QUESTION.— After what happened on the final day of last season in Lugo, I do not know whether to refer to you as the messiah, Trae Bell-Haynes. ANSWER.— (Laughs) Even today, I am simply grateful that it happened and that we were able to remain in the division. Now that the new season is approaching, people are starting to talk a little more about that play again, so it feels like reliving it. But seriously, throughout the summer I have felt very fortunate that everything turned out the way it did. It is something I will never forget, and I am sure Marco (Spissu) feels the same way.
The club is showing that it does not want to repeat what happened last year
Q.— Do you think the club has truly learned from that agonizing experience? A.— Of course. That was last year’s team, and now it is a very different team with a very different group of players. I think the club has signed eight new players with plenty of experience and talent. So, obviously, the club is showing that it does not want to repeat what happened last year or in recent years, and wants to be a little more ambitious with a truly fantastic team.
Q.— Personally, how do you put such a difficult season behind you? A.— It is easy. It happened, you accept that these things happen, and you learn from your mistakes because you do not want to go through it again. It is simply an experience that you learn from, grow through and which makes you a better player. I think that after playing a game like that one against Breogán, I will never play another game under so much pressure. So, for me, every game I have left in my career will be easier.
Q.— Do you think all the changes made this summer were necessary? A.— I do not know whether they were necessary, nor whether it is up to me to say if they were or not. I simply think that, obviously, when a season unfolds as last year’s did, it is important to bring in new energy, and that was one of the club’s main objectives. So I think the change is welcome, and I am happy with the changes they have made.
The Canadian point guard is entering his fourth season with Casademont Zaragoza. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
Q.— How do you assess the preseason with only a few days to go before the ACB season begins? A.— Very positively. We have faced some really good teams, and the games have been very difficult, but we have shown our personality and our style. Of course, there have been some bad moments, which will always happen with a new team, but I think that at times we have competed at a very high level. Now our goal is simply to be consistent and maintain that level for all 40 minutes of every game.
Q.— Your debut will be against a very tough opponent in Tenerife. Do you think the team is ready? A.— We have to be ready. I think one of the best things about the ACB is that, whoever the opponent is, it will be a difficult game, and it is a good first test for us: away from home, against a team with a great deal of experience, many really good players and, in addition, some excellent new signings. So it will be a difficult test, but I think we are really looking forward to facing it and we are ready.
Q.— What would you say are the strengths of this new Casademont team? A.— We have a lot of quality on offense. We have many players capable of doing very different things, and that allows us to play in different ways. For example, Justin (Jaworski) is an incredible shooter and Caleb (Homesley) is an exceptional scorer, which allows us to create shooting opportunities for them. The same applies to Nico (Brussino). In addition, our centers, Gabriel (Olaseni) and Birutis, know how to pass, finish and rebound. And then I think Guillem, Sergi and I complement one another well when it comes to giving the team different offensive options. We are a team with a lot of ability and many different qualities, and we just have to find a way to fit everything together.
Q.— What feels different compared with last season? A.— In Jesús’s (Ramírez) case, his goal was to create a team that played very quickly, rebounded very well and simply ran up and down the court a lot. This year, Gonzalo (García de Vitoria) and Pedro (Llompart) decided they wanted to rely on more experience and skill—not necessarily on such an athletic team, but on a team with a very high basketball IQ that could adapt to situations. A group featuring players who already had a great deal of experience and success in this league.
Gonzalo is the right man for the job
Q.— Because Gonzalo García de Vitoria is the ideal coach for this new project. A.— Without a doubt. Zaragoza can sometimes be a difficult city and a complicated place for coaches to work, and Gonzalo is the right man for the job. He is ambitious, brave, brings new energy and has very clear ideas, so we have no doubts about what he wants. He communicates very well, and I am looking forward to playing under him.
Q.— Gonzalo said that the players still had to meet to set this season’s objectives. Have you discussed them yet? A.— We talked about it this week and said that we would keep our objectives within the team. Obviously, we want to have a much better season than last year and we want to be ambitious, although we will take it one game at a time. We know it is a new team with a lot of new players, so there will be difficult moments. That is why we simply want to make sure we keep improving and taking steps forward in every game and every week.
If we can stay healthy, we will be able to compete at the highest level
Q.— Without revealing the targets that have been set, how far do you think this team can go? A.— Obviously, the sky is the limit. Hopefully there will be no injuries this season, as there have been quite a few injuries to key players on the team at different points over the past two years, such as Dubi two years ago when he first injured his hand, or me last year when I was injured. So, with a bit of luck and above all, hopefully we can have an injury-free season, and I think that if we can stay healthy, we will be able to compete at the highest level.
Q.— Have you fully recovered from your hand injury? A.— Completely. Sometimes it hurts a little and I tape it as a precaution, but there is no loss of mobility and there is no need to worry about another injury or anything like that.
The red-and-black team’s No. 2 will be vice-captain this season. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
Q.— Beyond sporting success, one of the most important goals this season is to rebuild the connection with the Marea Roja. A.— Of course. I hope we have already begun doing so during the preseason, and the game against Murcia was a good example. They were a very tough opponent and a team that will always stand up to you and make the game very difficult, but I think that last weekend we went out on the court and did a good job in that regard. I hope that, although there are still several steps to take, this will be the first one toward rebuilding our connection with the fans and enjoying a great season together.
Q.— A crucial factor in restoring the intensity and difficulty of playing at the Príncipe Felipe. A.— Protecting the Príncipe Felipe and winning every home game is a major goal, and I think we can do it. This place is a fortress; it is very difficult to win here, and I think one of my main objectives will be to restore that difficulty for other teams, because I believe we lost too many games here last year.
Q.— Gonzalo said that at a team meeting, Miguel (González), Jaime (Fernández) and you helped explain to the new signings what Zaragoza is all about. How do you explain rasmia to someone who does not know it? A.— (Laughs) The only thing we wanted them to know is that, for people in the city, it is not so much about winning or losing, but rather about effort, fighting and giving everything in every game. And that brings us to what rasmia represents: it is a kind of grit, heart and competitive spirit to always give the best of yourself, always strive to win and help the team. So we tried to talk to the team and make them understand that what the fans expect is not for us to win every game, but for us to give everything and fight to win every game.
The goal is to put the club in a better position than during my first three years here
Q.— This is your fourth year in Zaragoza. What does it mean to have reached this point and to feel a little like an Aragonese local? A.— I have been thinking about it during the summer. I have not spent four years anywhere since I was at university, so Zaragoza is now like a home to me. I love the city, the team and the club, and it is now part of my identity. I think that when we talk about the final game last year and the passion I showed, that reflects how I feel about the club and the city. Now the goal is to put the club in a better position and situation than during my first three years here, and I think we have the team and the conditions needed to do that.
Q.— Without a doubt, you are one of the leaders of this new project to achieve that. A.— I think I have always been one, because as a point guard, you have to be a leader on the team. But now, with a completely new team and Miguel and me being the players who have been here the longest, we are undoubtedly two of the team’s leaders.
Q.— In addition, I imagine you will also be one of the team captains. A.— Exactly. Guillem (Vives) is the captain and the main leader. Then Jaime and I are the vice-captains, behind him.
Q.— In fact, you have played a lot alongside Guillem Vives during the preseason. What changes in your game when you have a player like Guillem Vives beside you? A.— I think he simply makes life easier for us. He is someone with a great deal of experience and success behind him, so he understands the game very well and knows how to make things easier for his teammates. I have really enjoyed the minutes we have played together because we play well, complement each other well, and whenever you have two players handling the ball and making decisions, things are easier.
What I want is to have the best individual season I have ever had
Q.— What would you like to achieve in your fourth year in Zaragoza that you have not achieved yet? A.— What I want is to have the best individual season I have ever had. And to achieve that, the team has to be successful. So every week, I will seek to be a leader for this team and win games.
Q.— One last question. Why should the Marea Roja be excited about this Casademont team? A.— Because I think this is going to be a great year for the team.
