Interview with Manu Ginobili

[Penya]

... By Gonzalo Vázquez: http://es.eurosport.yahoo.com/301220...nobili.html#co

-Pregunta: ¿Cómo te encuentras?

-Manu Ginobili: "No estoy bien. O al menos no del todo bien. Estoy pasando un momento medio raro. Me siento algo irregular y falto de ritmo. Es como si todavía me pesara la temporada pasada, la más complicada de mi vida. Pero bueno, confío en mi capacidad y creo que aún es temprano. Estoy entrando poco a poco y creo que podré recuperar mi mejor nivel este mismo año".

-P: En este equipo ¿te sientes el mismo de siempre?

-MG: "No lo sé del todo. No sé si en los actuales Spurs. Es un equipo muy cambiado y no sé si voy a tener el mismo rol que tenía por ejemplo hace dos años, cuando promediaba casi veinte puntos por partido. Ahora acá hay otras prioridades. Pero también te digo que no soy un jugador que necesite anotar mucho para sentirme bien. A Milwaukee le hice trece y a New York diecisiete y sin embargo me sentí muy bien. Así que depende. Soy un jugador que puede sentirse cómodo anotando entre diez y quince puntos. En ese sentido no he cambiado tanto".

-P: ¿Está San Antonio donde pensaba estar a estas alturas?

-MG: "No, para nada. El equipo no está jugando bien todavía. Está muy irregular y hay muchísimo por mejorar. Pero nosotros entendemos que la mejor noticia es que jugando mal estamos sextos o séptimos en el Oeste. Eso nos hace creer que en cuanto mejoremos vamos a estar más arriba".

-P: ¿Dónde creéis estar fallando más?

-MG: "Hay de todo un poco. Quizá no estemos sintiendo la urgencia ahora mismo. La urgencia de tener que ganar cada partido como si fuera una final y eso se nota. Pero no es sólo eso. Hay días que no movemos bien el balón, días en que no nos reconocemos defensivamente. No sé, no hemos fallado tanto en los 25 primeros partidos por algo en concreto. No estamos del todo bien y punto".

-P: Tú relación con Popovich, ¿sigue siendo la misma?

-MG: "Mira, después de tanto tiempo nuestra relación va más allá de lo deportivo. Nos mueve un gran respeto a los dos. Por supuesto que al tratarse de una relación jugador-entrenador va a haber momentos delicados. Pero seguirá siendo buena aunque yo el año que viene no siga en este equipo".

-P: ¿Que no sigas?

-MG: "No lo sé. Ahora mismo no lo sé".

-P: La llegada de Jefferson ¿os ha resultado satisfactoria?

-MG: "Jefferson es un jugador comprometido. Es atlético, inteligente y sacrificado. Pero ahora mismo está como el resto del equipo. Mejorando al ritmo al que lo estamos haciendo. Se supone que cuando todos estemos mejor él nos aportará lo que nos tiene que aportar. Porque esa es la idea y el único motivo por el que se le fichó".

-P: Pau Gasol nos comentó que el Mundial lo veía esta vez como algo lejano. ¿Y tú?

-MG: "No lo sé todavía. Es una decisión complicada y delicada. Cuando se acerque el momento decidiré. Va a estar más difícil que otras veces. Eso seguro. Pero bueno, jugadores como Nocioni, Scola, quizá Oberto, Prigioni, Delfino Si juegan vamos a tener posibilidades seguro".

-P: Porque Manu no se ha despedido de la nacional, ¿no?

-MG: "No, no, no. No me he despedido. Reconozco que jugar el Mundial va a estar más difícil que nunca y no sé si estaré. Pero no me quiero despedir todavía de la selección porque además nada me gustaría menos que hacerlo así".


(I'm working on the translation)

[Penya]

- Question: How are you?

-Manu Ginobili: "I’m not fine, not really. I’m trough a pretty weird moment, I’m feeling irregular and lacking rhythm. Last season, the most complicated of my carreer is still hurting me, making me feel tired. But I still trust in my abilities, and I think that it’s early in the season. I'm doing little by little and I think that I'll be able to do my best this season.


- Q: In this team, do you feel as you used to?

- MG: "I certainly don't know. I don't know if in the current Spurs. It's such a changed team, and I don't know if I'm going to have the same rol I had, for example, a couple of years ago, when I made 20 ppg. Now there are other priorities, but, you know, I'm not a player who needs to score a big amount of points to feel great. I scored 13 in Milwaukee and 17 in NYC and, however I felt really comfortable, so it depends, I'm able to feel fine scoring between 10-15 points, I haven't changed that much in that way.


- Q: Are the Spurs now where they had thought [at the beginning of the season]?

MG: "No. Our team hasn't played well yet. It's very irregular and we must improve a lot of things. But we understand that the best news is that we're in the seventh or sixth spot in the West. That makes us believe that, as soon as we improve our game, we'll be in a better position".

- Q: "Where do you think that the team isn't working?"

- MG: "A little bit in everything. We aren't feeling an "Emergency" situation right now, just the emergency of winning every game, playing each game as if it was the last. But we're struggling in several aspects of the game: Sometimes we don't move the ball well, sometimes we struggle in the defense... I don't know, we aren't struggling due to an unique reason, we just aren't playing well. Period."

-Q: "How is your relationship with Popovich?

-MG: "After so many years, our relationship is wider than a simple relationship between a coach and his player. We respect each other a lot. Of course there are always complicated moments, but even if i don't continue here the next season, I'll keep a good relationship with him."

-Q: "If you don't continue here...?"

- MG: "I don't know. Right now, I don't know"


-Q: "The arrival of Jefferson... Is it being satisfactory?"

-MG: "Jefferson is a commited player. He's athletic, he has high BB IQ and he's a hard-working man. But now he's just like the rest of the team, improving little by little. It's supposed that, when we improve our level, he'll peak, because that's why we signed him"


-Q "Pau Gasol told us that he's unlikely to go to the FIBA World Championship [Turkey 2010]. What about you?"

-MG: "I don't know, it's a tough decision. When it gets closer, I'll decide, but it's going to be more difficult than other years, sure. Anyway, great players like Nocioni, Scola, maybe Oberto, Prigioni or Delfino will be there. If they play, Argentina will have a shot to win."


Q: "Because you still haven't said goodbye to the NT, did you?"

MG "No, no, no, I've never said goodbye. I know that it's going to be difficult to play the World Championship, extremely difficult. But I don't want to say goodbye to the NT, because I wouldn't like to do that now"


That's the best translation I could make, sorry if there are some mistakes...

[TMTTRIO]

Thank you for the translation. Very interesting stuff about his condition and his future here with the Spurs.

[anonoftheinternets]

-MG: "After so many years, our relationship is wider than a simple relationship between a coach and his player. We respect each other a lot. Of course there are always complicated moments, but even if i don't continue here the next season, I'll keep a good relationship with him."

-Q: "If you don't continue here...?"

- MG: "I don't know. Right now, I don't know"

wow ... just wow ...

[ElNono]

Good job

Thanks

[urunobili]

Thanks for the translation

I think Manu is putting a little pressure on the Spurs to come and star the negotiation of a new contract with him soon saying if he doesn't know if he'll be on the Spurs next year.

[DesignatedT]

he still hasnt said goodbye to his national team? lmao. give it up manu.... the damage is done. you won a gold and you already ed this team over last season. time to concentrate on the spurs and make things right here.

[spurs10]

Is this from the beginning of the year when he wasn't feeling well and felt unsure of his future. Recent interviews have been very optimistic...anyhow, many thanks for the translation.

[Penya]

Is this from the beginning of the year when he wasn't feeling well and felt unsure of his future. Recent interviews have been very optimistic...anyhow, many thanks for the translation.

The interview was made on Sunday.

[thispego]

Ginobili got his new contract with that game last night. If he's feeling healthy and playing even half as good as last night, going forward, the spurs would be insane not to resign him this season.

[lennyalderette]

this is awkward, but i really think he should stay, he belongs here, and even when he gets old we'll love him. unlike la or anywhere else if your older they start hating on you even if your doing good

[Josepatches_]

The interview was made on Sunday.

He only has to read it.He talks about the games against the Bucks and the Knicks so it can't be from the beginning of the season.
Sometimes it's as easy as to read it before asking

[exstatic]

wow ... just wow ...

I wouldn't get all hepped up about it. Until he actually signs, it ISN'T sure. The Spurs are just being careful and doing their due diligence. Manu has broken down the last two post seasons, so they want to see what they've got.

[ducks]

Manu Ginobili: "I’m not fine, not really. I’m trough a pretty weird moment, I’m feeling irregular and lacking rhythm. Last season, the most complicated of my carreer is still hurting me, making me feel tired. But I still trust in my abilities, and I think that it’s early in the season. I'm doing little by little and I think that I'll be able to do my best this season.