Dynamic guard Dylan Ennis is leading Gran Canaria into the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals on Tuesday against one of his former teams, MoraBanc Andorra, with whom he reached the semifinals and was chosen to the 2018-19 All-EuroCup Second Team. One of the most extroverted players in European basketball, Ennis is always ready to interact with fans on social media. You can follow him on TikTok (@dylanennis88), Instagram (@dylanennis31) and Twitter (@canadiankidDJE.)
Dylan Ennis, Gran Canaria: 'There are no excuses now'
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8 Mins read
It's playoffs time! Obviously, it's an amazing feeling, but we know how we have already seen teams lose that are higher-seeded, so we can't be too happy. We know that we could enjoy it, being in the quarterfinals. We have worked hard to be in this position, but we know with the playoffs, anything can happen and we have seen that already. So we are just trying to stay focused but also enjoy the moment as well.
Last week, I told our team that I think we were fortunate enough to play on the second day instead of the first. And obviously we had the mentality that we were going to go in and do everything we can, even if we didn't see Joventut [Badalona] lose that first day. But I think it was definitely a wake-up call knowing that anything can happen, any team can win, any team can get hot during that one game. So seeing what happened to Joventut, it's sad, because it's obviously a Spanish team, but at the same time, it was good for us because we knew that, hey, the top teams could lose any game, any given night now.
"My daughter was born in Andorra. So now Andorra always has a special place in my heart."
We will have the home-court advantage in all games we play. I think that's good for us. We play our best basketball at home, so that's great. Our fans get to be there, our families get to watch the whole process. And, of course, teams have to come travel to see us -- and it's a long trip. I'm not sad that they have to make that trip to come play us. It is good for us that they have that problem. So, we are happy that we get to keep playing these games at home.
Now that the EuroCup road trips are over, I can tell you a funny story. I think it was on social media, but when we went to Montenegro to play Buducnost, we didn't have any of our bags. So our team manager and our GM had to go to a local store and buy all of the shoes. And obviously, we were more comfortable in our own shoes, but they had that buy everybody shoes. And then when we did our practice the day before, we had to practice in [Buducnost's] jerseys, their practice jerseys, which was so funny. The team did a great job getting us shoes, but some of us weren't fully comfortable with the shoes we got. So, me and AJ Slaughter got a different pair of shoes at a local store the night before and we played in them, and everybody had such a good game that we said maybe we should now wear these shoes for the rest of the year. So, it’s a funny story, getting these random shoes to play in, but we were just happy that we ended up winning.
We will face Andorra in the quarterfinals and of course, it is a special game for me. Obviously, I know a lot of guys on that Andorra team and my daughter was born in Andorra. So now Andorra always has a special place in my heart. Before the game, I will talk to all of them and it will be great, but when that ball is thrown up, we are at war with them to go to the next round. And I think they are such a dangerous team because they have nothing to lose right now. They have had a rough season, but now this is their light at the end of the tunnel, the EuroCup, if they can continue to do good. So we have to come out and play tough. But even though I love Andorra, I'm picking us before anybody else. So we have to go out there and play hard.
We have a deep frontcourt this season, now that Olek Balcerowski is here. It's wild because obviously it's one guy, but he's a big guy and we have so much more weapons now on the box. John Shurna didn't play the last game but we have so much more guys to fill in now. I think, having a deep team, adding him, it definitely helps us in the long run. Not everybody can play big minutes and, maybe some guys may be mad here and there on any team if you have a deep team. But you have to look at the big picture and I think we are so good because everybody is buying in. Everybody's realizing that it's not about one guy, it's about the whole team. And as long as the team succeeds, that's the main thing. So adding him, it was so big for us.
Of course, both teams know each other well. I don't feel like there will be any tactical surprises. We both know each other so well, but it's just going to come down to who wants it more. You've just got to go out there and want it more. It's not going to be about the Xs and Os. Spanish teams know each other so well. Everybody in the league knows each other. Everybody knows what everybody could do, but in this playoff situation, it's going to be who wants to win more.
Joventut went down in the eighthfinals, but also Partizan. I have had a little experience with this format. I wouldn't say the same exactly, but playing it March Madness, you have the same type of format. You realize you can have one off game and you could be sent home no matter how good or bad you do all season. So that's my mentality, having been through it, and I think our team has that same mentality. We know that it could happen. People could say we might be the favorites against Andorra, but in our minds, there are no favorites anymore. It's not best-of-three, it's not best-of-five. It's a one-game series and you know the top team could just have a bad night -- and the bottom team could have a great night. We are not looking past Andorra in any regard. We know that they are a tough team.
Still, you look at the bracket and think about what can happen. We have Cedevita Olimpija and Bursaspor in our side of the bracket. Cedevita is playing great basketball, obviously. I know they have switched a lot of players in and out throughout the year, but I think they have the team that they wanted, and they are playing great basketball. They are going to be tough to beat. But, as I said, it doesn't matter what people did before, it doesn't matter what new players you have, all that matters is that one game. And I think they definitely are in a good rhythm right now. So there are definitely a dangerous team to play against.
"We are paid to play basketball and you have to enjoy that pressure. You have to embrace it."
The regular season games can't help you right now. It's just about the next game, and I think this one-game elimination, it heightens that. Yes, there is a lot of pressure but we are basketball players. We are paid to play basketball and you have to enjoy that pressure. You have to embrace it, because I know I do. It is a great format. It gives people a little anxiety, but hey, this is what we do. We compete. So if you want to compete at the highest level and you want to do something great, then you have to risk some stuff, and that's what we are doing. We are going into a one-game elimination, and we have to make sure that we are super focused on just the game at hand.
there are no excuses now. You can't say, "Oh, I wish they changed the format." You can't do that. You have to be man enough to play that good game on that one day, especially if you have home-court advantage. It's not a neutral site, so that's not an excuse either. If you have home-court advantage and you have that complaint about it not being a three-game series, then you're just not a competitor. It's a one-game elimination, you just have to make sure that you want it more than the other team.