Kyle Weems: How Virtus' chameleon has managed to thrive in a locker room full of stars / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Michele Nucci/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire Credit Michele Nucci/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire

In a Virtus Segafredo Bologna roster stacked with former EuroLeague superstars like Milos Teodosic, Daniel Hackett, and Tornike Shengelia, Kyle Weems is the thread that ties the team together.

Kyle Weems

MIN:26.26PTS:13.17 (54.59%)REB:3.44As:2.22ST:1.39BL:0.22TO:1.17GM:18ProfileEuroCup2021/2022

The 32-year-old small forward has been the most consistent player through thick and thin. Not the one who will produce highlight reels and roars of awe or amazement, like Milos Teodosic does with his unique passing instincts, nor the one providing spectacular dunks, like Isaia Cordinier, who draws gazes of admiration for his athleticism.

Weems is just a man who likes to get the job done in the best way possible. His basketball pragmatism has helped him earn more playing time and perform even better since he went to Italy in 2019, following his three-year presence in Turkey with Besiktas and Tofas Bursa.

According to the general perception, Virtus Bologna boast one of the most glowing rosters the EuroCup has ever seen. Following a notable career at the middle level of European basketball that kicked off in Bonn in 2012, Weems has managed to hold his ground, regardless of who his teammates were and irrespective of who was coaching him.

He was Virtus' first scorer in the historic Italian championship title that the two-time European champs won in 2021, averaging 15.3 points per game. Bologna swept their main rivals, AX Armani Exchange Milan 4-0, as Ettore Messina's side was coming off their first Final Four appearance in almost 30 years.

But Weems didn't stop there. This season he has been the team's most prolific scorer with 13.2 points on 41.5% 3-point shooting while also averaging 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per EuroCup contest.

The importance of his presence is highlighted by the fact that coach Sergio Scariolo has started him in 17 of Bologna's 18 regular-season contests.

Free throws this season

71%13,0Points made:13,0Accuracy:70,7%Place in standings:12Record max:26Record min:2Most made FTs:Milos TeodosicTeamEuroCupStatisticsSchedule

"My dad used to preach to me, 'You need to be a chameleon.' That's blending in with your environment," Weems tells BasketNews.

"It doesn't matter whether you were here all year or not, you have to be able to adapt and be able to do what you're supposed to do and don't get out of your character."

In the Italian league, he's even better, logging 15.0 points on 50% from behind the arc, 2.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds over 22 games. However, all of this will amount to nothing if Virtus don't accomplish their goals.

Last season left the historic club with some open wounds to heal, as UNICS Kazan swept them in the EuroCup semifinals, earning the EuroLeague spot Bologna has long coveted.

Weems and his teammates want to make sure things will turn out smoothly this time around.

"For sure, you want to win both titles, but the EuroLeague is the club's main goal," the American forward confesses.

"We missed on a big opportunity last year after going 19-0 in the EuroCup. We still think about that every day, but we can't dwell on the past. We only worry about the future."

Having completed the EuroCup regular season with an 11-7 balance, good enough for only 4th place in their group standings, Virtus left much to be desired.

"Obviously, we don't have the best record this year for all different types of reasons," Weems concedes. "But all our goals are in front of us."

The team has been battling injuries since Ekpe Udoh suffered a patellar tendon injury at the beginning of the season. Nico Mannion and Milos Teodosic were out for a long time, Marco Belinelli will miss 40 days. Weems and other players, including coach Scariolo, went through COVID.

The extent to which the team's performance has been affected by health issues is not easily definable, but as Weems says, Udoh and Abass' absences were very difficult.

"They are guys with a lot of experience, who understand their role and what they bring to the table. We had to replace them, which was a big blow to our team," Weems notes.

Unfortunately for the Italian champs, that was just the beginning. Weems provides the full list of unfortunate events."Isaia Cordinier went down with an ankle injury for about six weeks. Kevin Hervey went down with a meniscus injury in his knee. Nico Mannion was dealing with an intestinal virus and his back. JaKarr Sampson, who filled in for Ekpe Udoh, was dealing with a few groin injuries."

As Virtus Bologna took advantage of AX Armani Exchange Milan's defeat to Sassari, climbing up to the top of the Serie A table. Next Sunday (April 10), the two teams will meet again in Bologna, with the first place and the home-court advantage being at stake.

Weems remembers that following last year's dramatic elimination to UNICS, a clash with Milan on April 17, 2021, helped Virtus get back on track.

"I might sound crazy, but when we lost to UNICS was a Wednesday, and the next game we had was against Milano in Serie A. We were still deflated about that loss because one of our main goals was taken from us," he recounts.

"We were sad, disappointed, and mad. We came out and showed it. At half-time of that game, coach Sasa Djordjevic got into us pretty well. He said some words, and a couple of other guys said some words. We came out and showed our true face in the second half, making it more of a respectable game."

Ultimately, Armani Milan prevailed by 94-84, leaving their rivals in third place. But the taste shifted from sour to sweet over a few weeks."From there, we had an extra week of practice which we used to our advantage to get better with some things," Weems continues.

"I had a small groin injury and sat for about seven days and tried to work on my body and get in the best shape possible. Everyone kept that fire lit.

I think we were always close as a team. Everyone knew their roles and was prepared to practice and perform when their number was called. Going 10-0 in the playoffs showed all of that."

Most importantly, in Bologna, Kyle Weems has found a place he can call home. After the 2021 Italian Finals, a two-year contract extension came as a reward by the club for his contribution.

By the time the 2022-23 campaign gets underway, he will be 33. Regardless of how Virtus EuroLeague dreams will pan out, Weems knows one thing - he wants to finish his career there.

"I've expressed that numerous times. My family and I are very comfortable here. The fanbase, the people in the offices are really close-knit, family-style," he points out.

"It's kind of rare for a big club. But more importantly, the basketball opportunity here is big-time. It's our job to get the club to the EuroLeague."

Kyle Weems also talked to BasketNews about the EuroCup format, the decision to leave Russian teams out of the competition, and being vocal in the locker room.

He also comments on Malcolm Delaney's assertion that Milan was and still is a better team and on Luca Baraldi advising the coaching staff to have more direct contact with players.

First of all, what's your assessment of how the year has been going for Virtus? It's obvious that it's been a lot of ups and downs for a bunch of different reasons - mainly because of the injuries. And then, you sprinkle in a bit of COVID, which has played a part in everyone's season.

This is no excuse when it comes to sports, this is life. It's how you react and how you move forward. I think our coach and his staff have done a great job of balancing weird lineups that maybe we wouldn't have had to use. Guys have stepped up, doing a little more than was expected.

We tried to stay above water, but now we are healthy. We have Daniel Hackett and Toko Shengelia. It's kind of in a pre-season mode when we have to incorporate these guys and let them know our system. We just hope to be able to put it all together and stay healthy for the last two months.What could label it as a successful or an unsuccessful one?Just win. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many losses you have. As long as you win the Italian league and the EuroCup, this is all that matters. Obviously, with the firepower and the experience that we have, whether it's players or coaches, winning is the goal. There's still a lot of time left in the season. So, winning is the only thing that matters. Of the two major titles, which one would you put at the forefront - the Italian league or the EuroCup?For sure, you want to win both, but the EuroLeague is the club's main goal. We missed on a big opportunity last year after going 19-0 in the EuroCup. We still think about that every day, but we can't dwell on the past. We only worry about the future.

Obviously, we don't have the best record this year for all different types of reasons, but all our goals are in front of us.

I want to show up for the work every day, play as hard as I can, display my versatility and my leadership, and hopefully, the rest of the team can do the same. I think that we can have a positive outcome once the season is done.

How can Virtus Bologna play according to their roster's level and quality? How is coach Scariolo trying to connect players with different backgrounds in the same direction?Our chemistry off the court is really good. Everyone gets along with everyone and enjoys playing with each other. But this is the challenge of every single team, not just Virtus Bologna - how quickly can guys come together after not knowing each other, being able to put egos and individual stats aside in a short amount of time.

We haven't been healthy. Milos Teodosic came back around mid-February after the bone bruise in his knee from slipping on a sticker. Kevin Hervey had a minor setback. We have been able to put some good practices together and raise the competitive level every day.

What do you think about the decision that results against Russian teams should be voided? To what extent does it change the EuroCup scene and, of course, the chances of Virtus joining the EuroLeague? I try not to get into the political side of things. It's definitely disappointing because I feel for those clubs, the organization, the foreign guys, and the national players there because you don't want to see all their hard work go to waste and people lose their jobs and income. It's not really their fault.

That's the saddest and most disappointing thing, especially when you're talking about a historic club like CSKA and also Lokomotiv Kuban at the EuroCup stage. But also Zenit have been pretty good the last couple of years.

To see everybody's work go to waste is disappointing. I would honestly hate to be in that situation, but at the end of the day, whatever the EuroLeague personnel and the higher-ups say is a tough pill to swallow.

You have to move on and move forward. From my point of view, it doesn't really affect us because there's no Russian team on our side of the EuroCup. But it could affect who we would be playing against in the playoffs. It's difficult for everyone.

Credit Michele Nucci/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire

Do you like the new EuroCup format with 20 teams divided into two groups of 10 clubs, or do you think that the playoff format could be improved, including a series instead of a single game?Every competitor would say that they don't want it to really come down to only one game. But there are no excuses. Whatever the format is, or the lineup that we have, or the venue, that's what you have to roll with.

On behalf of all competitors, I don't think that you want to play 18 games for it to come down to just one game. In my two years here in Bologna, I liked how last year was with the best-of-three series.

That's a pretty fair amount of games to understand who's deserving to win that certain series. Obviously, we lost in the semis, but I also played in a best-of-two series with Strasbourg, which benefited us. I didn't like that either.

A winner-take-all game doesn't benefit the total body of work down to a full season.

In a recent discussion with Malcolm Delaney, I asked him what makes him confident that AX Armani Exchange Milan can beat Virtus Bologna this time around after getting swept in last year's finals.

He said, "They played their best basketball at the end. I don't think they were better than us last year, and I still don't believe they're better than us this year. We're one of the top teams in Europe." Which part of his quotes would you agree or disagree with?I think we're a much better team than our EuroCup record shows. At the end of the day, we won 4-0 for all different reasons.

Malcolm has the argument that he was injured. He's a great player. He's in my agency, and I have a ton of respect for him. I've played against him for a long time. He is one of the best Americans to come over here and had such a great career.

But I think the timing is very important. Our record has a lot to do with COVID and injuries, but this is how the ball bounces. I'm not saying that Malcolm gave excuses by any means, but it was circumstances. We caught them at a really good time.

They played more than 80 games, we played 70-75. Towards the end of the year, they also had the EuroLeague Final Four. That was physically and mentally difficult for them - to have their main goal snatched from them by two points. But I feel they have a great team and a great coach, and so do we. I only wish that both teams will be healthy at the end of the year, not from the excuse standpoint, but so that we can have the best product on the floor. We both have a lot of things in front of us.

How would you describe your transition from playing with teams that were the underdogs in Germany and Turkey to a team where anything else than the first place is considered a failure? I don't feel there's any pressure directly on myself. Everyone knows that you have to be consistent and play well when the most important time of the season comes. Whatever happens after that, you will be able to live with it. Pressure in sports can be huge.

For me, this is year ten. I've played in front of 15.000 fans of Galatasaray who were very aggressive, yelling and screaming. There was pressure there, but we were the underdogs back then, as opposed to here. Basketball is the same, and if you perform the way that you've been performing all year, the work that you did behind closed doors will come to light. I guess that losing the Italian Cup semifinal to Tortona was a big blow for everyone. Virtus CEO Luca Baraldi called it humiliating and spoke about a wrong mental approach that he has noticed in some games. What's your take? Last year, a couple of times in the Italian Serie A, we had kind of a letdown. Maybe we weren't giving Cremona or Reggio Emilia the right respect. This year, I can give you a bunch of reasons not why we lost but what didn't help us win.

Everyone knows that Milos is our creator, and when he's operating, that's where we're at our best. So, not having him is very difficult. No excuses, but injuries have played a major part in our season. I feel like we have done a good job of keeping the ship above water and not letting it sink while all these major players are out. Mr. Baraldi also advised the coaching staff to have more direct contact with players by reducing the use of technology. You've played for several coaches throughout your European career, from Ufuk Sarica to Sasa Djordjevic and now Sergio Scariolo.

How similar or different are they in the way they approach players, and what are Sergio Scariolo's particular features?They all want to win, and they all have you very well prepared. The game plan is always to stop the other team and not let them be comfortable. All of them want us to play together as one and share the ball. We always play with a lot of assists and extra passes. All those guys are extreme competitors, they all want to win, and they all preach team basketball. As far as the tech part goes, I don't even know if it's a question for me. Everyone watches the video and the opponent they're going against. I don't know if it's a question for me, but I try to control the things that I can control, which is my energy and my effort.

Is there anything new that Daniel Hackett and Tornike Shengelia are trying to bring to the team and to the table?Experience, competitiveness, leadership, and great basketball play. They are EuroLeague players for a long time. They're very good at what they do, and just them leading by example is kind of what I like to pride myself on.

Once you show people how you work, the words come next. They've done a great job since they've been here for that, and I look forward to playing with them for the next couple of months. How have you managed to hold your ground and your role in a star-studded team?Just show up and work. If you ask me, with the right situation, I could play in the NBA. But that's not for me. It's all about timing, opportunity, and the right situations.I went to a couple of Summer Leagues. I had 8-9 NBA workouts in the pre-draft, and I could have tried again, but I chose not to.Being aggressive on both ends of the floor, guarding everyone else's bigger '3' or their best scorer off the dribble. Also, being aggressive off the 'catch and drive' when it's kicked to me, trying to help my team rebound, bringing energy and enthusiasm, shooting open shots, just being versatile. It might be fewer opportunities as far as scoring, but I think it's going to be easier opportunities. It's going to take a little bit of time to have that chemistry with those guys, but I think they respect me, my game, and the way I carry myself, which is good to know. My dad used to preach to me, "You need to be a chameleon." That's blending in with your environment. It doesn't matter whether you were here all year or not, you have to be able to adapt and be able to do what you're supposed to do and don't get out of your character. Just be yourself.

Last summer, you signed your first-ever contract extension with a club. You had a 1+1 with Besiktas but didn't stay there in 2016. Is Virtus the team you'd like to finish your career at?Yes, I want to finish my career here. I've made that known to the media before. I've expressed that numerous times. My family and I are very comfortable here. The fanbase, the people in the offices are really close-knit, family-style.

It's kind of rare for a big club. But more importantly, the basketball opportunity here is big-time. It's our job to get the club to the EuroLeague. My kids are enjoying the international school, and my wife also enjoys it here.Signing an extension was definitely exciting, especially coming off the championship. I'm really big on stability and on being in a consistent group. I feel like I have that here, while also being able to compete at a high level and be a part of something special.

I would like to play here for as long as I can. I've voiced that many times.

Credit Michele Nucci via ZUMA Press Wire

Do you consider yourself a veteran presence in the locker room?I definitely feel like a veteran. I lead by my actions first, words second. I feel like I put the work in during the summer and with my play. I think that my teammates look to me for leadership.

It doesn't even necessarily have to be me when I'm playing well offensively. I try to huddle the guys upon the court as much as I can, giving them confidence and encouragement when I see that they're down on themselves - whether it's in the game or in practice, a text, or a simple phone call. When I played with guys who were in their ninth or tenth year, that's what they did for me. So, I want to pass that along. Who's the most vocal guy in the locker room?I would probably say myself. I can't shut up! But everyone's vocal. Our chemistry is good. Milos, Belinelli, and all the people who need to talk are talking. It's a good mix.

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