By Bilal Baran Yardımcı / info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes veteran star Shane Larkin explained his role in making it easier for team rookies Jordan Nwora and Stanley Johnson to adjust to the EuroLeague type of basketball during their first overseas experiences.
“Just tell them to be patient,” Larkin told Eurohoops. “At the end of the day it takes time to kind of figure this EuroLeague thing out. I know my first season over here I started off struggling. But my team stuck with me and we kind of figured it out as a team, how to progress. Just be patient. Come to work every single day, learn, watch film, and push yourself on a day-to-day basis.”
“It’s not like we need Jordan and Stanley to be the best version of themselves right now. We need them to be the best version of themselves in March and April,” Larkin said.
“It’s not going to be about scoring 20 points per day or getting 10 rebounds right now,” Larkin added. “It’s about enjoying the process, becoming closer with your teammates. Understanding the game more, like the European spacing and all that. And then day by day, getting better and understanding where you can fit in and what you can do to help our team. Both guys have great mentality and have been nothing but positive. Great locker room guys. Always smiling, always happy. I think they have the right mindsets and I think they’re going to be big pieces for us down thhe stretch.”
Larkin is coming off a season-high performance of 24 points on 9 – 14 shots, thanks to which Efes got a comeback win at home over Olympiacos Piraeus. It was quite the display for the American player who was out in preseason due to an ankle injury.
“Mentally, I’m alright,” Larkin commented. “Obviously, it’s never enjoyable to miss preseason because that’s the time you need to get get your body in shape. Take the shots you need to miss and understand what you did wrong and the rhythm will come. Day by day I feel better. I’m probably around 80 – 85 percent right now.”