By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
A little before the start of the season Esteban Batista talks on Eurohoops about Panathinaikos, Dusko Ivanovic, his big role in his new team and what happened with him in Efes.
The center from Uruguay will play for the sixth season in his career in Euroleague and this time he is expected to have a bigger role than ever, except maybe his rookie season with Maccabi when he scored 10.3 points and grabbed 5.2 rebounds per game. Dusko Ivanovic counts on him and during the preparation games he was just great. And also, the most important thing is that he’s the only older player than 24 years old who hasn’t suffered an injury during the preparation period (the other three players who are invulnerable are Pappas, Jankovic and Koniaris).
Panathinaikos must fight today for the first title in the season, in the Cup’s quarterfinal against Olympiacos without three players and Batista feels that his team has a disadvantage: “It’s difficult because we have a lot of injuries. We wanted to have full roster in this game but we can’t change it and we must try hard to win this game”.
The game will be held without fans at OAKA due to a Greens’ punishment and the 31-year-old center says that this is a once in a lifetime experience: “It will be weird to play such an important game without fans. The rules are like this and we must respect this. We must worry only about the game. We would like to play with our fans to add pressure to Olympiacos but we can’t change it”.
After two years away from Euroleague, Dusko Ivanovic came back to the scene and the most suitable player to talk about him is Esteban Batista who cooperated with also in Vitoria. The controversial Montenegrin coach has huge fans and great enemies. The center from Uruguay supports him: “I would say good things. He’s a tough coach but I don’t say something new. I can’t understand all these talks about him. He didn’t kill somebody! He can take your best potential. He did it before in Spain. Scola, Prigioni, Calderon, Nocioni should know better. They had a great career. He’s the best coach for a situation like this in Panathinaikos with many young players. They need to work hard. It’s part of our job”.
Under Ivanovic’ commands Batista was the best player of the Greens in the preparation games. Was that matter of his coach and his game plan? “I feel comfortable because of my teammates, not necessarily because of our game plan”. Did Diamantidis also help him? Is DD the best point guard he played with? “It’s difficult question but yes! He’s the best point guard I have ever played with! It’s easier to play with Diamantidis. For me it’s surprise the way he passes and the way that he does very difficult things seem so easy”.
Batista came to Panathinaikos after a very good season in Turkey with Karsiyaka but before that he didn’t play at all for two seasons in Efes. Which is his explanation? “In the second year the coach Oktay Mahmuti didn’t want me. This can happen in professional basketball. It wasn’t good for me but I still don’t know his problem. Hopefully I worry now only for Panathinaikos and I feel great here”.