Playmaker Alessandro Pajola scored 10 points last Thursday as Virtus Segafredo Bologna downed visiting 7DAYS Frutti Extra Bursaspor 98-94 in a rescheduled game from Round 10 EuroCup.
Alessandro Pajola, Virtus: 'I grew up with these colors'
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10 Min lectura
Pajola, 22, joined Virtus in 2015 and has been the main witness on the club's path to rejoining the European elite. As the team's only player to start all 13 EuroCup games to date, he is averaging 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals. His heart, determination and strong defense is where everything starts for Virtus, a team that collects many steals (7.5 spg.) and gets easy shots in transition (22.7 apg.). Pajola helped Virtus win its first 19 games last season, but losing the last two in the semifinals against UNICS Kazan meant that the club did not reach the EuroCup Finals nor return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. "Everybody saw those games, that series against Kazan. So I think that, for everybody, it's a big, big motivation," Pajola told EuroCupBasketball.com. "We see this big disillusion in our hearts and our minds. We have to transform it into positive energy and to put that on the court, in every game and every practice, so we can arrive to the playoffs in the best way we can."
Hello, Alessandro. Congratulations on beating Bursaspor in a hard-fought game. What won it down the stretch?
"I think that the EuroCup is a great championship, a great tournament in which every team is competitive, so I think there are no easy games. You have to be ready every time and especially when we when teams come to your home. We have to protect our home, but when other teams come, they have nothing to lose so they can play with a lot of freedom. So they come like this and play a great game. They stayed in the game all game long and also, in the third quarter, we went up 15-16 points, but they kept playing well. They are a good team and we knew that. In the end, it was good to keep the game in our hands, especially our veteran guys like Kyle Weems and Milos [Teodosic]. They drew some fouls and hit some big shots to win the game."
Kevin Hervey and Milos Teodosic came back from injuries in that game. How important are their returns?
"Of course, we missed them a lot, you know, especially their talent. They are our two main guys. They can create a bucket from nothing, so we missed them a lot. It's important for us to have them back to practice these two weeks. Some of us were out with our national teams, but they were here in the gym, practicing and getting in the best shape they could, so now they are ready. They are back and we can be great with them."
"We want to step up and do a better job, to finally enjoy winning the EuroCup."
Speaking of Milos, how great is it for a young player to work with him? Have you tried to emulate his passing skills?
"Of course, he still surprises me. Sometimes, he can invent something that you can never expect, so it's always a surprise. It's always something special to watch him play. And for sure, I feel very, very lucky. I think that for every young player, it can be really good, good, good to see unbelievable things, to play and practice every day with a player like this. I mean, you can learn a lot of things from him, and he is a really human guy who can help you. But at the same time, you can just watch him and learn from him. He's always able to help you and to teach you. So I feel really lucky. I have a great relationship with him, so I'm so lucky to have him."
In other news, Virtus signed Daniel Hackett. How important is that move to challenge for the EuroCup title?
"Of course, I am also lucky because he's one of the best point guards in Europe right now, so he is another player from whom I can learn a lot of things: his toughness, his way to lead the team. So for us, he can be a really, really great help in the EuroCup but also in the Italian League. He is Italian and can maybe help us win another Italian League title. So it is really good for us to have another good player, a good defensive guy on our roster. I used to enjoy seeing him play, and now he is coming to play with us, practice and start to get in our system, to get better."
You are one of the EuroCup’s best on-the-ball defenders and a steals specialist. What is the secret to getting so many steals?
"I mean, I think the main secret is trying to anticipate what the offense is going to do. Of course, on one-on-one, but especially when you are defending a guy far from the ball. You can anticipate the movement of the opponent, try to understand what he is going to do: if he is going to pass it, shoot it or dribble. So you can anticipate his move one second earlier so you can get the steal. I think that can be a really good, good thing. You know, if you steal every ball, you can take easy shots on the fastbreak every time, easy two-point layups. For me, it is something like that: I see defense before offense. I mean, a good offense can arrive after a good defense. So if you play a really good defense, solid defense, or if you force the opponent's offense to make a mistake or you steal the ball, you can go on a fastbreak every time and impose your pace on the game."
This is your third EuroCup season. How do you like the competition and how has it helped you improve?
"For sure, it helped me a lot because I played against lot of great players. Every time I think on these three years, the EuroCup is a step up every year. This year, I saw a lot of really great teams, good players. As I told you before, every team is a good team; you cannot underestimate anyone. The standings are tough for us, because we should be one of the best teams, but we struggled a little bit, especially on the road, where we had many difficult moments. So it is a great competition. Of course, we are still sad from last year, when we lost in the semifinals. This year, for sure, we want to step up and do a better job, to finally enjoy winning the EuroCup."
Your next game is against Reyer, a team you know very well. How different are EuroCup games against Italian teams compared to domestic games?
"The team is the same team, but you know there is something different, for sure. First, you play in the middle of the week. These games are something different because you play with different basketballs and different referees. So there is something, of course, that changes between the EuroCup and the Italian League. Also, both teams know each other really well. We know how they play; their players know each other for a lot of years. They know how to use their defense. So like we did in the league and in our previous EuroCup game at home, we have to play hard, especially on defense, controlling the rebounds to go on some runs and find some easy shots, and that's it. I mean, they are a really good team, but if we play hard and impose our rhythm, our pace, we can get the win, which is really important for us."
Having joined Virtus as a teenager in 2015, you saw the team drop to the second division and return to in its first Italian League title in 20 years last season. How did that feel?
"It is something unbelievable. I mean, I still really cannot realize it. When I arrived, it was really, really different. I was a kid, but the club was not, for sure, as big as it is now. We were glad to bring Segafredo as our sponsor and then bring a lot of great players and great coaches. It really helped the club to step up, to be one of the best teams in Europe. Of course, when I arrived, a lot of things happened. I start with a big disappointment, a big sadness because we were relegated to the second division. But at the same time, the next year was a really great, great joy because we came back immediately to the first division and from then forward, we stepped up every single season. We reached the [Italian] Cup. We reached the [Italian League] title. We reached everything, so this me really proud because I grew up with this team. I grew up with these colors, with this shirt, so it makes me really proud to keep being someone important for the team and keep the winning mentality for this club."
"Experience is one of the most important things you need to have on your roster."
Other than Virtus, which teams do you consider to be top candidates to win the EuroCup title?
"As I told you before, a lot of teams, but I could say Valencia Basket. Valencia is one of the most experienced teams. I think that, in my short experience, but in the three years that I played in the EuroCup, I think that experience is one of the most important things you need to have on your roster, maybe more than talent, because when such a tough moment comes, experienced players, experienced teams can make the difference. So, for sure, Valencia is one of the best teams. They beat us in our home and at their place. It is a team that has been really hard to beat. But at the same time, there are a lot of great teams. Of course, Partizan, Buducnost, Joventut... the level is really, really high and it is going to be complicated."
Like you said, you were close to reaching the EuroCup Finals last season, one win away. Is that an extra motivation for the team?
"Yes, of course. This is a really big motivation for us, but also for the guys that arrived this year. Everybody saw those games, that series against [UNICS] Kazan. So I think that, for everybody, is a big, big motivation. We see this big disillusion in our hearts and our minds, so we have to transform it into positive energy and to put that on the court, in every game and every practice, so we can arrive to the playoffs in the best way we can and do our best."