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Jayson Granger, Reyer: 'We want to win this competition'

Jayson Granger, Reyer: 'We want to win this competition'

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21 November 20226 Mins read

Jayson Granger, Reyer: 'We want to win this competition'

**Back in the 2010-11 season, Jayson Granger was a young point guard who helped Asefa Estudiantes reach the 7DAYS EuroCup quarterfinals. More than 11 years later, Granger is back in the competition as a well-rounded playmaker with plenty of EuroLeague experience. He played for Unicaja Malaga, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Anadolu Efes Istanbul and ALBA Berlin before joining Umana Reyer Venice last summer. More recently, Granger got married and has two young kids. Checking in from the City of Canals, Granger is ready to tell us everything about Reyer and its EuroCup run in his blog, right here on EuroCupBasketball.com! **

First things first, we already played four EuroCup games, lost the first two and won the next two for a 2-2 record. We have nine new players and knew we needed time to adjust, but I would be lying if I said we weren't surprised to start 0-2. In the end, like I said, we are a new roster with many new players. Moreover, Reyer had the same core of players for many years, and the same head coach. Finding the right chemistry takes a while, it is a process and we are all adjusting to it right now. We have gotten better as the weeks go by, and I am convinced that we still have a lot of room for improvement.

"I am facing players who may not have big names, but it is never easy."

We lost by one point in Ulm and went on to lose against Bourg, the only undefeated team left in the EuroCup. They surprised us at home, playing very physical basketball and finding the right players on offense all game long. Both losses were painful but were able to bounce back in the last two games, and now we will try to build a winning streak. Our next game is at home against Lietkabelis, an experienced team. Lithuanian teams know how to play basketball and Lietkabelis is no exception. We play at home and that is always an advantage, but we already lost at home. We cannot be surprised at home again.

We have very experienced players on this team, like our other point guard, Marco Spissu, who is an extraordinary teammate. We don't share much playing time on the floor, both being playmakers, but we help each other out a lot in practices and games. He is a player with huge upside who has taken many steps forwards in recent years, playing great in the EuroLeague with UNICS Kazan and with his national team. Both of us have a big role in this team, and our coach trusts us.

We are an old-school team in many ways, which is good. The players' positions are very precise, but due to the deep roster that we have, all positions are really well-covered. Our coach's systems adjust really well to the type of players that we have, on offense and defense. We will improve throughout the season as we understand each other even better. That will be one of the keys to the season: take the chemistry that we have off the court and put it on the court.

It is my first EuroCup season in over a decade; I last played it with Estudiantes in 2011. It was a long time ago, I was starting my career, but I have played in the EuroLeague for many years and I can say that the EuroCup is very competitive, with very strong players and teams. It has nothing to envy the EuroLeague. It is a very high-level competition. I am playing against teams and players I am not used to seeing, which is something new. In the EuroLeague, after so many years, you usually saw the same faces. Now, I am facing players who may not have big names, but it is never easy. There are many good players in the EuroCup.

My family and I are living in Mestre, barely 10 kilometers outside of Venice, but we go there very often. It is a very comfortable place to live. All the club staff and people in general welcomed me and my family really well. We are very happy with the life we have here. Coming from Spain, it is easy to adjust to Italy. We are living in a small city that in many ways is similar to Vitoria. It is a perfect city for the lifestyle and rhythm we have as a family with two kids. I love being a father, it is the biggest joy in the world. When you feel down, getting home and seeing them smile at you is priceless. It is the best gift I ever had.

"We are aware of our potential. Once we get a chance, we have to take it."

The World Cup is about to start but since Italy did not qualify, we are not talking much about it. I am rooting for Uruguay, obviously, but I have some Italian roots, and it is a shame that one of the biggest football powerhouses like Italy is not there. There is nothing we can do about it, so I am rooting for Uruguay and also for Spain, since my wife and kids are Spanish. There will be some sports rivalry at home! Uruguay has a nice mix of youth and experience, but with a lot of talent. We can surprise a lot of people. We will see how it turns out but we always want our "charruas" to fight. We will see!

Back to the EuroCup, we know it is really tough to be eliminated, but our first goal is to make it to the playoffs and then finish in the highest place possible. We want to win this competition, which is why the club put together this group of players. It will not be easy with so many talented teams around, all looking to win it, too. We are aware of our potential. Once we get a chance, we have to take it. We are focused on ranking high in the regular season, and then we’ll see how far we can reach.