Kevin Punter spoke with Basketball Sphere about how much he has changed since signing with Partizan, why he hasn’t played in the NBA yet, and reflected on his goals in the upcoming period and how much the painful elimination from Real Madrid last season will influence them.
With 32 points in the decisive game of the ABA League finals and an MVP award, Kevin Punter closed one chapter and opened up numerous questions.
At first, it seemed that Barcelona was closest to signing him ahead of Panathinaikos and other EuroLeague clubs, but in the end, Partizan fought to make wish come true and have the captain dominate the floor of “Stark Arena” for another year.
“He’s not a leader. He can’t be a captain. He can’t handle the pressure. He makes poor decisions in crunch time…”
These were the doubts that Punter faced at the beginning of the previous season when Partizan wasn’t shining. In such situations, those expected to prevent the team from facing such circ*mstances are usually the ones who suffer the most.
Up To 122 €/$ Welcome Bonus
4.7 / 5
TOTAL SCORE
Claim Now Claim Now
About the two roles that changed him
That beginning will be crucial for everything that follows. High expectations and a 4-9 record after 13 EuroLeague games, missed shots in the closing moments of games, all of this will make him want it even more. Such desire will pull the team together.
From that desire emerged the opportunity to secure a playoff spot against Monaco in his favorite way, to hit that three-pointer against Real Madrid, and to complete it all with a top-notch performance against the biggest rival when it was needed the most.
No one thinks differently anymore. The leader that Zeljko Obradovic envisioned has fully embraced that role, regularly participating in player recruitment efforts, as P.J. Dozier, the latest acquisition, mentioned in an interview with Basketball Sphere.
From something so unfamiliar to a natural feeling of leadership, created to elevate Partizan’s project to the top of Europe.
At the beginning of the interview with Basketball Sphere, he admitted that this is one of the areas where he has progressed the most since donning the black and white jersey two years ago.
“I’ve become more of a leader, more tactical mentally in certain games and be more of a playmaker. I feel I’ve gonna a lot to be a playmaker from my first to third year.” Punter emphasized.
P.J. Dozier: Exum’s success opened my eyes; Obradovic? What could be better than that
“Our goals are to win everything – both the ABA League and the EuroLeague”
Obradovic’s team has grown from season to season. From losing to Bursa in the EuroCup round of 16 to the fifth game of the EuroLeague quarter-finals against the later champions.
“When I arrived, we were extremely young in the first season. A lot of guys were playing games twice a week for the first time. It was my first time coming back to EuroCup. Coach Obradovic’s first year, everything was new for everyone…
Now, before the start of the third season, we’ve won the ABA League, and the guys have more experience and maturity. You see players like Alen Smailagic, Balsa Koprivica and Uros Trifunovic who have improved. Our goals are now the highest, to win everything – both the ABA League and the EuroLeague.”
“NBA? People need to understand one thing.”
In addition to numerous EuroLeague offers, Punter recently talked about offers from the NBA. Detroit Pistons executive Dwane Casey, among others, mentioned that the franchise had looked Partizan games because of the American guard.
Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Rico Hines stated that Punter is the best player outside the NBA. It’s clear that there is interest from across the Atlantic. So why hasn’t any team given a bigger chance to this top-notch scorer?
“I don’t know. There’s one thing people need to realize. In the NBA, it’s not just about basketball. There are a lot of political and business-related factors at play. I have a lot of leverage, and I don’t want to lose it by going to the NBA at any cost. If the situation makes sense, of course, I’ll go there. If not, I’ll stay here.”
Dwane Casey: Every NBA team applies Partizan’s recipe, I tip my hat to Obradovic
,,Real Madrid? We understood that it is possible”
The past season was marked by a series against Real Madrid, where Partizan led 2-0, but Punter was one of the players suspended after a brawl at the end of the second game. The Spanish team ultimately capitalized on that advantage. Despite one of the best European guards returning for the decisive game, his 28 points weren’t enough to help Obradovic’s team reach the Final Four.
Will this failure serve as motivation for the upcoming period?
“For different reasons… We know how close we were. Up 2-0, and we draw motivation from that. We understood that it’s possible. I said to some people before that series that I was going in with the mentality to win it by 3:0 and we won the first two games in Madrid.
When you mentally believe in something like that, you really have to believe in it. If we had asked people before that series, they wouldn’t have been so confident. It’s all about thinking the right way.” – Kevin Punter concluded the interview with Basketball Sphere.
Up To 122 €/$ Welcome Bonus
4.7 / 5
TOTAL SCORE
Claim Now Claim Now
