After an offensive second and third quarter, where did both teams find the energy to buckle down and give that extra on the defensive end in the fourth quarter?
We just knew that whoever played harder and more together in the fourth quarter would be the team with the best chance to win at the end if the game.
The Hebeisen White Wings Hanau had a big 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Was that the ultimate dagger that cut into the heart of the RhieinStars?
I wouldnt say that it was a dagger because it was a grind throughout the whole fourth quarter but it definitely played key in our win. We played great defense in the fourth quarter and that also helped us bigtime.
The RheinStars got crushed on the boards 53-28. Was this the best rebound game of the season for the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau?
I am not sure. Coming into this game coach told us that winning the rebound battle would be a big key in the outcome of this game. We all went out with a mindset that we were going to go for every rebound and try to dominate the glass and we ended up doing so and it helped us get a tough road win.
Hanau had 22 offensive rebounds. Did everything seem to come easier to you and Dane Johnson as you combined for 34 rebounds tonight or was it a hard fought battle getting each rebound?
It was definitely a battle none of those rebounds came easy we had to work for them.
Dane Johnson had his breakout game with 13 points and 18 rebounds. How valuable was his play for his self confidence and the team for the stretch run?
Dane Johnson is a key guy for us. With him we are a much better rebounding team. He has been playing very well by dominating the rebounds and being a physical presence in the paint. Not many can stop him when he has two feet in the paint.
You had three monster games against Heidelberg, Leverkusen and Paderborn with double doubles and then two poor games against Kirchheim and Chemnitz and then three solid games against Essen Rhondorf and Hamburg until the beast came out against Cologne. Was this a tough time for you mentally and how did you stay focused best?
Its basketball your not going to have a good game every night so I just make sure even if I am not playing well that I am playing as hard as I can for my teammates and trying to get a win.
The Hebeisen White Wings are playing very good basketball hovering around 500 since November 22nd with a 7-7 record. What was the turning point of the season where the team became a better team?
We just had some tough luck at the beginning of the season with injuries. We knew that we could be a good team in this league from the start but we had a lot of injuries but now we have the full team playing and our team chemistry has gotten better because of it
Three months ago if anyone said that the Hebeisen White Wings would reach the playoffs, nobody would have believed it. You have very realistic chances of reaching the playoffs with four games remaining. What does the team have to do now to reach this goal?
We just have to take it one game at a time. Every game is a playoff game for us now and we know that we have to prepare and come into every game with that mindset
German Robin Christen has been the unsung hero of the team carrying the team in many games. How inspiring has his play been for you?
Robin Christen has been playing very well all season. When he is playing well it makes us that much better because and not many guards can match his size and he takes advantage of that.
The team had many injuries and head coach Simon Cote was under a lot of pressure and may of even had some sleepless nights. How proud have you been of him of totally turning this team around?
I am very proud of coach. He never doubted us, he knew what we were capable of and he preached that to us every day and we just stuck with it. Him and coach Ryan are two great coaches. Injuries just hurt us in the beginning.
How did you see the NBA trades recently at the deadline? What teams did the best?
I think that the Pistons and Clippers got some very good pickups by getting Tobias Harris and the Clippers getting Jeff green. The spurs also got Kevin Martin which is a huge pick up for them.
Some of the older NBA players that played at different times are having a hard time giving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors credit for their success saying they might not have had that success 20-30 years ago. Are these former players just jealous or why can´t they just give credit where it´s due?
Yeah I think they should just give them guys credit man its a different era of basketball and its always going to change. They are dominating this era of basketball. So I don´t see the point in saying what they couldn´t do against a team from 20 years ago. You just will never know.
Recently ESPN made a top 100 greatest NBA players of alltime poll putting Lebron at #3 before legends Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and BIll Russell. Do you see that as being justified?
The only thing that separates Lebron from those guys is championship rings. I honestly think he deserves to be number 3. Numbers dont lie and his stats are unreal and he still has 7 or 8 years left to play.
What was the last movie that you saw?
The last movie i saw was Project X.
Thanks Kruize for the chat.
Lakeem Jackson (RheinStars) We Still Want To Make The Playoffs But We Have To Take These Games One At A Time
Lakeem Jackson is a 24 year old 196cm forward from Charlotte, North Carolina that is playing his professional season and first in Germany with German Pro A team RheinStars. He played his first two professional seasons with BK Iskra Svit (Slovakia-SBL). He started his basketball career in 2009 with South Carolina(NCAA) where he played a total of 120 NCAA games and as a senior played 32 games averaging 7.5ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 33.9%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 74-69 loss against the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau.
Lakeem thanks for talking to German Hoops A tough 74-69 loss to the Hebeisen Baskets Hanau. After an offensive second and third quarter, where did both teams find the energy to buckle down and give that extra on the defensive end in the fourth quarter?
I think it just came from both teams wanting to win.
The Hebeisen White Wings Hanau had an annoying 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Was that the ultimate dagger that cut into the heart of the RhieinStars?
I don’t think that was the case. Down the stretch of the 4th we had some free throws that didn’t fall and also some rebounds we didn’t come up with.
The RheinStars got crushed on the boards 53-28. Do you ever remember getting hit for 22 offensive rebounds in your career?
Yeah that was definitely the part of the game that hurt us the most. But we still had a chance to tie the game with 8 seconds left. Which is really rare.
TJ DiLeo (Giessen 46ers) Jordan Theodore Is An MVP Candidate Especially Because Of The Season Frankfurt Is Having
TJ DiLeo is a 25 year old 190cm guard from New Jersey that also has the German citizenship and is playing his third professional season and third for the Giessen 46ers this season. As a rookie with Giessen he played 38 games averaging 10.2ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 74.6%. Last season he played 38 games averaging 9.9ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.9apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 82.7% He played at Temple from 2008-2013 playing a total of 126 NCAA games. In 2010, he played for the German U20 National Team in 2010 and played for the European Championships U20 in Croatia playing 9 games: 10.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP. He spoke to eurobasket after the 86-61 loss to the Fraport Skyliners.
T.J thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 86-61 loss to the hands of the Fraport Skyliners at home snapping a 4 game winning streak In the third quarter, Giessen was trailing by 10 points and in the fourth quarter halfway through Frankfurt closed the door extending the lead by 20 points. Frankfurt wore Giessen down. Did the last weeks of crunch time wins wear the team down a bit mentally?
I don’t think it was our previous games, more Frankfurt’s style of play. They are a great team. We knew this game would be different than the last few. I actually think learning to win close games will help us in the future, because we undoubtedly will have some more this season. Unfortunately we couldn’t keep it close today
Giessen has a deep rotation and played all 12 players, but the Fraport Skyliners still wore you down. How does the style of the Fraport Skyliners wear teams down?
They are very physical and disciplined. They play hard for 40 minutes, they stick to their principles, and they eventually wear you down. Defensively, their guards are almost unscreenable, and they have great rotations from their bigs and weakside players. Offensively they play their systems very well. Their spacing is good and they have great chemistry especially with their bigs.
The Fraport Skyliners Established Lethal Team Play Looks To Sweep Series Against The Giessen 46ers Growing Team Play
The basketball fireworks started to take off early in the first quarter of the Beko BBL game between the Fraport Skyliners and ratiopharm Ulm last weekend, but the way it happened came from the hands of the most unlikely recipient in a Skyliner´s jersey. It wasn´t from the soft hands of big 205cm, 108 kilo center Florida native Mike Morrison who has never met a rim he didn´t fancy, or from the freak athlete Quantez Robertson who has unleashed so many flights in the Fraport arena at both ends of the court as Tez airlines that he would of made any flight controller in the area dizzy with all the traffic that the Cincinnati native as produced since arriving in Frankfurt in 2009. The big Aaron Doornekamp lob pass and throw down alley-oop dunk from Mike Morrison would entertain the fans late in the second quarter as a kind of main entrée. However it was actually an athletic play by Aaron Doornekamp that would serve as a nice game opening appetizer early in the first quarter that got many fans to see a totally different side to the game of the Canadian that one had never seen before. It is normal procedure to hear the rippled splash sound from the corner when Doornekamp unleashes a shot, but too see him in full flight and in the air like Air Jordan had never been seen before or was it really Quantez Super Tez Robertson in a mask? With the contest tied at 5-5, Doornekamp was behind the three point line at the right part of the court and with a defensive break down by Ulm that left ex Boston Celtic guard Chris Babb wrong footed, allowed Doornekmap the needed split second to accelerate to the rim as he had as clear a lane as Michael Jordan got on a daily basis back in the day where his tongue became famous with his flight toward instant bucket. Doornekamp flew to the bucket and finished with a beautiful hard one handed dunk that electrified the fans. After the comfortable 92-73 victory, Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert as usual kept the lauding to a minimal and tried not to be overexcited about the very strong team win. Herbert is the type of guy that keeps his joking to a minimal, but after a win like that where the team played really smart and well, he was able to release one witty remark saying that was the first time that he remembered seeing Aaron Doornekamp dunk in the last five years. “Aaron is a true professional and old man joke is funny but Aaron can really play this game at an extremely high level. He does a lot for our team and I’m sure he will be himself at Giessen. His dunk was awesome. I loved the scream after also”, stressed Fraport Skyliner point guard Jordan Theodore. The Fraport Skyliners shot an amazing 55% from the field, won the rebounding duel, dished out 22 assists, coughed up the ball a respectable 11 times only and held the hottest team in the league Ulm to only 73 points. Frankfurt would of held them under 70 points easily had they been able to keep ex Michigan state forward Raymar Morgan better under control. “Our defense vs Ulm was Skyliner basketball. We’re a tough group who likes to get after it on the defensive end”, warned ex Seton Hall guard Jordan Theodore. All in all, it was another great team win, but just another small step in the current season of the Fraport Skyliners.
Brandon Shingles(UNI Riesen Leipzig) Post Season Basketball Is About Letting It All Hang Out And Playing As One
Brandon Shingles is a 28 year old 190cm guard from Albany, Georgia playing his third season in Germany and first with the Uni-Riesen Leipzig (Germany-ProB). He started his basketball career at Morehead St. (NCAA) and as a senior played 32 games: 4.8ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.8apg, 1.5spg. In 2010 he started his professional basketball career at Aschersleben Tigers BC (Germany-2.Regionalliga) playing 15 games: 14.5ppg. He led the team to the Regionaliga 2 title. In the 2011-2012 season he played for Guildford Heat (United Kingdom-BBL) playing 6 games: 7.5ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.8apg, FGP: 57.1%, FT: 31.3%; left in Nov.’11, then moved to BBC Febro Eagles Magdeburg (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 7 games: 16.1ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.9apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 61.8%, FT: 63.0%. He then played for KB Drita Gjilan (Kosovo-SuperLeague) and two years ago for GBP Badajoz (Spain-EBA) playing 15 games: 15.5ppg, 8.3rpg, 3.6apg, 2.3spg, 2FGP: 60.8%, 3PT: 6.3%, FT: 57.3%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 87-81 loss to Wurzburg
Brandon thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 87-81 loss to Wurzburg. Except for an explosive third quarter where the UNI Riesen Leipzig powered home 31 points, you were never able to match the Wurzburg offense. Why was that a problem for three quarters?
I felt we came out sluggish the first half and put ourselves in a hole we weren’t able to get out of.
In the fourth quarter, Wurzburg had the lead despite Leipzig making runs and staying close, but why wasn´t the team able to get over the hump?
We just couldn’t get over the hump but all the credit goes to Wurzburg. They played a solid game.
How much does it annoy you that you helped force Wurzburg to 24 turnovers, but you still were unable to win the ball game?
Not really annoyed. Just shows we can really play good defense when we have to and this is something we can use going into the playoffs .
The UNI Riesen Leipzig did a pretty good job keeping American Travis Smith in check, but let the German duo of Felix Hoffman and Max Ugrai combine for 33 points. Couldn´t the team make better adjustments throughout the game against them?
All three guys are good players. Felix and Max had it going that night. We made some adjustments but it was a little too late .
The UNI Riesen Leipzig clinched the playoffs weeks ago, but a 4 game losing streak gave them the eighth place. How discouraging was it finishing the season with a 4 game losing streak?
I mean at the Christmas break we were in 3rd and now 8th. The last 4 loses came down to the wire so it’s not discouraging at all. We just got to get back to having fun and playing good quality basketball.
You didn´t play bad team basketball as you were in every game against BG Karlsruhe, Nordlingen, Frankfurt and Wurzburg. What positives can you take into the playoffs?
The positives we can take is now we know we can play with some off the better teams in our league. We just need to put a complete game together rather than just a half .
How can the team be focused mentally right now for the playoffs after losing the last four games?
Mentally I think we are fine. We know what we are capable of. We are a very confident team.
You have two weeks to prepare for the playoffs now the best of three. What things does the team need to work on most?
We need to improve in all aspects ff we plan to make a playoff run. Especially as a #8 seed
Now you play against #1 Pro B north team Iserlohn. Doesn´t the slim Leipzig rotation already give you head aches when thinking about that deep team?
The fact we have a slim rotation doesn’t bother us at all. We know the situation we are up against this team we just have to be ready to play from start to finish.
How excited are you too battle Iserlohn in the playoffs? How do you see to step up your game now in the post season?
I’m very excited to be playing in the playoffs no matter who we would have played. It’s a blessing to be here. Post season basketball is about letting it all hang out and playing as one so if we want to pull off this upset we need to play together.
How did you see the NBA trades recently at the deadline? What teams did the best?
I’m a Spurs fan. So with them signing Andre Miller (one of my favorite players ) and Kevin Martin made them really deep for a Championship run in June.
Some of the older NBA players that played at different times are having a hard time giving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors credit for their success saying they might not have had that success 20-30 years ago. Are these former players just jealous or why can´t they just give credit where it´s due?
I’m more of a fan of the NBA back then than now but the game evolved so much. What Curry is doing is amazing. We have never seen anything like it. Just give credit where credit is due.
Recently ESPN made a top 100 greatest NBA players of alltime poll putting Lebron at #3 before legends Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and BIll Russell. Do you see that as being justified?
I hate all this talk about Lebron. I’m a fan of him. Let him finish his career out first and then see where he falls among the all time greats but right now there is now way he should be in front of those guys you mention.
What was the last movie that you saw?
Major Payne.
Thanks Brandon for the chat.
Alex Foster(RheinStars) We Need To Reestablish A Winning-Posture With The Purpose Of Making The Most Of Our Season
Alex Foster is a 23 year old 203cm forward that grew up in Portland, Oregon and also has the German citizenship and is playing his professional rookie season in Germany with the RheinStars(Germany-ProA). He played at Emory (NCAA3) from 2011-2015 playing a total of 108 NCAA3 games and as a senior played 20.1ppg, 7.9rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 39.9%, FT: 79.8%. He was able to improve his scoring and rebounding average each season. He spoke to German Hoops after the RheinStars 74-69 loss against the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau.
Alex thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 74-69 loss to the Hebeisen Baskets Hanau. After an offensive second and third quarter, where did both teams find the energy to buckle down and give that extra on the defensive end in the fourth quarter?
We’re fighting to end over a month of losing, so there’s plenty of motivation to give everything we can to win. I think that showed in the intensity of the game last night, we just didn’t do enough to win.
The Hebeisen White Wings Hanau had an annoying 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Was that the ultimate dagger that cut into the heart of the RhieinStars?
We fought till the end, but we made too many mistakes down the stretch, which kept us from taking back the lead. We gave up way too many offense rebounds and also missed free throws. If we would have taken care of those things, we could have came up on top.
The RheinStars got crushed on the boards 53-28. Do you ever remember getting hit for 22 offensive rebounds in your career?
I honestly don’t know. Not that I can remember.
Kruize Pinkins had the number of the RheinStars this season combining for 38 rebounds and this time around had an even better game with 25 points and 20 rebounds. What makes this guy seemingly impossible to control?
He’s a tough match up physically and has a nose for the ball. Their whole team crashes the glass hard, which puts pressure on the defense to control the rebound. Last night, every time a ball bounced around, it ended up in their hands.
If you could pick one positive thing from this loss, could one laud the overall defense which kept a very strong team at the moment to 74 points?
Our defense was alright, but we also need to do some things much better to get back to winning. I also think we are starting to move the ball better, which we need to continue to work on too.
Hanau is one of the hottest teams in the German Pro A and are closer than ever of reaching the playoffs. How has the team improved since your first meeting in Hanau?
I respect the intensity they brought on the road. You could tell they were driven to win, which is something we can learn from them. Like us, they’re not the most talented team. Yet they make the most of their abilities and play together, which wins games.
The RheinStars Cologne are riding a 7 game losing streak. Reaching the playoffs was never a goal, but the team was in the playoff race for a long time. Is the team mentally even prepared to think about it now or is it better just to go one game at a time and finish the season strong?
I think we have to play for ourselves and then see what happens. For me, its not about the playoffs, it’s about making every day count. It’s hard to play your game when you’re focusing on the end result. Instead, if we go possession by possession, day by day, we’ll have a chance to end the losing streak.
The RheinStars are a very young team. Is the fact that the season is very long that the club has felt the fatigue factor as of late as a reason for the team fading?
We can’t make any excuses for our recent struggles. I think we have to take responsibility and fix it.
The club has only averaged 66 points in the seven game losing streak. Why has the team had had so much trouble putting points on the board?
Losing game after game puts a weight on your back and I think we’ve gotten too tight because of it. It shows on offense for sure. For a while, we were looking at each other to make plays, or trying to force things individually. We’ve put an emphasis on moving the ball and running hard, so we can get better looks for each other.
What will be key for the team now to get out of this funk besides sticking together?
We need to reestablish a winning-posture and enjoy the time we have together as a team. Not in a happy-go-lucky way, but with the purpose of making the most of our season.
As the season winds down, you keep working on improving your three point shot. As a rookie, it is more than understandable to have ups and downs, but how comfortable do you feel momentarily with the progress? You hit three against Hanau after two games of being 0/6.
I’ve been sticking around the gym to get up extra shots, which is the only way to get out of a shooting slump that I know. I was 1-3 from the line yesterday, so I’ll be getting in lots of free throws this week.
As a rookie how have you felt the effects of a long season? How have you been able to handle this seven game losing streak best mentally?
I definitely have had to take better care of my body. Eating well sustains my energy week after week, and I’ve also made sure to treat all the injuries I’ve sustained throughout the season, so I can stay on the court. As for the losing streak, I try to stay present-minded, to not get too caught up in it.
How did you see the NBA trades recently at the deadline? What teams did the best?
I appreciate good deals, so I liked Portland getting a future first-round draft pick for nothing but cap-space.
Some of the older NBA players that played at different times are having a hard time giving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors credit for their success saying they might not have had that success 20-30 years ago. Are these former players just jealous or why can´t they just give credit where it´s due?
Every player has a natural tendency to hang on to their past accomplishments, but to not give the Warriors credit is silly. The NBA is as competitive as ever and their regular season run is remarkable.
Recently ESPN made a top 100 greatest NBA players of alltime poll putting Lebron at #3 before legends Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and BIll Russell. Do you see that as being justified?
It’s impossible to truly justify any kind of player ranking. It’s all just opinions. The way I look at it, players should be evaluated by how much they mean to their team. So Lebron is definitely up there.
What was the last movie that you saw?
Deadpool. I love super hero movies and this one was like nothing I’d seen before.
Thanks Alex for the chat.
The Twin Towers Barthel And Voigtmann Are The Passing Flavors Of The Night Pacing The Fraport Skyliners Past ratiopharm Ulm 92-73
Every weekend, Fraport Skyliner point guard and the pride and joy of Englewood, New Jersey, Jordan Theodore has too battle against top rated point guards in the Beko BBL and some nights, he comes out the winner both in the team and match up category, but as of late, he has only been coming up the master in the head to head battle while his team the Fraport Skyliners have been coming up short in the victory department. After having a 6 game winning streak in the Beko BBL, the 2004 German champion currently is riding a three game losing streak. Theodore held his own in Ludwigsburg against American Kerron Johnson producing 22 points, but losing 74-70, then held a basketball boxing match against Jordan Taylor as he hit the game winning shot propelling 9 time Beko BBL cup winner into the final in Munich and last weekend the ex Seton Hall guard supplied 21 points to Brad Wanamaker´s 12 points, but the Brose Baskets Bamberg crushed Frankfurt 71-58. Theodore returned back to his own living room after three games on the road and was ready for the next battle against German national player Per Guenther and ratiopharm Ulm, currently one of the hottest team´s in the league having won 13 of their last 14 games. In this long and illustrious winning streak also belonged the 68-61 win of ratiopharm Ulm over the Fraport Skyliners on December 12th at home as Theodore couldn´t play in that game due to injury as German national player Konstantin Klein moved into the starting rotation notching 14 points as Guenther achieved 10 points and six assists in the win. It was the little things that Ulm did and Frankfurt didn´t that paved the win for guys like Chris Babb and Taylor Braun. One thing that Theodore has had often this season after games in the Fraport arena is that winning smile and non stop talkative mode that let´s him go on and on about the beauty of Frankfurt basketball as he has a 16-2 record this season in Beko BBL and Europe Cup play at home. In his first meeting with Guether and with revenge on the minds of his teammates, he and the Fraport Skyliners came out with an exceptional effort over 40 minutes as it was another day at the office where the offense was rolling and the defense was standing tall beating ratiopharm Ulm 92-73. Theodore didn´t start the game as he hadn´t practiced all week, but still amassed 10 points and four assists in the rout. “I was sick this week and I was a last minute decision to play. Klein did a good job and we still took care of business. We knew that it would be a good game. I didn´t play in Ulm and all I wanted was a win tonight. I wanted show my presence and this was a great win after the loss in Bamberg. We did a good job on Guenther and credit Klein for locking him up. Klein showed a lot of pride after losing the first time. We did a good job attacking Guenther and taking him out of the game”, stressed ex Seton Hall guard Jordan Theodore. A big key in the Frankfurt victory was the superb play by the German twin Towers Johannes Voigtmann and Danilo Barthel who combined for 35 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Especially their amazing passing game once again dazzled everyone as they continue to demonstrate why they are the best passing 4-5 duo in the German Beko BBL. Even if Canadian national player Aaron Doornekamp led all players with 8 assists, the passing flavor of the game were called Voigtmann and Barthel as they just took apart the Ulm defense all night long. Some come to games to witness the cool decision making and amazing game control of Jordan Theodore, Aaron Doornekamp make splash sounds from the corner, Mike Morrison make crushing authority dunks or the beautiful precision passing from all over the floor from Johannes Voigtmann or Danilo Barthel. “We really rely a lot on Voigtmann and Barthel, but what else can you expect when you have two guys like that that can score, rebound, pass and work so hard. It is a big advantage when you can give the big man the ball and let him go to work. Their passing is huge. It is a big advantage when they have a good position with the ball. It opens up the floor for their 1-1 play or if the double team comes, they know where to find us”, expressed 5 time CIS champion Philip Scrubb. Ratiopharm Ulm really had no cure of how to stop 40 minutes of always attacking mode on offense and couldn´t crack the always aggressive Frankfurt defense. “When you play against a good team, you have to be ready for 40 minutes, but we weren´t. We were unable to execute on offense and looked confused on defense. Their two big men really hurt us with their scoring and when they can pass as well it gets tougher. We have a very athletic front court, but we were unable to use it to our advantage”, stressed ex Boston Celtic Chris Babb.
The Tomas Dimsa Early Explosiveness Fuels The Fraport Skyliners Juniors By The ScanPlus Baskets 91-80
Time goes and goes in the basketball world as players get older and quietly glide away in the sunset into retirement while others remain or even come out of retirement when that itch to battle under the boards returns even after having banged in the trenches for 17 years and having had to endure countless elbows over that span. For German Maksym Shten who was known as the Ukrainian train can look back at a very long basketball career that allowed him to play in the Beko BBL for 6 years with teams like ratiopharm Ulm, Frankfurt, TBB Trier, Eisbaeren Bremerhaven and medi Bayreuth amassing a total of 200 games. It would be interesting to find out which place was most loving to him as he did help Ulm reach the BBL in 2006, but with the Frankfurt Skyliners, he played with a very special team reaching the semi-finals of the 2008 playoffs where no Frankfurt fan will ever forget the very exciting 5 game series win over Leverkusen and loss to the Telekom Baskets Bonn. Frankfurt was also the only time, he played international club basketball where he played 9 ULEB cup games and probably his best BBL game was his amazing 24 point outburst in Goettingen where half the team was sick and he had to step up. From that 2007-2008 Frankfurt team, only four guys are still active with Alex King with Alba Berlin, Jimmy Mckinney with Bonn, Derrick Allen with SC Rasta Vechta and Illian Evtimov with Chalon in France. Shtein had a perfect 3-0 PRO B record with Weissenhorn against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors and 2-0 in the BCM and returned back ready to battle against the young German big men Johannes Richter and Niklas Kiel and show that this train still has ICE style. However Shtein saw only 6.15 minutes in the game making a point and an assist and as usual was very active inside, but his only shot was a missed three pointer as he was testing his 66% three point shooting. However it was the other ex Skyliner Filmore Beck that stole the show having a masterful game notching 28 points keeping the ScanPlus Baskets in the game, but overall as has been the case so often this season, it was the overall skill and deepness of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors that allowed them to win another game despite squandering lead after lead. “We had highs and lows in the game, but the difference was in the second half where we played better as a team, hit shots and made easy buckets”, stressed Fraport Skyliners Juniors guard Max Merz. ScanPlus Baskets point guard and leader Lorne Jackson was frustrated after the loss as he had fouled out at 6.16 minute mark of the fourth quarter, but stressed that there were many factors why his team couldn´t get over the hump. “They had the lead most of the game and we always had to fight back and were unable get the lead. They simply outworked us, made plays and hit many three´s which hurt us. We shot bad from the field and free throw line and had too many turnovers”, stressed ex Pepperdine(NCAA) guard Lorne Jackson.
You probably could have asked ScanPlus Baskets 35 year old Edward Williams who Tomas Dimsa was and he most likely would have shrugged and at least noticed that he wasn´t German, but after a few minutes and being down 17-4 quickly, the American who was German Pro B champion in 2009 with Crailsheim and played at North Carolina-Wilmington found out fast who the Lithuanian was as he steered 10 points in the run as his early explosiveness fueled the Fraport Skyliners which paved the road for a very strong team offensive performance over the course of 40 minutes. In the run, Dimsa showed just how lethal his athleticism is as he scored inside three times shifting gears with his speed whenever he wanted to and also knocked down a three. American Travis Thompson also connected from downtown and Johannes Richter scored inside on the pick and roll with Merz. The key to the big run was the aggressiveness of Dimsa which led to a consistent offense and they were defending steadily while they also had the upper hand in getting loose balls. However the day basketball ends being a game of runs is the day Donald Trump admits he isn´t the greatest as both will continue to be reality as now it was time for the ScanPlus Baskets to get some more luck and get a rhythm on offense as they smacked Frankfurt in the face with a nasty 12-0 run to trail only 17-15. The run was started by the never ending aggressiveness of American North Carolina native Tommy Spagnolo who got two offensive rebounds that he put home for put backs. German Brian Butler who played 65 Pro A games with Ehingen took a chapter from Dimsa´s book of being aggressive scoring inside and getting to the free throw line twice. Beck also nailed his first three pointer. The main reason for the Scan Plus Baskets getting back in the game was that they upped their aggressiveness inside and Frankfurt also got careless with taking care of the ball and on defense. However as has so often been the case this season, when an opponent is threatening, Frankfurt always find a way to stop the run and get their offense going again as Thompson and Stefan Ilzhoefer nailed three pointers carrying Frankfurt to the 27-20 lead after one quarter. “Frankfurt had a good start, but then allowed the opponent to go on a run and they played no team defense and too much 1-1 play”, stressed Fraport Skyliners guard Philip Scrubb. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 64% from the field and 57% from outside while the ScanPlus Baskets were shooting 44% from the field and 40% from outside. Both teams had nine rebounds a piece and Frankfurt had six turnovers and the ScanPlus Baskets five turnovers.
The second quarter was similar to the first quarter in that the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had a good start getting a healthy lead again, but then allowed the ScanPlus Baskets on a 12-0 run to get their first lead of the game, but they still went into halftime with the lead. Paderborn native Niklas Kiel gave Frankfurt instant offense with a three pointer and a lay in giving Frankfurt the 32-22 advantage. After being almost invisible in the first quarter on offense, American Lorne Jackson got going making free throws and connecting on a pull up jumper. After Beck hit a step back shot, it was Merz that made a three pointer extending the Frankfurt lead to 37-27. Then it was time for the second big run and ScanPlus Baskets comeback of the night as they moved out on a 12-0 run to take their first lead 39-37. The ScanPlus Baskets took some of that Filmore Beck pizazz on the offensive end as the ex TV Langen guard got very hot not showcasing his three pointer, but also some of that Ricky Easterling type of game scoring inside spinning on one hoop and scoring off balance on another. Jackson also contributed to the run as well as 32 year old German/Bosnian Mario Simic who played with Weissenhorn from 2004-2012 who finished with a pretty finger tip lay in. However Frankfurt didn´t lay down and die, but fought for the lead back as Richter nailed a three pointer and Dimsa snuck inside for another lay in to give Frankfurt the slim 44-42 lead at the break. “The ScanPlus Baskets were very confident in their run while Frankfurt got out of their offense. It was good that Frankfurt didn´t let the opponent get a bigger lead on their run”, added Philip Scrubb. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 48% from the field and 44% from the three point line while the ScanPlus Baskets were shooting 54% from the field and 29% from the three point line. The ScanPlus Baskets had the 18-14 rebound edge, but 12 turnovers while Frankfurt had 11 turnovers.
The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had another good start in the third quarter, but unlike the first two quarters learned from their mistakes not letting the ScanPlus Baskets go on another big run to get back into the game. Frankfurt got off on a quick 8-0 run to extend their lead to 52-42. The run was started by supreme ball movement which led to a Merz trey and sparked the run for further potent offense as Richter nailed free throws and Dimsa got free and hit another three pointer. The ScanPlus Baskets stayed tough going on a 6-2 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 54-48 as it was Spagnolo scoring inside after getting a loose ball, Kevin Wysocki feeding Butler for an alley-oop slam dunk and the German dunker scored inside again. However the Fraport Skyliners continued to execute pretty well on offense and got enough stops to keep the opponent at bay and always have close to a 10-14 lead. Kiel was very effective getting to the free throw line twice and making a lay in as did ex Bremerhaven point guard Garai Zeeb being aggressive making free throws. Frankfurt showed their brutal three point shooting side connecting three times as Zeeb, Dimsa and Thompson connected giving the Fraport Skyliners Juniors the comfortable 73-59 lead after 30 minutes. “We hit big shots at the end. Thompson has been making them all season long. The ball movement was a lot better at the end. We know that we have very good shooters which helps our self confidence to take those shots”, added Max Merz. “Those three pointers at the end really hurt us. We were unable to make stops to get closer to them”, stressed Lorne Jackson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 50% from the field and 48% from the parking lot while the ScanPlus Baskets were shooting 50% from the field and 18% from the parking lot. Both teams had 23 rebounds a piece, but the guests had 14 turnovers and Frankfurt 12 turnovers.
In the fourth quarter, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to throw their lethal offense at the ScanPlus Baskets while they slowly ran out of gas and were without their top scorer Lorne Jackson who fouled out early. The ScanPlus Baskets made their last push at the start of the fourth quarter going on a 8-2 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 77-67 as there was still a shimmer of hope. In the run, it was Beck hitting a step back, Simic scored inside and Butler made free throws and tip toed around Niklas Kiel for the easy lay in. However then it was Jackson who fouled out at the 6.16 minute mark which propelled Frankfurt on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 84-67 which broke the back of the ScanPlus Baskets even if Beck continued to give his all trying to get a comeback going with his buckets. In the Frankfurt run, it was Tim Oldenburg connecting on his bread and butter the 15 footer, Zeeb nailed a trey and Ilzhoefer anticipated perfectly where the rebound would go and tipped in the ball while cruising in from the wing. “I don´t want to say that we lost because I fouled out. We didn´t come together as a team. I thought the game was being called tightly. This was the fourth time that I fouled out this season and never this early”, stressed Lorne Jackson. Beck would score 12 of the last 13 ScanPlus Baskets, but they couldn´t get any stops on defense. Frankfurt continued to hit shots as Thompson made a three and Oldenburg a step back. Ilzhoefer was a type of unsung hero in the last few minutes keeping two plays alive with tip outs which kept the Frankfurt offensive alive. Without his stellar hustle play, who knows what else Beck could have fabricated extra on offense with a few more possesions. “We did a good job being aggressive on Jackson and getting him into foul trouble. I think even if he hadn´t fouled out, it would have been hard for them to win”, stressed Max Merz. “Frankfurt got in the bonus early and got to the free throw line and made their shots. We made stupid turnovers and they executed on most of them and also continued to execute on offense”, said Lorne Jackson.
The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Tomas Dimsa with 19 points. Niklas Kiel added 17 points. Travis Thompson contributed 12 points, Johannes Richter 11 points and Max Merz 10 points. The ScanPlus Baskets were led by Filmore Beck with 28 points. Brian Butler added 17 points and Lorne Jackson had 14 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 48% from the field and 44% from outside while the ScanPlus Baskets shot 50% from the field and 29% from outside. After losing the rebound duel by 30 in the first game, Frankfurt won the rebound battle this time 33-30, but had 17 turnovers while the ScanPlus Baskets had 18 turnovers. After the game, Fraport Skyliners Juniors head coach Eric Detlev had time to reflect on the win and season goals. “We reached one of our season goals which was to beat every team in the league at least once. Our next goal is to win at least two playoff games. We had good and bad phases today. The ScanPlus Baskets are an uncomfortable physical team where we did a good job taking advantage of their mistakes. The difference was when we play team basketball and have good ball movement we then are able to use our qualities best. When we have a good game rhythm, we are hard to stop. We have to defend well. In the playoffs, it will be important to do the dirty work”, warned Eric Detlev. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors meet the Artland Dragons in game one of the playoffs March 19th in Frankfurt.
German Hoops 