Well, I guess the times are changing compared to when I wrote my last blog. Three weeks later, things look better for my team, Asseco Prokom. At the very least, we still have a theoretical chance to achieve our goal of going to the Top 16. I always believed that we could win, and now for the first time, I am able to talk about some positive things happening on the basketball court.

Our team has finally found its identity and we are playing together much better than before. Ratko Varda is dominating the paint - as you can see from him being MVP of Week 8 - and Daniel Ewing has emerged as a leader on the court, dishing out 9 assists in our last game. Even though we lost to Zalgiris last week, it was a close game that we could have won. Sometimes it is just a little bit of luck or an official's call going one way or the other that decides the game. Knowing that, we need to fight to the very end and believe in our chances to keep competing in the Euroleague after Christmas.

We have won two games so far, and I can say that our team is finally playing good basketball. Our win over Caja Laboral in Vitoria, Spain was certainly a special one. Anytime you can beat the Spanish champion, you know that you have accomplished something big. Now we have two games left, and even if we win both, we would need Caja Laboral and Khimki to lose both to make it for sure to the next round. We also have possibilities if we beat Partizan by 8 points or... more

Here comes my second blog, and I have to admit that not much has changed. If you read my previous post, you know that I believe in my team and the players. I do not want to change that statement at all. Yes, we are 0-4, but I still think that we are capable of turning this around. So today I want to talk about something else, not our current situation on the court, but about the Euroleague as a whole and what it means to me to play at this level.

First off, Group A. I don't know what to say except that this is one tough group. I know I talked about it last time, but I am still amazed at how good everyone is in this group. We have had close games with everyone so far, one overtime loss and the others by narrow margins. The Spanish champion Caja Laboral loses at home and Partizan comes and wins at our place? It's insanity, and every team has the potential to win and lose at any point in time. That is competition, and that's what Euroleague basketball is all about. I know it is always nice to have a pushover team in your group, but this is more fun because every game could be a heartbreaker.

When I stated my career in Germany and the Spanish second division, it was always my dream to work my way onto a Euroleague team. Now that I am competing in the Euroleague for the third year in a row, I can say that I have arrived and I am living that dream. It is a competition unlike any other. Every game counts and every home loss has you at the brink of elimination. That is competition at its purest and that is what athletes live for, that feeling of all or nothing. You come out of the tunnel to start the game and you know that only your best will be good enough. When you can be successful in that... more

Here we go again. After spending the summer with the German national team in Turkey, the new season is on the way and we have two Euroleague games under our belt. Once again the task falls to me to give you an inside look into my team.

After we surprised everyone last year by going to the Playoffs, we are back to try and do it again. This year we arguably face the toughest group in the first round. All six teams are contenders: Partizan was a Final Four team last year; Caja Laboral is the Spanish League champion; Maccabi is a Euroleague powerhouse every year; Kaunas looks very strong under the reign of their new coach; and even though Khimki is a qualifier, they are a strong team. So now more than ever it is important to win your home games and find your groove quickly.

My team Asseco Prokom is playing in a total of three competitions this year, so to try and keep everyone healthy and ready for the games we have signed a few extra players to give proper rest to everyone. I truly believe in this team. We have great players who are all able to compete at this level and our record of 0-2 does not paint the total picture. Both games we have played so far were games that could have gone either way; we played hard and competed to the last second. We knew that both games would have been a challenge. When you fly to Moscow to play Khimki it is always tough to play there. We found... more