Veteran guard Jaka Blazic was the driving force behind double victories last week that have put the club he grew up with, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, in position to achieve its goal of reaching the 7DAYS EuroCup Top 16.
Jaka Blazic, Olimpija: 'We are on the right way'
Interviews
8 mins read
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana took a decisive step forwards towards its goal of reaching the 7DAYS EuroCup Top 16 from Group D by downing Frutti Extra Bursaspor twice last week. Olimpija opted to play its postponed Round 2 home game in Bursa, Turkey, and outgunned Bursaspor 104-88. When both teams met again in the same arena on Wednesday, Olimpija won again, 80-97. Jaka Blazic, a 30-year-old guard with seven Turkish Airlines Euroleague campaigns under his belt, was simply unstoppable in both games for Olimpija. He amassed 33 points and a PIR of 39 on Monday, then had 25 points and a PIR of 32 on Wednesday. In the second season of his second stint with Olimpija, Blazic is posting career-best numbers of 17.7 points on 41.9% shooting from downtown, 5.8 rebounds and a PIR of 20.0, ranking eighth overall in that category. Olimpija had a 0-5 start and missed the Top 16 last season but the team has bounced back and is in a very different situation now. "For now, it is working, and we are going game by game. We are still not on the level we are supposed to be or we want to be on," Blazic told EuroCupBasketball.com. "But I think we are on the right way."
Jaka, congratulations on the two wins against Bursaspor. What allowed Olimpija to score 104 and 97 points?
"I think we played two good games, especially on defense. We made some progress, and on offense, we just obeyed the rules that Coach gave us. It was easy, I think, for everybody to play. And I think that's the key, to become a team and play basketball like we did in Turkey. We made some defensive mistakes in the first half of the second game but managed to adjust. In the first half, they were playing pick-and-roll with a back screen in the center and we couldn't defend it. We talked in the locker room, thought how to defend it, came out in third quarter and played better defense. This is very important: to adjust during the game, and I think this can help us also in other games."
You scored 33 and 25 points in those games. How do you like your role as one of the team leaders?
"I mean, everybody wants to be a leader. Every basketball player I know wants to be a leader in one team. So, I accept this role. I will try to help the team as much as I can. Sometimes, when you are in a good rhythm, you score a lot of points. But we have a lot of players on the roster who are very talented. Some day, one guy is hot, another day another guy is hot. That's important in a good team."
"Every basketball player I know wants to be a leader."
Your 17.7-point average is your best ever in the EuroLeague or the EuroCup. Are you in the best moment of your career?
"Well, I have more experience than I had in the past, and I just try to do my best. Coach give me that role in this team. And like I said, I accepted it and it's working well for now. I like playing, I enjoy when I'm on the court, and I think that's important."
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana is the product of an unprecedented merger between teams from different countries. How did this merger benefit the team?
"I think that was a very good decision, to combine these two teams because Cedevita was a very organized team. They were known for for their good organization, but they didn't have a fan base. And Olimpija has a good fan base, with a of people supporting basketball in Ljubljana and all over Slovenia. And I think that was the best decision to make, to combine these two teams and start a new project. I think that, in the future, we will get the fans back to the arena and we can make a good story out of it."
After so many years in Serbia and Spain, how is it to play again in Ljubljana, a short ride from your hometown, Bled?
"Yes, exactly. I came to Ljubljana when I was 19 years old, and this is home to me. I made a home here with my family and it is nice to be back. Here in Slovenia, I enjoy basketball and also enjoy time with my family and friends. It's very, very good."
Few guards drive to the basket with so much confidence and energy. How did you choose that style?
"Yes, it is like my signature move, these drives to the basket. I don't know, but I was playing like this since I was young. I don't know how I can explain this. But I like to drive to the basket because in the past I was playing hockey. I started playing hockey as my first sport, and it is very dynamic all the time. You are in fast motion. And maybe because of this, I like to drive that much to the basket. When somebody switches on me, I don't rely on outside shots. I try to beat him. I try to beat centers because they are usually slower than me. And with this, I get advantages. Sometimes, I should search more for open players on the perimeter, and this is part of my game I am trying to improve in the last two years: finding open teammates in the perimeter because if I get an advantage driving, more guys are open, you know? This is the element of the game where I need to work more."
"I believe in my team. I believe in our team. I believe in Cedevita Olimpija."
Olimpija started 0-5 last season and missed the Top 16. Now, the team is 4-2. What did you learn from last season?
"We had some bad luck last year. We started 0-5 but had some good games in which we were up by 10 or 15 points and in the end we lost. I think that happened because we didn't have good chemistry in the team. We didn't have great chemistry to win when we had the lead, to keep going and to win by 20 in the end. We were always relaxed and loose at the end. This year, I think that with our new coach, we started to realize that when you want to win, you cannot relax. We still need to play defense and be concentrated on offense. For now, it is working, and we are going game by game. We are still not on the level we are supposed to be or we want to be. But I think we are on the right way."
How important is it for Olimpija to have local, experienced players like you, Roko Ukic and Edo Muric?
"It is very important, you know, because you have a base of players. You need to have a core every year with domestic guys. And then you just add foreign guys who are hungry. This season, we have foreign guys who are hungry for basketball, who want to prove themselves in Europe, who also want to be in a better situation in the next seasons. I think that's the right kind of roster. Like I said, the core has to be from domestic players. And I think we have a good mixture of players this year."
Your play Gran Canaria next and ex-teammates like Andrew Albicy and John Shurna. Having beaten them in Ljubljana, how can do that again?
"Yeah, they are a good team. They struggled a little bit last month, but are in a good rhythm now. They got rid of two players, Javier Beiran and Amadeo Della Valle, so other players stepped up and started to play better. So we will prepare for them and will be focused on Gran Canaria. I think it is a very important game for both teams. You know, if we win, we almost go to Top 16 and achieve the goal. They will also try to continue to have a good EuroCup season, so it is going to be interesting."
What would you consider a good season for you, personally, and for Olimpija?
"I think we have to go game by game. In this strange season, it is important to focus on the present and not to think too much about the future. But of course, the first goal is to go to the Top 16 and then we will see. I believe in my team. I believe in our team. I believe in Cedevita Olimpija. I hope we will have a great EuroCup season."