By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Partizan Belgrade guard Carlik Jones is looking to prove on the floor next season that he’s one of the top players in the EuroLeague in his position.
“I didn’t add anything new, it was more about improving everything I do,” Jones said to Meridian his work over the summer. “I want to show that I’m one of the best guards in the league, that’s my main goal.”
In his rookie European basketball season, Jones had a pretty solid output of 14.1 points, 5.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds in the EuroLeague. Not only does he expect that he will be more productive next season but also that he will follow coach Zeljko Obradovic‘s plan more faithfuly.
“Now I know exactly what he wants and what he expects from me,” Jones said. “The system is much clearer to me now, I can read situations on the court more easily and my confidence is at the highest level. What means the most to me is that he constantly instills confidence in me. He gives me the freedom and trust to lead the team and make the right decisions. He is demanding, but it shows how much he believes in us and how much he loves his players. He is a legend for a reason.”
Partizan finished the EuroLeague regular season at the 12th spot with a 16-18 record, failing to even make the Play-In tournament. Jones hopes the next season will be different.
“We showed that we can handle anyone. We were close to the playoffs despite a bad start,” Jones mentioned. “This season, our goal is not to repeat that start, but to focus on each game and each task, step by step.”