Turk Telekom Ankara comes off its first road win of the 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup season, downing Dolomiti Energia Trento 70-76. A balanced offense allowed Turk Telekom to win the game, as four of its players scored in double digits. One of them was power forward JaJuan Johnson, who finished the game with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and a team-high PIR of 19. Johnson is in his fifth EuroCup season with as many different teams, after previous experiences with Besiktas JK Istanbul, Krasny Oktybar Volgograd, Darussafaka Istanbul and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. He helped Darussafaka win the EuroCup title in 2018, downing Lokomotiv in the Finals. Darussafaka played the underdog role to perfection and Johnson hopes to repeat that role with Turk Telekom. "I've had experience being a little bit of an underdog in this competition, so it will be interesting to see," Johnson told EuroCupBasketball.com. "I think we still have a chance to beat anybody."
JaJuan Johnson, Turk Telekom: 'I play to win'
JaJuan, congratulations on the team's first road win. How important was beating a direct competitor for the next round like Trento on its own court?
"Thanks. Anytime you can win on the road, no matter where you're at, it's a huge accomplishment because of the crowd, the travel -- it's always working against you. So it was a huge win for us and a step in the right direction."
With so many new players this season, can we expect Turk Telekom to do much better after this first road win?
"I think so. I think one of the problems that we've had this year is kind of like staying healthy. We've had a lot of injuries and whatnot this year, and we haven't had a chance to really play with each other at full strength for a long time. But, gradually we will get everyone back, and I think that, once we get everybody back, we will be a really dangerous team."
What do you think about the new format of more games, little room for mistakes, and do-or-die games after the regular season?
"Personally, I think that the format is OK. I think maybe it could have been like a best-out-of-three situation in the second round, but it is the formula they chose and at this point, anybody can win it. All it takes is one game in each round and anybody can win it. So I guess that's a good thing. Each game is important: right now, you are playing for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. For us, that is still a goal that we have a potential to reach, possibly."
"We will be a really dangerous team."
Can you take us back to the 2018 EuroCup Finals, when you helped Darussafaka win the title?
"It was... very intense! That road game against Loko (Game 1 of the best-of-three finals) when Sant-Roos got the steal and passed it to Wilbekin for the three was definitely a moment I won't forget. Loko, at the time, had won a lot of games in a row before they played us. So I had a good feeling about going into Game 2 at home after we got that first one on the road. Like I said, road wins are so tough to get, so I knew we had a huge advantage in doing that."
You are playing with another super scorer now, Aaron Harrison. How do you compare him with Wilbekin?
"Obviously, Scottie is more of a point guard. But I think Aaron and, obviously, Scottie, they are both very talented, EuroLeague-level offensive players. And Aaron, with his size, his shooting ability, as well as his scoring ability, can do a little bit of everything. Scottie, obviously, is a little bit shorter, but he gets it done. He can penetrate, hit an outside shot, and is a little bit quicker. But they both get it done in a little bit of a different way."
Your next opponent, Lietkabelis, has three wins already. Especially this season, how important is to stay focused for each and every opponent?
"You definitely need to prepare well for all games. Anybody can win in this competition, and anyone can lose on any given night. That's the beauty of this competition. They are a really good team in their domestic league already. For us, we are still finding our groove, but are making some steps in the right direction. But yes, they are going to be a tough team to beat. Obviously, an advantage that we have is we are playing at home and we have to do our best to protect home court."
You played with Gran Canaria playmaker Chris Kramer, who has also been in the EuroCup for several seasons, at university. Do you guys keep in touch?
"Yes. I reached out to him when he got injured. You know, me and Chris, we talked here and there and more so on social media over the years. But obviously, Chris is like a guy that can do it on a little bit of everything: scoring, rebounding, passing, obviously defending... It was always a pleasure playing with Chris, and he made my job in college a lot easier. He was a very unselfish player and a very great defender. But I think the craziest thing is that all these years that we've both been over in Europe, we have never played against each other, so I think that's kind of crazy. But maybe this might be the year!"
"We are still finding our groove."
At 32 years old, do you feel like you're in the prime of your career, especially with all the experience you have?
"I would definitely say so. Like you said, I have gained a lot of knowledge over the years. My body still feels pretty good. I'm able to run and jump still with the best of them. And, added to that, just being a smarter player from experiences with some pretty good coaches I played for over the years. And having that Euroleague experience last year with Coach Trinchieri and the Bayern Munich staff, I think it just really took me over the top when it comes to just the mental edge of the game. That's something that I really appreciated."
Turk Telekom Ankara is your fifth team in the competition. What do you like the most about the competition?
"This year, it's obviously a little bit different because of the new format. I did enjoy the old format, and now, I do enjoy the first round of this one. You can play every team twice, that's pretty cool. The competition is really tough, so I enjoy it. You can play against teams from very different countries and I think it is cool to have that different type of feel sometimes."
What would make it a good EuroCup season for you and Turk Telekom?
"Personally, I play to win. So for me, I want to make it as far as I can. I don't want to really just limit myself on saying just making it to the playoffs or making it to the second round of the playoffs. I think, from what I have learned over the years, that in the playoffs, it's a new season, pretty much. So in a way, everyone has the same opportunity to do it. And with this new format, it's only one playoff game, so anything can happen. It probably takes a little bit of luck as well, staying healthy with everybody. So yes, it's a lot of different things that factor into it, but anything can really happen."