One of Slask Wroclaw's main pillars in its 7DAYS EuroCup return is center Aleksander Dziewa, who in some ways is not your typical pro player.
Aleksander Dziewa, Slask: 'In Polish basketball, everybody is watching us'
Interviews
6 Mins read
Slask's first EuroCup season since the 2007-08 campaign didn't look great for the team after starting with a 1-9 record in Group A. But by winning its last two home games against Turk Telekom Ankara and Dolomiti Energia Trento, Slask finds itself in a good position to finish among the top eight in the group and qualify to the knock-out rounds. One of Slask's main pillars has been center Aleksander Dziewa, who is showcasing his best basketball after an adjustment period to the competition. Overall, Dziewa is averaging 9.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and an 11.2 performance index rating through 13 games. But in the last two of those, he has boosted his numbers up to 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and a PIR of 22.5. In some ways, he is not your typical pro player. Dziewa has a degree in architectural engineering from Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and competed in chess when he was younger. He compared chess and basketball in this EuroCupBasketball.com interview. "Both are strategy games but for sure, the biggest difference is that in chess, you have a lot of time to make a decision," Dziewa said. "In basketball, it is completely different because you have to do something right now."
Your last game, with Trento, was a critical for both teams. How did your team handle that pressure to play one of its best games all season?
"Well, before the game, we knew how our situation looked, that we had to win this game because now they must win three more games than us to get to the playoffs. So, we knew that and went to play this game very focused, ready to win it."
Your defense held Turk Telekom to 68 points and Trento to 67. Is strong defense the way forward for Slask?
"For us, it is the most important thing, and what Coach [Andrej Urlep] is telling us all the time. If we want to win, we need to play very good defense. Then we will get a lot of easy points in transition and stuff like this. So for us, the most important thing is defense, and we are focused on this."
This is your first EuroCup season. How do you like it?
"The biggest difference is the physicality. The players in EuroCup teams are very strong, very athletic. They have a lot of abilities on offense and defense, and you need to be aware of that. I think this is the biggest difference between the Polish League and the EuroCup. Playing against such good players is helping me improve. It is a huge step forward for me. It is a great lesson for me to improve, to become a better player."
"Playing against such good players is helping me improve. It is a huge step forward for me."
Has any team, or any opponent, impressed you a lot during this EuroCup season?
"For sure, [Johnathan] Motley of Lokomotiuv Kuban. He was a very strong and very mobile guy with good technique and can play everywhere. So, he was very dangerous. I did not play against Ante Tomic because he was injured or something like this in our first game. I will be playing against him soon and am really looking forward to this game because that's a really huge star and I want to compare myself with him."
You played chess as a kid and still play for fun. What do you like so much about it?
"I think I have a scientific mind, and I like this kind of environment. So, chess was very good for me, when I was a kid and even now, I enjoy playing with my friends. Nothing special now."
How do you compare chess and basketball?
"Both are strategy games, but for sure the biggest difference is that in chess, you have a lot of time to make a decision. In basketball, it is completely different because you have to do something right now, you know? In chess, you have to rely on yourself and in basketball, you play give against five, so it is completely different."
How did you handle both studying architectural engineering and becoming a pro basketball player?
"That was very hard, I have to say. It was very tough studying and playing basketball. I had a lot of projects, a lot of classes... I got a lot of friends who helped me with notes and exams. But there were a lot of sleepless nights, and sometimes I was very tired after those nights. So that was very tough, but I'm really proud of that, that I just did it."
You and Szymon Tomczak started at the same club in Konin and joined Slask together a few years ago. What's it like sharing your basketball life with him?
"It is a very good experience because we are from a really small city. We grew up together and it's very fun to play with him at this level of basketball. I like him very much as a player and as a guy. He's got talent. If you're talking about finishing under the basket, he is really, really impressive. He also has a lot of heart."
"We really want to be in the playoffs and then it is down to one game, each round, so anything can happen."
You joined Slask in 2016. How gratifying has it been to help bring Slask back to the EuroCup level?
"I'm really proud that I'm a part of Slask. I took every step with them. We grew up together, and being at this level really is a good reward for us. For sure, my main goal is to win the Polish League with Slask, to be first in our league."
Next, you face Hamburg Towers in another critical game. How much does reaching the EuroCup Playoffs motivate you and your teammates?
"For our club, it is a very important thing because they really want it. We really want to be in the playoffs and then it is down to one game, each round, so anything can happen. We will do our best to get to the next round. As for Polish basketball, everybody is watching us. That would be a huge step for Polish basketball."