Yogi Ferrell: 'I could not show my skills in Panathinaikos' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix, BasketNews/D.Repečka Credit ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix, BasketNews/D.Repečka

The departure from Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, the perspective start in Cedevita Olimpija, 14 consecutive victories, and the image of a leader. Yogi Ferrell talked to Christos Tsaltas of SDNA.gr about the reasons why things did not work out in PAO.

Yogi Ferrell

Team:Cedevita Olimpija LjubljanaPosition:SGAge:29Height:183 cmWeight:81 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

At the beginning of the season, the Greens managed to sign Ferrell, convincing the experienced guard to put aside the NBA dream and strengthen the Greek powerhouse.

Expectations were high, but the disappointment was great as well. Ferrell was not the best suitor for Dimitris Priftis' game plan and he did not stay in Athens for a long time. However, the departure proved to be beneficial for him.

Cedevita did not miss the opportunity and made a deal with the former NBAer until the end of the season. Both the team and the player did not regret it.

The 14-game winning streak in the ABA League and EuroCup confirms it. The hottest team in Europe, by far.

You are currently on 14 consecutive wins on both fronts. What is the limit of this team, seeing the work being done?

What we want is to win the EuroCup, the ABA League, and the Slovenian championship. We want to win everything this year and we enjoy our series. This shows everyone that it is not a coincidence. It's something we worked on. When the playoffs come, we will fight for the titles and each phase will be like our last.

Your first European experience was Panathinaikos. Expectations were high from the beginning. But do you feel that now you're showing your real face as a player?

I would say that now I'm showing who I really am. I am grateful to the coaching staff and the front office of the team that gave me the opportunity. I saw that I did not play much in PAO and now they gave me the opportunity to be on the court, play, and show my real face. I am grateful that I go out and show my true potential.

Panathinaikos Athens / Schedule

Anadolu Efes Istanbul Panathinaikos Athens88-69 Panathinaikos Athens Olympiacos PiraeusFri19:00

What did not work properly between you and Panathinaikos?

Maybe the timing was not right. I came to the team in the middle of the season. If I had come earlier, I would have had the opportunity to work harder and assimilate things. I would know everyone better and we would build chemistry from an early stage. Though, now things are better for me.

How different is the style of Panathinaikos from Cedevita?

We play faster basketball and run a lot on the offensive end here. In Panathinaikos, the offense was more set. There aremore differences in defense. PAO play zone, something I was not familiar with, while in Cedevita, we play one-on-one defense and we are more aggressive. So, I would say these are the differences.

Are there any thoughts about staying in Slovenia for the next season?

For sure. If they are able to bring all the players back again, we will be one of the most dangerous teams in Europe. We have great chemistry, the players work together very well, and they all want to win. We are a EuroLeague-level team.

Thank you for reading us! We have even more content for you.