By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
When the season began, nobody would have expected Errick McCollum first to join Fenerbahce and most importantly to help them solve problems in dramatic situations.
However, that’s what the 37-year-old veteran is doing, as he dropped 19 points over 7/10 from the field to help the yellow-and-blue powerhouse beat the Spanish powerhouse. “I think if you get some good rest and you take care of your body, you’re as young as you want to be mentally,” he opened.
“We were struggling to make shots and get things going, and that’s my expertise: I’m a shot maker, I’m a scorer. They needed a spark, so I came in to try to be aggressive and take advantage of the drop defense. The coach put me in a good situation, and my teammates believed in me. I just do what I do,” he added.
Later on, the former Karsiyaka leader reflected on their recent loss to Panathinaikos. “I wish we could have got that Pana game, that’s something we let us slip. Not satisfied, still thinking about that. We need to keep building and working,” McCollum followed.
He also spoke about the upcoming break. “When you’re playing well, the last thing you want is a break. Good news is we have time to get a new player [Jilson Bango] acclimated, I can get more practice sets in, and work on more things. Hopefully, we can keep that momentum and get a little bit sharper,” he said.
Nigel Hayes-Davis also praised his teammate’s effort to beat Madrid. “We had to pick up the intensity, we were playing at half court. We weren’t aggressive on loose balls and offensive rebounding. Thankfully Errick [McCollum] got us going, and the guys followed his lead”, he mentioned.
Sarunas Jasikevicius commented on his acquisition. “[He’s helping us] not just against zone and not just offensively. For him it’s very easy to come into the middle of the season: he has seen all kinds of coaches and systems, and he’s right in the middle of things,” he started.
“He’s a very outgoing person, he fits in great with the locker room and our guys. He’s seen everything already, all kinds of coaching styles and defenses. He’s been a great addition, no question,” he followed.
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague