For the second consecutive season, Tomer Ginat of Boulogne Metropolitans 92 is joining us from Paris to communicate with fans through his EuroCupBasketball.com blog. Ginat signed with Metropolitans in June 2020 after starting his career in his native Israel. He played for Ironi Nahariya, Ironi Kiryat Ata and Hapoel Tel Aviv before joining Metropolitans. Ginat already helped his team reach the EuroCup Quarterfinals last season and hopes to do even better in this year's knock-out rounds. It will be EuroCup Spring Madness and Ginat is back to tell you all about it!
Tomer Ginat, Metropolitans 92: 'Now, it's money time'
Blogs
6 Mins read
We have been playing well in 2022 and had a good streak. We won seven of our eight EuroCup games and I think we have just been playing together. We realized that the EuroCup is a tough one, with very good teams, and we have to play together and be aggressive all the time. That was very important for us. I think we started the season very, very good in the French League but we had a few bad losses in EuroCup, so we had to figure it out. But I'm very happy that we did it and now, it's money time.
We have a good chance to finish third if we beat Lietkabelis at home next week. We are not afraid of anybody. I think that the game against Lietkabelis is going to be a big one, especially after our loss in Lithuania a few months ago. It is a very, very big game for us because it's really important for us to finish third. I think we worked very hard all season and it's very important for us to get the home-court advantage for the first playoff game and if we win, maybe also in the second one. So it's going to be a big one. We trust ourselves and are going to come ready to do everything we can to win the game.
"We trust ourselves and are going to come ready to do everything we can to win the game."
A lot of players have stepped up during the season. For instance, Jordan McRae is a super talented player and he was injured for three months, so it wasn't the best situation for him. But since he came back, he is really stepping up and playing great for us. He is really important to the team. But I think that what's so good about our team is that every night somebody else can play well, take a step forward to help the team win. Of course, Will Cummings and Vince Hunter have been playing great all season, but I think everybody on our team helps them in one way or another. It is the best thing about our team, I would say.
I feel comfortable on the team. I am just going out there to play as strong as I can, doing everything I can to help the team get more wins. I am getting more rebounds this season, but I don't have any explanation for this. I'm just playing as strong as I can, and I am happy I am doing this. Vincent Collet is a great coach. We all know he's a legend here in France, so it was a great experience to meet him at the beginning of the season and work for him. The tempo of our games is super high. I think we are very good in the open court, getting the rebounds and running. And it is really good for us because we have a lot of players who know how to do it and do it well. I'm really enjoying working with him. I'm learning new things every day and it's a great experience.
The competition format has helped us do better, too, as we improved our results in the second half of the regular season. It is great that every team plays 18 regular-season games. Like I said, you have the chance to make progress for a longer time. At the same time, it is only one game in each playoff round, so we have to be as focused as we can and come ready to play because on any given night, you can win or lose basically against everyone. All the teams in this competition are very good. So you have to be super focused when it comes to the playoffs. As for the regular season, for sure, I think it's a good thing to play a lot of games and get a rhythm. It was a great experience.
So we will have the home-court advantage in the eighthfinals and if we advance, maybe in the quarterfinals, depending on other results. As I said, I think it's all about focus. From the beginning of the season, we have only lost two games at home. We lost one EuroCup game to Partizan and one game in the French League. So we trust ourselves and I think we are a very good team and we know our quality. But as I said, there are a lot of good teams in this competition that can come and surprise you on any given night. So we have to be focused, play strong and stay concentrated the whole time. Our goal is to come to work and be prepared because it's not going to be easy, that's for sure.
"This year, I have the opportunity to experience Paris and it's probably the most beautiful city in the world."
Obviously, one of the great things about this club is that I get to live in Paris. The food is amazing! I have been living here for two years, but the first year was a little weird with COVID and lockdowns, everything was closed. It was a little bit of a different situation. But this year, I have the opportunity to experience the city and it's probably the most beautiful city in the world. It is an amazing experience and an amazing opportunity for me to live in the most beautiful city in the world. Everybody knows Paris for the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, its museums and probably also its boulangeries and patisseries, which make a lot of special things. But what makes it also special for me is that no matter where you go, it doesn't matter which restaurant you sit in, the food is going to be so delicious and so special. So it was amazing to see it. This a great country and Paris is a great, great city. I love it!
Now that we have the home-court advantage in the first round, we have to make the most out of it. As I said, we've only lost two games at home since the beginning of the season. We feel very comfortable playing in our home, thanks to our fans. And yes, we need our fans, for sure, especially in the EuroCup playoffs. It will be a big game and we are expecting our gym to be full. We trust our fans to come and help us get the job done.