Jordan Talbert is a 25 year old 198cm forward from Little Rock, Arkansas that is playing his third professional season and first with the PS Karlsruhe Lions. He came to Germany as a rookie in 2014 and played with the Giants TSV 1861 Noerdlingen (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 26 games: 21.6ppg, 9.6rpg, 3.2apg, 2.0spg, Blocks-4(1.5bpg), FGP: 51.7%, 3PT: 28.9%, FT: 78.4%. He played his college career at Missouri SO(NCAA2) from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 11.7ppg, 7.4rpg, 2.9apg, 1.1spg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 70.1%. Last season with Nordlingen he tore up the Pro B averaging 17.5ppg, Reb-1(11.0rpg), 2.4apg, 1.7spg, Blocks-5(1.5bpg), FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 27.5%, FT: 73.4%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 82-73 win in Rhondorf.
Jordan congrats on the big 82-73 win in Rhondorf putting the PS Karlsruhe record at 7-1. Seven wins in a row. How good is basketball life for you at the moment?
Basketball life is very good at the moment. Winning cures all things. I’m very happy with the way we’re playing as a team and our potential to keep growing as the season goes on.
PS Karlsruhe has a 7 game winning streak and city rival BG Karlsruhe a 5 game winning streak. Is the basketball fever being felt in the city right now?
I think it is. I can definitely feel an increase in the atmosphere of our home games. Hopefully it continues to grow.
Do you sense like that last regular season game against BG Karlsruhe won´t be the last meeting this season?
I’m not sure. It’s really early to tell how the playoffs will play out. There are a lot of possibilities, I just know that we will be ready for whatever comes our way.
The club remains unbeaten on the road. Do you feel as comfortable on the road as home or does it have to do with the team´s mindset?
I think we all like coming into an atmosphere when we know that everyone is against us. Even if we are the number 1 team in the league it gives us the underdog mentality which is like an extra edge.
PS Karlsruhe was in control of this game and except for a few big runs that you gave up to Rhondorf, How content were you with the effort of your team?
I was pleased with our effort. I think we lost focus at times which helped with their runs but overall our effort was always there.
PS Karlsruhe scored 52 points in the paint. Is that a number that you always want to reach as a team to be completely satisfied to how you utilize your strength as a team inside?
We really don’t have a set goal on how we score the ball. We just want to stay aggressive and take advantage of what the defense gives us. We felt we had an advantage in the paint so we wanted to make sure we kept attacking it offensively.
I guess you can´t ever totally shut down an Aaron Nelson as he was averaging 24 and 14 coming into the game and scored 31 and hauled down 15 rebounds. Is he the best big man that you have come across this season so far?
Yes he is probably the best big man we’ve faced this season so far.
After a poor showing in the home opener against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors, the club came back the next week beating rival BG Karlsruhe. Was there something in this game that has secretly sparked the play of the team to span this 7 game winning streak?
The lost definitely woke us up a little and gave us motivation for the next game. The loss is something we got over quickly and is a thing of the past. The winning is a result of us focusing on the next game and not thinking about what happened the week before.
PS Karlsruhe have this focus that I really haven´t seen from any team this season. How much does this have to do with the characters of the club and how much with the guidance of head coach Alexander Scepanovic?
I think coach has done a great job of managing the personalities on the team and keeping us focused from game to game. He does a good job of not letting us get too high or too low on ourselves.
PS Karlsruhe have the top rated defense in the Pro B. The club doesn´t have real size inside, but how naurtal is the team athleticism which seems to drive opponents crazy?
I think our length and quickness is frustrating to our opponents. We also do a great job of communicating which is a huge part of any successful defense. We take pride in the way we defend and it’s a primary focus of ours coming into the game.
The club seems to have so much self-confidence at the moment. Does the team know how good it is and how much potential does the team have and how better do you feel can you still get?
We know that we have potential to do something special this season but we also know that potential means nothing if we don’t deliver. We feel there’s still another level we can reach as our team chemistry continues to grow.
Is the front line of Orlando Parker, Bill Borekambi and Jordan Talbert the best athletic trio in the Pro B south?
It’s not my place to say if we’re better than anyone else but I think that we can’t compete with anyone on any given night.
How valuable has German Deon Mcduffie been this season. What besides his nonstop energy is his biggest asset on the court?
Deon is our leader, he’s our voice. He does so much for us off the court as well as on the court. His ability to make big and timely shots for us in crunch time is priceless.
You had your best scoring game of the season with 21 points. How much fun is it to play with the talented forwards Orlando parker and Bill Borekambi and how do you feel has their play helped your play so far this season?
It’s great playing with those guys. Along with our playing together in games I think we’ve helped each other the most on the practice floor. We compete against each every day at a high level which makes sure we come into the game sharp. Playing against them in practice I know I won’t play against better when the game time comes.
How valuable has the brother relationship of you and Orlando Parker been for the team chemistry up front?
It’s has been great to develop that relationship with Orlando. It’s definitely has shown in our play. Us being on the same page offensively and defensively makes our frontline that much better.
Your stats are down from last season because there are more scoring options with PS Karlsruhe. How do you feel is your game benefiting from your new teams and team play?
I feel that my game has benefitted tremendously by not having so much focus on me as it was before me playing here. I can play more without the ball, I have more passing options because there are more scorers around me, and also I feel comfortable when I come out of the game knowing that my team can sustain the lead. The need for me to score so much is not there, which is a relief. It also allows me to play more natural and let the game come to me.
Is your three pointer an area that you want to continue to improve to make your play even more unpredictable for opponents defense to read accurately?
Yes my three pointer along with other areas are things I want to improve on that will help my game.
The next game is against the doormat of the league Wurzburg. How will PS Karlsruhe not underestimate this team?
I don’t think our focus will be so much on our opponent. Our focus is on us and how we can play our best game no matter who it’s against.
Who wins a one on one you or Orlando Parker?
We’re both extremely competitive guys with a similar style of play. It would be a good game but my pride will never let me say someone can beat me in a game of one on one.
With Curry, Thompson and Durant and the supporting cast, shouldn´t the Golden State Warriors be even better than how they started or is that big man presence missing?
It’s still very early in the season to say. With adding and losing major pieces they’re still building chemistry. With that being said I do think they’re missing a solid rim protector.
Does a 0/10 shooting night by Steph Curry prove he is really only human?
Everyone has a bad shooting night but for him to answer that game with a 13/17 game I think it’s safe to say he’s still easily the best shooter in the league.
What was the last movie that you saw?
Apocalypto.
Thanks Jordan for the chat.
German Hoops 