Minuto Con Manu: A New Season

[spursupporter]

Ginobili Sits Down for a Q&A at the Start of the 2005-06 Season
Minuto Con Manu: A New Season
Translated by Monica Gil Casias
Source from spurs.com


1. When will you return to the Argentina team? And how will your future be with the team?
I think that if nothing happens during the season I will play with them next year, there is still more than eight months away and a lot of compe ion in the NBA and you never know how I will end up physically, but the fact that I got some rest over the summer gave me the opportunity to recharge my batteries and it gave me the will to return, so if nothing goes wrong I will be there.

2. What are your personal objectives for this season?

Really the only individual objectives I have are to improve. In general, try to continue growing and try to take advantage of the fact that this is my fourth season with practically the same team, with the same coach, with the same teammates to try to talk and communicate more and help them a little more.

But in regards to points, achievements, prizes and such things, well none -- and when I say none I’m being serious, I’m not pretending. The truth is that those types of things don’t interest me.

3. This year an Uruguayan, Estaban Batista, arrives to the NBA. What do you think of the interest that has been generated for South America basketball in the NBA?
I think that this interest is the consequence of how basketball has been improving world wide, and thanks to the NBA which has globalized so much in so many countries that the kids want to play basketball better everyday and therefore there are more players from other countries in the NBA. Uruguay is another country like a lot of others who are giving players and nourishing this league. I’m very happy obviously because it’s another Latin from a neighboring country, therefore I wish him all the best and for him to have a good season.

4. The start of a new season against a tough team like Denver, what will happen this year with the Spurs and the arrival of Fabricio Oberto?
It’s going to be a special season. First because of the way the team came about, besides being the best team last year. If we add the three new players we automatically become candidates. We started with Denver, which was a timid team and which started playing real good with the arrival of George Karl, but for this year with more preparation and more accustomed to their coach they will play even better, more physical, a lot faster and with more talent. Also this day was real special for all of us because of the ring ceremony. It’s not an easy game to play; therefore we are hoping that all goes well.

5. How much have the Spurs improved with the arrival of Nick Van Exel, Michael Finley, and Fabricio Oberto?
As for those names, I believe that we have improved a lot, I feel that we have the most deep team in the NBA, by far. If you look at our 12 players, they can play on any team of the league, but to have good players doesn’t mean you have a good team or that you play well. The idea is for all of us to play with the same objective, for all of us to shoot for the same goal, and defend as hard as we did last year. All depends on how we play together, the names are here but that doesn’t make a team.

6. How do you manage to avoid the syndrome of being a champion that sometimes is given to teams taking in consideration that they continue to be one of the favorites for the le?
It’s hard, because we are satisfied and content with what happened in the previous season. Therefore we have to try to forget, erase from our heads of what happened in the previously season, even though it’s difficult because we always have it in our memory, the emotions were so wonderful and it’s so important to win a championship that we want to repeat. We are hoping to have the same hunger, but I can tell you it’s not that easy, therefore we hope to be mature enough to be at highest level of the cir stances.

7. What is missing for Fabricio Oberto to adapt to the NBA rhythm?
He is trying to understand and learn what the coach wants, how we play, how to play under new rules. He observes everything and tries to assimilate all the moves and getting accustomed little by little. Anyhow, without having such knowledge and being so new, he’s played real well. In the last three games he’s done a great job and I think everyone is happy with him. I repeat it’s too early, he still needs to learn and get accustomed and it’s not going to happen from one day to another. I have no doubt in my mind that when he takes the rhythm and gets accustomed playing with us, he is going to be very important to the team.

8. Who is the rival that can take the le from San Antonio this year?
I think it’s hard to talk about only one rival, there are a lot of teams that have strengthened, therefore I can tell you about five or six teams that are at the same level we are. In the east it would be Indiana, Detroit, and Miami, three teams that are real good. In the west, Houston, Phoenix, and Denver. So it’s going to be a hard and equal championship as always.

9. Have you done something in the pre-season that has nothing to do with basketball but that it’s going to help you prepare psychologically for the new season?
What has helped me the most is to rest. Coming from practically four consecutive years without resting, playing every year with the national team and this year I just wanted to take advantage and rest. I was more inactive than accustomed to, trying to be with my family, with my friends in Bahia Blanca, something that I haven’t done in a long time. This is what helped me recover mentally.

10. Do you think you can maintain the same great level that you had in the past season?

Hopefully I can surpass that. I know that it’s going to be very difficult since I had a great season, and played in all the playoffs. But you never know whether you play good or bad, the most important thing is for the team to play the same, which is the main objective. When the team plays good and wins then we can repeat a championship, I personally feel that whether you continue to maintain the same level or not, it’s going to be the same since the joy is enormous.

11. Do you see any problem with the distribution of the ball with the new reinforcements the team has made?
I think it depends exclusively of us. It doesn’t depend on Popovich, or the people, simply for us to be intelligent, for us to understand that there are other players, a lot of people that can shoot, therefore with that we will have less shots but more liberty. Meanwhile for us not to be selfish, and for no one to start looking at how many minutes they play this year, or how many shots they made last year and those type of things, because we will be okay. I’m hoping that we respond to these requirements and that we are all concentrated with the same objective of winning another championship and not the personal objectives.

12. Do you agree with the various South American players that say that you are the mirror, the role model to follow, what do you think of that?
If they think that way it makes me happy, but I don’t see it that way. I know that I’ve been that to a few of the Latin players since I have won an NBA championship and I value that a lot. But I repeat that I never play thinking that I represent all of one country or represent all of South America, I see myself as another player of the NBA. From where each of us come from becomes our second plan when you have the objective of becoming a champion.

13. Do you think for this season they have evened out the forces between the two conferences, a difference from previous years where there was supremacy of the western conference?
Yes, I think so; this has been happening slowly over the last three years. I still think that the west is more equal and with more teams of the same level, but like I previously said there are teams like Indiana, Detroit, and Miami who are at the same level of the teams from the west and even better.

[angel_luv]

Great article.

" It’s hard, because we are satisfied and content with what happened in the previous season. Therefore we have to try to forget, erase from our heads of what happened in the previously season, even though it’s difficult because we always have it in our memory, the emotions were so wonderful and it’s so important to win a championship that we want to repeat."

[ALVAREZ6]