Roman Sorkin explains breakout season with Maccabi, comments on contract extension / News - Basketnews.com

Roman Sorkin talks to BasketNews about the reasons behind his improvement, his discussions with Shimon Mizrahi and Tyler Dorsey, and his practices with Nikola Vujcic. He also touches on his reportedly imminent contract extension with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Credit: Seffi Magriso/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Seffi Magriso/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

When Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's locker room in Piraeus opened for the customary five-minute media availability session, most players were either chatting or on their cell phones.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv / Schedule

Olympiacos Piraeus Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv95-89 FC Barcelona Maccabi Playtika Tel AvivTue19:30 Valencia Basket Maccabi Playtika Tel AvivThu19:30

One guy stood out in the crowd, the same man that had stood out on the court some minutes earlier, despite Maccabi's defeat by hosts Olympiacos (89-95). Roman Sorkin used to go unnoticed in most EuroLeague games last season, his maiden at the top continental competition. But not anymore.

His contribution and playing time have risen, and his averages prove that he's more than just a rotation player. From 2.9 points, 0.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds per contest, his numbers improved to 7.1, 1.1 and 3.6 respectively. He's playing 17 minutes, as opposed to only eight last season, a fact that can also be associated with Alex Poythress's injury.

At the Peace and Friendship Stadium, Sorkin, 26, broke not one, but five personal records in his short EuroLeague career. He finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 9/11 2PT shooting, 5/5 FTs, and 33 in PIR while staying on the court for only 20 minutes. His efficiency reached its peak in the third quarter, when he almost single-handedly kept Maccabi in contention, scoring 17 of his team's 30 points.

It was one of those rare occasions where just 10 minutes of action were enough for a player to leave behind everything he'd done in the past.

No surprise that Maccabi's historical president, Shimon Mizrahi, chose to spend time talking to him in the team's locker room. Sorkin's career-best game was the icing on the cake of his breakout season with the Israeli powerhouse and one of the club's all-time towering figures couldn't help but acknowledge that.

2-pointers this season

54%22,2Points made:22,2Accuracy:53,9%Place in standings:1Record max:28Record min:16Most made 2FGs:Lorenzo BrownTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

"Shimon comes to our locker room and says congratulations after every game," Sorkin told to BasketNews carrying two items of luggage in his hands and heading to the exit.

"He gives us high-fives, whether we win or lose. He talks to me and everybody in there. He's a living legend and it's a blessing to be around him."

The Israeli big man added that his long discussion with Mizrahi mainly revolved around his performance against Olympiacos.

"Yes, that was the main topic," he confirmed.

Credit Photo by Seffi Magriso/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Sorkin's points, rebounds and efficiency weren't enough for Maccabi to beat the Reds, as the team coached by Giorgos Bartzokas found a way to overcome the guests' resistance and snatch another home win.

"Olympiacos are a great team. They're No.1 in EuroLeague for a reason," Sorkin said.

"We just lost concentration in the fourth quarter. We needed one more stop and we allowed [Giannoulis] Larentzakis - whether he stepped on the line or not- to hit a 3-pointer that decided the game. We were supposed to be there, regardless," he added.

Credit Stefanos Kyriazis/ZUMA Press Wire

One of the questions that keep the media busy this season is why Maccabi are failing to win on the road, despite having protected their home court to a great extent. Oded Kattash's men boast an impressive 9-1 in Tel Aviv, which could have vaulted them into one of the top spots if it hadn't been for a disappointing 2-9 track in their away games.

"Obviously, that can be seen in the stats," Sorkin commented.

"But we have amazing fans and atmosphere. It's hard for other teams to play there as well. We play with a lot of energy in our home games, but that's not an excuse. We need to come back and win games on the road. We did it in Milan and we have to do it again."

By the way, Sorkin has had his best games against teams wearing red: EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (14 points, 6 rebounds), Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (16 points, 6 rebounds), and Olympiacos. It might be a coincidence, but Maccabi managed to pull it off only once in those three games.

"I'm trying to play the best I can against every team," Sorkin explained.

"I'm happy it happened against them. We won vs. Milan when I was good, but lost to Olympiacos. So, I hope I can make my best games really matter."

In Piraeus, the Israeli forward/center felt like his idol, Nikola Jokic, and it showed. Olympiacos' big men couldn't stop him from getting to the basket, and Sorkin capitalized on his teammates' passes.

"I didn't do a lot of individual stuff," he admitted. "Just pass me the ball and I'll finish."

"I'm happy that everything worked for me, but the most important thing is that we lost the game," he continued. "We really need those types of games. We need to win on the road. We're a really good team and if we didn't have these losses, we'd be in the top 3 teams in the league."

The Belarussian-born athlete, who moved to Russia at the age of two, conceded that his first EuroLeague season helped him become more experienced and gave him the chance to level up his game.

"I'm happy with how I've been playing this season. I want to keep going and improving. The most important thing would be if we kept winning games. That would be the best for all of us," he repeated.

Apart from missing two key players in Lorenzo Brown and Alex Poythress, Maccabi appear to be lacking a solid defensive mindset that would allow them to win more games, especially away from Tel Aviv.

"At the beginning of games, we're doing good," Sorkin maintains.

"We had a problem with the defensive rebound at the start of the season. I think we've upgraded that. But we need to keep working because we're a new team at the end of the day. Everyone's new, apart from John Di Bartolomeo, Jake Cohen, and Iftah Ziv.

We need to keep progressing and play in transition, which suits our style."

The Israeli big man has no doubt. "I'm sure we're going to win on the road and we're going to look great."

In the summer of 2021, Sorkin signed a 1+1 deal with Maccabi that expires in a few months. Some weeks ago, several reports surfaced that had him sign a contract extension until 2025. Rumors are still in the air, but no agreement has been announced.

"We're still in the season. I'm trying to stay focused on that. We'll see what will happen. Tel Aviv is my hometown," the player commented.

"There's always some talks going on," he went on to say. "But it's a long season and maybe some stuff will be figured out. The club and I are trying to look at this season."

Looking at the future, Sorkin prefers to keep his options open, although he admits that staying with Maccabi is something he'd be interested in. Is it his priority, though?

"I don't know how to answer this question," he replied.

"Yes, you always want to be in your hometown. But maybe going to other places is good too. I'm trying to win some games. That will help my future and Maccabi's future as well," he insisted.

Regardless of whether he stays or leaves, Roman Sorkin will definitely credit Maccabi for playing a decisive part in his personal development.

He was by far the tallest player on his team when he joined Oregon in January 2015, but played sparingly in his first half-season in the United States after averaging 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds during the 2014 U-18 European Championships for Israel.

Against players his age, Sorkin's height and range made him a force. But coming to the States, where a 2.08 m. (6-foot-11) isn't a rarity in college basketball, Sorkin was dramatically underweight to compete at the college level.So, in his first seven months in a new country, he didn't just have to adjust to a new place with a different language and a different style of basketball. He had to get bigger.

"I try to eat a lot and lift a lot to get bigger faster," Sorkin told the Oregonian back then. "I came in at 96.2 kg or something like that and now I'm 103 kg."

Almost eight years on, the big man remembers he had to gain some weight in order to be able to cope with some big bodies in college basketball.

"I was only 18 in Oregon. So, I grew up a little bit and got stronger," he said.

In April 2018, after three full seasons at Oregon, Sorkin started his professional career with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League, signing a three-year deal. His mindset and expectations while moving to Israel from the USA was simple.

"Win every day. It sounds cliche, but I wanted to become a better person and player on and off the court," he explained.

"I just wanted to improve. I didn't play much at college. I got some playing time with Maccabi Haifa and, now, I feel like I'm growing up each year. I hope to keep learning."

Sorkin thinks Maccabi Tel Aviv "is an amazing club, one of the best experiences you can have in becoming a better player" and makes a comparison between his college days and his current status as a pro player in one of Europe's top organizations.

"Oregon was great as well, but college teams spend a lot of money on facilities and work a lot on personal improvement.

Here at Maccabi, it's all about team improvement. We have Regev Fanan, one of the best -if not the best- strength and conditioning coaches I've had in my life. It takes your growth personally. I'm working a lot with him, and I have everything here to succeed.

I've put on some weight, and I've become more athletic."

One of the perks of playing for Maccabi is relishing the chance to pick Nikola Vujcic's brains. The 44-year-old former player is going through his last days as the club's GM. However, he remains active on and off the court, following the team in road games and teaching younger players the art of playing in the low post.

"He helped me a lot with little things," Sorkin concedes.

"He's one of the best European bigs to ever play the game. Every little thing I can gain from him is a blessing. Sometimes, I really bother him just to teach me some things. I want to gain every second of his presence with the team."

However, there's another former Maccabi player whom Sorkin consulted before signing with Maccabi in 2021. That's Tyler Dorsey, who's currently trying to secure an NBA deal through the Dallas Mavericks affiliate team.

The two didn't join forces in Israel, although they did play against each other. Nevertheless, they had a two-year common stint (2015-17) at Oregon that created a long-lasting friendship.

"We're good friends. We keep in touch on Instagram, WhatsApp, and FaceTime sometimes," Sorkin said.

"He's had a great career in Europe. Now, he's in the NBA, and I've always tried to learn from him. He was my roommate in Oregon. We have a very good relationship and I think he's one of the best guards that used to play in the EuroLeague."

Big men in Europe tend to be late bloomers, but Sorkin has every right to think that his upward path will continue in the seasons to come.

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