By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Beko arrived in the first game of the new decade carrying the burden of its worst start in EuroLeague since coach Zeljko Obradovic took over in 2013: A 6-10 win/loss record that kept the high-aspiring Turkish team well below the playoff zone.
These results included four straight defeats (to Anadolu Efes, Panathinaikos Athens, Zenit St. Petersburg and Valencia) in the last games; three of them at home. Three of the losses also took place in the very last seconds of either regulation or overtime and two of those – the major upsets vs. Zenit and Valencia in Istanbul – occurred after Fenerbahce gave up leads down the stretch.
It was more than imperative for Fenerbahce to win in Piraeus against Olympiacos and commence a possible resurgence. That was the predominant sentiment around the squad before the game and the feeling echoed by Derrick Williams after he and his teammates got the job done. “I was telling people earlier that this could be a turning point in our season,” Williams told Eurohoops. “This past month, we had three excellent quarters and one quarter in each game that kind of killed us. Killed everything good we’ve done before. We didn’t want that to happen tonight.”
Williams has been producing 11.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 assists in 27.2 minutes in his sophomore season in EuroLeague. The former no. 2 NBA Draft pick had signed with the Turkish power in summer after completing his debut campaign in the competition with Bayern Munich by averaging 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds in 26:02 minutes. It was a run that was widely considered as one of the best ever by a EuroLeague newcomer.
“I don’t need a huge stat line for me to have a good season,” Williams said to Eurohoops. “So far I’ve been playing good but I can play better.”
Williams’ own contribution to the win over Olympiacos was 13 points (5/8 2-pointers, 1/2 3-pointers) and five rebounds during the 33:14 he stayed on the court. The American forward played the most minutes for his team behind guard Kostas Sloukas, yet he indulged us with a Q&A session after the match that went as follows:
Eurohoops: Contrary to the defeats to Zenit St. Petersburg and Valencia in the last two EuroLeague games, this time Fenerbahce didn’t allow the opponent to complete a comeback down the stretch. Did you feel a sort of “deja-vu” when Olympiacos cut the deficit to single digits with 90 seconds left?
Derrick Williams: “I think that everybody knew the kind of losses we had. A lot of people have been saying things about referees (EuroLeague issued reports on refereeing mistakes against Fenerbahce in critical last-second plays in the losses to Panathinaikos and Valencia). ‘The refs this and the refs that’. But at the end of the day, I always say that you don’t want to leave it at the referees’ hands. At the end of the day, they make great calls and they make bad calls. You don’t want to put yourself in that predicament. You want to try at least have a cushion. You want to have good possession. Maybe we had that [previous games] in the back of our mind. But, I think we learn by our mistakes so far and we wanted to start the season with a good road win and we did.
– E.H: Fener scored 96 points. You moved the ball really well, creating many open shots that you translated to baskets. You didn’t commit many turnovers. Would you say that it was one of your team’s top games this season so far?
– D.W.: “For sure. I was telling people earlier that this could be a turning point in our season. We haven’t had games going in our way. As I said, good teams learn from their mistakes. We watched some of them on film. How to stay in the moment, whether you are up by 15 points or down by 15 points. Every possession counts. We learned. And that’s a credit to everybody on our team. This past month, we had three excellent quarters and one quarter in each game that kind of killed us. Killed everything good we’ve done before. We didn’t want that to happen tonight.”
Williams and teammates Melih Mahmutoglu and Gigi Datome celebrate during the win over Olympiacos. Datome also mentioned to Eurohoops that the victory in Piraeus can be a turning point for his team (Photo: EuroLeague Basketball)
– E.H: How would you rate your performance in the season so far? What comparisons can you make with your rookie year in EuroLeague with Bayern Munich?
– D.W.: I was telling people before I even signed here that I’m not here to score 20 points in each game. Last year, I think I was carrying a load a lot more with Bayern and trying to help the guys on my team, including a lot of young guys. To really use my experience to really uplift the team. Whether it’s in the points category and rebounds category. This year, we have four or five guys that have played in the NBA. So I don’t need to do that. I don’t need to have a huge stat line for me to have a good season. So far, I think I’ve been playing good but I can play better. That’s the thing. I think I’ve been settling too much on 3-pointers and not really attacking [the basket] as much as I want. And taking good shots is the main thing for me. It’s not about me shooting eight 3-pointers in a game. But If I take eight good ones, that’s different than me taking eight attempts and having five of six maybe bad attempts.
– E.H.: Is it easy to change your game and embrace a “less is more” approach?
– D.W.: “Sometimes, it does get a little frustrating. Sometimes. But at the end of the day, I know my teammates. What type of teammates I have. If I do have a mismatch, for example, my teammates always look for me. But my job isn’t to score 20 or 30 points per game. We have a couple of really good guards who can do that. If I need to do that, then I can. I can play in multiple positions. Just like I did in the NBA. Play multiple positions, guard multiple positions and help my team reach the top.”
– E.H.: Speaking about the NBA, have you had any reactions by any NBA coach during timeouts like the ones Zeljko Obradovic had this season? You know, the outbursts that went viral.
D.W.: “Well, first of all, he’s definitely a really good coach. And sometimes the camera might be a little bit too close. He’s just trying to get his point across. That’s how he reacts. Regardless, he’s been doing this for a very long time. And he’s won a lot you know for 30 years. So a lot of people respect him regardless of what is caught on camera. We all respect him. We know that some things happen in the heat of the moment. We are all teammates and family and the goal is the same for all of us: Get wins.”
– E.H.: This team is built for nothing else other than making the Final Four and ultimately winning the EuroLeague. Do you feel that it has what it takes to make it until the end of the road and claim the title?
– D.W.: “Of course. That’s the goal no matter what. We all know what position we are in now. But, this is basketball. There are a lot of games left. We can go on a run just like Fener did last year. They won 12 in a row last season. Sometimes this can happen near the end of the season you know. It’s better if all this turmoil and everything we go through can kind of shape us. It can be better for us at the end of the year. And that’s when we want to play well, at the end of the year.”
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball