By Nikos Varlas, Lefteris Moutis/ varlas@eurohoops.net, moutis@eurohoops.net
Ante Tomic is walking the path of his many countrymen who taught how to play center in the world basketball scene. In his years in Madrid he hadn’t the chance to prove his class, but in just his first season in Barcelona he proves that Real made a mistake and he took the right decision.
Real’s transition offense is impressive, but you can’t say the same when Madrid has to attack against a high level set defense. In the same time Ante Tomic is the cornerstone of Barca’s offense in low post. He has more than moments of brilliance and in February he was almost perfect.
So, just before the game against Olympiacos, Euroleague’s February MVP sat down with Eurohoops in SEF and had a nice little chat. We started but disagreeing, but then we found common ground and we ended up with two important conclusions.
The 26 years old center feels right at home in Barcelona – something that’s evident on the floor and he wants to complete his game in the coming years by getting closer to the playing style of Pau Gasol, even though at this point he gets upset when he is compared to him.
He has a good reason for that. The Spanish super star has accomplished almost everything in his career, while the Croatian center is now starting to be a protagonist in the highest level as a member of Pau’s beloved Barcelona.
We started our interview aggressively. We asked him if centers like him can define the game, something that in recent years, specially in Europe, is an exclusive affair for guards.
(He thinks…) “Well, I don’t know. It is a game of five versus five. It’s not just small guys that are playing. There are a lot of tall players that can really play and dominate the court. So I think there is a balance between small guys and big guys”.
This year his game is on a higher level. It’s not only his numbers that have doubled. He is much more physical and he is also creating for his teammates, something extremely important. How he explains his explosion?
“It’s a little bit of everything. First, I think it’s the talent. That comes first. After that there is work, experience, cooperation with my teammates, because without them I couldn’t get in this position. So, yes, this year I have improved a lot, I improved my numbers, but for me the only thing that matters is to win. Because this year the season in Euroleague is very long with lots of games against big teams, so the most important think for us is to be in the play offs and then hopefully in the final four”.
Ante Tomic is the heir of a long line of Croatian centers like Dino Radja, Nikola Vujcic and Stojan Vrankovic..
“I think I am in the right path to become a great player like them, but it’s still too early to be compared with those players. They are some of the best players in Croatian basketball history. However, I didn’t had an idol for my position when I was a child”.
But now, if he had a model from the NBA, his choice will be a former member of Barcelona: “Well, let’s say Pau Gasol. Our game is kind of similar, but I think many guys specially in Spain are trying to compare me with him and I don’t like that situation. Like I said before it’s too early to be compared with those kind of players”.
This summer, after three season in Madrid, he decided to move to longtime rival Barcelona. It’s not an easy decision, but Tomic’s choice is already proven right just in his first season as he became in no time a big part of coach Pascual’s team.
What he says himself about that? He understood his choice was right from the first moment? “I think my decision was right from the first day I came to Barcelona. I felt and I feel very good here, all those guys, my teammates, my coaches, all the people in the club helped me a lot to adjust. You just feel better in Barcelona than in Madrid. I am really enjoying it here and it’s a pleasure to be in Barcelona”.