Nikola Kalinic answers Partizan question, weighs in on Radonjic's failure / News - Basketnews.com

Nikola Kalinic chats with BasketNews on Barcelona's efforts to secure home-court advantage in the EuroLeague playoffs, Olympiacos' campaign, and Dejan Radonjic's stint with Panathinaikos. The Serbian forward also answers whether he'd ever consider playing for Partizan.

Credit: Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Following a short, one-year break in his home country,Nikola Kalinicgot back into continental silverware contention this season with FC Barcelona.

Player of the Game EFF 16 Shaquielle McKissic Points 16 Accuracy 5-8 Rebounds 1 Assists 4

The Catalan side and the Serbian forward signed a deal that's expected to keep him in Spain until 2024.

Kalinic, 31, has helped Barca on both ends, as they're fighting for the home-court advantage in the EuroLeague playoffs, which could enable them to make another Final Four.

The 2017 EuroLeague champion withFenerbahce Beko Istanbul is one of the six candidates for the Defensive Player of the Year award and has been recording 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest.

However, Barcelona saw their five-game winning streak come to an end in Piraeus, where hosts Olympiacos prevailed by 77-70 on Tuesday night.

Boasting an 18-9 record, the squad coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius will go up against Fenerbahce in Istanbul next Friday.

When the two sides last locked horns on November 22, Kalinic was the one to put the last nail in his former team's coffin with a 3-point shot that sealed the win (81-80) for the home team.

Even though he only played two seasons withCrvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade across two different stints (2014-15, 2021-22), the 2022 ABA League MVP has been stapled as one of the persons who got inextricably linked to the club.

In a short chat with BasketNews, Kalinic - in line with what his ex-teammate Marko Guduric said - explained why he would never sign with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, admitted he's surprised by Olympiacos leading the standings, named the main reason he thinks former Zvezda coach Dejan Radonjicfailed to get his project at Panathinaikos Athens off the ground.

FC Barcelona / Schedule

FC Barcelona Zalgiris Kaunas93-74 Olympiacos Piraeus FC Barcelona77-70 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul FC BarcelonaFri17:45

What decided the game against Olympiacos?Physicality. We didn't respond well to their physical game. You can see that from their number of offensive rebounds and our turnovers. We'll try to learn from this game, and hopefully, we're going to play one more time against them this season.

How do you see the clash at the top of the standings evolving since teams are very close?Probably Olympiacos, with their wins against us and Real Madrid, are going to be first. Then, we'll see. A few teams are fighting for the first four places. I hope it's going to be us finishing among the top 4. The playoffs are still ahead of us.

What do you think has led Olympiacos to first place?To be honest, I didn't expect that. I did expect them to be good but not on top of the standings.

They're playing really great. They're enjoying the game, don't complicate things too much, play pick'n'roll, cut, read the game, and pass the ball. They're playing in a simple way. On defense, they know what they want - to switch. They're playing simple, and that's been giving them results.

What's the basic principle of Barcelona's game this season?I can't say because opponents will use it. Maybe our low post-game has been reduced. We're not punishing other teams enough, so they're able to go with smaller lineups and switch more.

Until we fix that, find better spacing and options, opponents will be able to take advantage of it.

You're up for EuroLeague DPOY this season. In your opinion, who are the league's top defenders?I'm glad that I was nominated, but I don't think I'm an extraordinary defender. I think I'm a decent defender, but not like [Edy] Tavares or other guys on that list.

Tavares' impact on the defensive end is much bigger than everybody else's. All the other guys are good, but he's something special.

I try to take pride in defense, and sometimes I play well, and sometimes I play bad. But some other guys are much better than me.

Up next, Barca are playing Fenerbahce in Istanbul. It will be Jan Vesely's first game since he left the team last summer. Have you guys talked about that?Yes, it's going to be nice. I've returned there already with Valencia and Red Star. I remember the experience, and Jan will probably have a nice little moment there. Fans over there love him after the eight years he spent with the team.

It's going to be enjoyable to play there. But it's also an important game because the home-court advantage in the playoffs is at stake.

You played for coach Dejan Radonjic at Zvezda. Why do you think he didn't make it at Panathinaikos?I didn't manage to follow a lot of their games because we were playing at the same time. But probably, it was a lack of communication. His system and his way take time.

Don't misunderstand me. Panathinaikos probably gave him a lot of time. They used to change their coach much faster in the past.

But his style and way of doing things didn't match with the team. Maybe the language barrier was bigger than he could handle in order to explain what he wanted from his players.

Did he have good communication with non-Serbian players?Yes, he did. But it's different when you have 3-4 foreign players than have a team full of foreigners. I really respect him as a coach. I think he's great. Obviously, it's easier for him to coach in Serbia. I think he's going to show that he's a good coach in his next job.

Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

What do you think of Partizan and Crvena Zvezda this season?They're playing well. Red Star are a bit down lately, but they have a good team. They're going to start playing better and fight for the playoffs. I don't know exactly what their schedule looks like, but I think one of those teams - not both- will make the playoffs.

Obviously, Partizan are the favorite. They're doing a good job. Both teams have big budgets and great players.

Do you think that Serbia having both of their big teams in the EuroLeague is the perfect scenario for the country's basketball?Yes, because Partizan were out for some time. But now, they're back and playing great. They have great players, coach, and fans. They're on the opposite side of Belgrade, but Zvezda have amazing fans too. It looks great to be a basketball player in Serbia right now.

Would you ever consider playing for Partizan?No. It's not for me, it's not my way. It's like that. Some guys did it. I know Miro Raduljica returned to Serbia to play for Zvezda, but I don't see myself doing that. That's the way I feel like doing things in life.

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