Hallo Marco! You are very young, but one of the main players in your team. How could you explain your early successand how far do you think that Climamio can go this season? Greetings from Lithuania!
Karolis M - Lituania
"I'm happy to play for Fortitudo. Here I found a club that puts confidence in young players, too. This season, I'm feeling more important than the past one, so I'm getting more playing time and taking more responsibilities. The club works well on the market and signed good players. I think we can go very far this season both in the Euroleague and in the Italian League."
Hi, Marco, I wish you all the best in the Top 16 .Who was your basketball inspiration and why number 23?
Klemen K. - Ljubljana, Slovenia
"When I was a child, I grew up watching NBA tapes with my brother and my favorite player was a 'classic': Michael Jordan. That's the principle reason why I chose number 23 for Euroleague games."
Marco, I saw you against Strasbourg and I think you are one of the best shooters in the Euroleague, especially the way you move under the basket, get the ball out to the three-point line and shoot very fast! Did you expect to play like that at just 19 years old? That's fantastic!
Wulfar Hoerter - France
"Thanks for the compliments. I like to play this way. Since I was a youth team player, I was accustomed to running screens and playing without the ball. I don't want to sound immodest, but I've always been a bit better than my teammates in younger competitions, and I was used to taking big shots or being chosen for the clutch plays. Now, I'm trying to develop that talent."
Marco, hi from Greece! If you could choose, what player from another Euroleague team would you take on your team?
Vasilis Didymoteixo - Greece
"The first name that jumps to my mind is Anthony Parker of Maccabi Tel Aviv. To me, he's the best player in Europe. Another player I like a lot is Dimitris Diamantidis from Panathinaikos. But all the Top 16 players are great now."
Hi... With so many NBA scouts watching you, I want to know: Does it make you want to impress them or does it make you feel nervous? Good luck with your job. You are my Fantasy Challenge player. Bye,
Tutku - Istanbul, Turkey
"I don't think about it at all. For sure, I'm happy when scouts ask the club to follow games or practices to see Mancinelli, Lorbek, me and the others. But I try to not care about it. In the case of an important scout watching the game from the stand, I always hope to play a better game, but it's just a hope. I don't think about it. Because If I think too much, I will play bad."
Hi Marco. I am a big fan of Bologna. I think that you have the biggest future of all Italian players. My question is: do you think you can get to the Final Four this year?
Branimir - Croatia
"I think we can make it. I'm watching the Top 16 and seeing many surprising results, for example Cibona's pair of wins or Panathinaikos's pair of losses. It's very difficult to bet on the four teams that will make it to Prague. In our regular season group, Tau was probably the best team. Prigioni-Scola is one of the best duos in Europe. Panathinaikos is great too, but we should play against them to have a clearer idea."
Hi! The first time that I saw you playing was in Vitoria in 2002-03 for Virtus. You were pretty young. Now you are with Bargnani, Mancinelli and Datome as the leader of a new Italian generation. Already a leader with Climamio, are you able to assume the leading role in the Azzurra, too?
Jon de la Presa - Vitoria, Spain
"Obviously, I hope to play in the next World Championships. Having the chance to help your national team in such a competition would be wonderful and is a goal I want to achieve. But first, I have to demonstrate on the court that I deserve a call. Thinking about someday having a chance to play at the top level along with Bargnani, Mancinelli and Datome is even better. The last Eurobasket wasn't good for Italy, and I think playing with young players can be a key to showing that the experience of veterans is not the only way to aim for success."
Hi, Marco! Climamio didn't lose even one game this season at the Paladozza. Does this fact give you guys extra motivation for your upcoming games against Real Madrid and Maccabi? Thanks and good luck,
Yair - Israel
"I said many times that Fortitudo has the top fans in Europe. Playing in Land Rover Arena gives us an inexplicable boost. The fans of the 'Fossa dei Leoni' are our sixth man and many times they were the seventh man, too. This year, they didn't just help us win games: they definitely won those games. I played my only Euroleague finals in Tel Aviv and I remember that atmosphere. Nobody could have won that night against Maccabi, the crowd was so incredible. That night, I understood how the home court can be not only important, but decisive."
Hi Marco, I'm an old Fortitudo fan and I make you big compliments for the key role you assumed despite the pressure. I just want to make a couple of remarks. First, defense: I think you are too tempted by stealing after just one dribble. Second, I think you should improve penetration. Why don't you attack the rim with much decision, in fastbreak too? Good luck for the season and happy birthday!
Stefano - Italy
"Thanks Stefano for the wishes and the compliments. About the tips, I know I have to improve my defense. Since I was young, I have always looked for steals from the beginning because I like a lot to run the court and finish with a dunk alone. But after many, many practices and important games, I think I'm improving. I'm working on penetration, too. I still lack something to be important while driving the lane. I'm shooting too few free throws, too, and that's another thing to improve."
Marco, Has it ever been hard for you being on both sides of the Virtus-Fortitudo rivalry in Basket City? Growing up, of which team were you a fan? Good luck,
Raul - Spain
"I think the rivalry is a bit changed from the day I left Virtus for Fortitudo. At that time, Virtus didn't exist, but since then revived from the Italian second division, but still it didn't look like the 'old' Virtus. Now, from this season, Virtus is back and is the 'real' Virtus. Next month, I will play for the first time at PalaMalaguti, the arena where Virtus hosts games and I made my debut. I already know it will be... a drama, because everybody will have a grudge against me, as I noticed already when I played the Italian League all-star game there in December. I will have to stay concentrated. Changing clubs in the summer of 2003 was a hard choice but, at that time, was the only thing I could do. Now I'm happy to be with Fortitudo, and my position is here. When I was growing up, I attended game of both teams. I particularly remember a game that Fortitudo played against Hidayet Turkoglu's Efes Pilsen. Later, when I was playing in the Virtus youth teams, I had a season ticket to attend Virtus games."
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