By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
After starting the season ‘hot’ in the NBA, playing 23 games for the Phoenix Suns, and four for the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 9.3 points and 3.5 assists per game, Mike James is back in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, playing for Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens.
Eurohoops caught up with the former NBAer to talk about his goals, his mentality, an eventual return to the NBA but also the differences between the two competitions, the EuroLeague and the NBA.
The 27-year old guard scored nine points and handed out five assists, in Panathinaikos’ easy win over Crvena Zvezda. In his five games back, he has been scoring 12.4 points. Not a bad number, but the expectations are high.
As he told Eurohoops, he wants to get more comfortable in the team. “I have never really played off the ball in my career, so it is an adjustment period for me. I think today I took some steps moving forward as getting more comfortable and just learning where to be and how to play off the ball. Just keep going”.
James also talked about Panathinaikos’ 20 points win over Zvezda. “We played defense, we run in transition, we played together and shared the ball. I think when we are running, we are a fast team that’s also dangerous. Nick (Calathes), passes the ball so well and we are fast and athletic as a team. When we get stops it is easier for us.”
Panathinaikos has qualified for the playoffs and still has chances for the home court advantage. As Mike James says, you never know what may happen in Europe’s best competition: “We just got to play hard. Coach has been saying every game moving forward is closer to the final four. We were fighting for the playoffs, now for the home court advantage. So, we just got to keep going. You never know what happens, especially in the EuroLeague, so you got to play every game, one at a time like it’s your last.”
Panathinaikos’ guard is shooting just 3/26 from the three-point line in these five EuroLeague games he has played this year and as he says it’s a matter of time and part of the process: “I am missing some shots that I would normally make and I think it’s just part of the process, coming back and fitting in.”
He also commented on how the NBA and the EuroLeague are different. “The line and the balls have been messing with me a lot.”
The former player of the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Pelicans talked about the possibility of trying the NBA one more time. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. I had an experience and I don’t know if I want to try it (NBA) again. I’m not even thinking about it right now, I’m just focused on finishing the year.”
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