Chima Moneke reveals what changed in Baskonia since Dusko arrived / News - Basketnews.com

Moneke said that clear rules are the biggest reason behind the successful Baskonia turnaround. The player said Dusko Ivanovic was a great coach despite all the stories around him and revealed that the veteran specialist has changed compared to earlier years.

Credit: Aitor Arrizabalaga via Getty Images Credit Aitor Arrizabalaga via Getty Images

When head coach Joan Penarroya left Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz earlier in the season, the team had won just one game in the EuroLeague alongside four losses. Now, the squad is on a roll, sitting in fourth place in the tournament standings.

Chima Moneke

MIN:24.58PTS:15.42 (61.76%)REB:6.42As:1.58ST:1.08BL:0.83TO:2.25GM:12ProfileEuroLeague2023/2024

The arrival of coach Dusko Ivanovic changed the dynamic of the entire team. After struggling both defensively and offensively, Baskonia now boast one of the better ratings in the EuroLeague on both sides of the court.

"I think it's just the rules. When someone makes a mistake, you know who made the mistake, and there's no point in discussing it, it's 'yeah, that was me'. Guys are being held accountable," Baskonia's forward Chima Moneke said during the latest episode of the URBONUS podcast. "You don't like disappointing him because he has this presence about him - when he walks, he commands and demands respect. He's such a good person off the court. He talks to people, puts his hands on you, says what needs to be said. He's a leader."

"Yes, we have some different plays, and we have offensively some different things that we do, but I think it's just everyone knowing their role and what he wants, and he's very clear about it. There's no discussion, 'Should we have done this or should we have done that?' He's very clear about it," the player said about Ivanovic. "We do video, we do a lot of video on gamedays when we arrive in the arena. We had a stretch with a lot of games, but the practices have not been as bad as everyone made it seem. A lot of people in the organization that had been with him said he's improved, he's gotten better, he communicates better."

Moneke admitted that he was quite fearful of Ivanovic's arrival due to multiple stories flying around of his strict training methods. Namely, the veteran specialist held an almost-six-hour practice session after arriving in Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade last season.

Chima Moneke

Team:Baskonia Vitoria-GasteizPosition:PFAge:27Height:198 cmWeight:101 kgBirth place:Abuja, NigeriaProfileNewsStatistics

However, the player revealed that he was pleasantly surprised.

"I'm going to be completely honest - the stories that I heard about him, they scared the crap out of me. We were hearing the rumors about coach P[enarroya] getting fired, and it was going on for a couple of weeks. And out of nowhere - Zvezda fired Dusko, and my heart just sank because I knew what that meant," Moneke laughed. "Everyone started messaging me, saying, 'Uh oh'. I was just like, 'Oh God, oh no...' I was sweating. He got here, and I'm like, 'this guy's incredible.' He's awesome. He's great. Everyone knows what they're supposed to do."

"He's gotten better. I've had a lot of conversations with a lot of people, some guys that were with him at the start of the season, to know that the stories from years ago or from the past are not the same as they are today," Moneke said.

Moneke himself is having a career year in Baskonia this season, averaging 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds for 20.1 PIR per game. Couple with Tadas Sedekerskis' breakout season and Markus Howard's improved scoring, Baskonia are currently fourth in the EuroLeague with eight wins and five losses.

Full URBONUS episode with Chima Moneke:

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