Today evening Dynamo Moscow has 2-hour practice in USH CSKA. After it players and coaching staff went to the hotel Aerostar which is situated right near the arena. After the practice the head coach of our tomorrow opponent Zvi Sherf answered several questions for our site:
Just before Final Four you have said that Maccabi would definitely win the tournament this year. Why were you so sure?
- First of all, I know Maccabi very well. They are especially good on the home court. Last year Final Four was in Barcelona, this year in Tel-Aviv and next year it will come to Moscow. Every year one team has an advantage. The home advantage is giving a lot. And because I know the home advantage of Maccabi, their fans, their crazy atmosphere in Nokia Arena, it giving them advantage of 15-20 points. It is an advantage which is very difficult to cover.
CSKA won the third place this year. Is it good result for our team?
- First of all, it is very good to be in the Final Four. CSKA, Maccabi, Barcelona, Siena, Ulker and may be I forgot two-three teams; there are teams with the biggest budget in the Europe. But the team like Barcelona, one of the oldest in the cup, did not qualify. The team like Benetton and Panathinaikos did not qualify. So, it is very good just to qualify to the final round of the tournament. Only four teams could do it. And everyone is dream about winning it. For CSKA two years in the Final four is a very good result. According to this season may be it was looking one month before FF that CSKA plays best basketball. But later it was little bit down. May be next year.
What do you think about the level of the Russian Championship?
- Look, in Russia CSKA is the best team. And for sure one of the best of three-four in Europe. UNICS and Ural-Great are also very good teams. They can be between TOP16 clubs in the Euroleague. In Dynamo the organization is a little bit different. But we have good motivation and future plans. We are going to be a strong team. So, this four teams are very good teams. Under that are Khimki and Dynamo Moscow Region. And other teams are on the low level. And this is the reason for example that CSKA is finishing the regular season with only one lose. PAO finished with 5 loses, Benetton and Skipper with 5 lose, and Maccabi with 3 loses. You have several teams in a bottom. And the difference between them and other is have to be covered.
And what about your plans? Are you going to stay in Dynamo for the next season?
- My plans are to stay in Dynamo as far as they will like me. I can leave it only if I will have offers from big teams. But for me now Dynamo is the big team. I feel good here. I see a lot of steps to making Dynamo better. And I like this process.
We have many legionnaires in Russia. What do you think about the limit?
- I do not think that Russia has more foreign players that any other league. It is the difference between the national team and the club basketball. Russian basketball became open only 7-8 years ago. Club basketball is like club football. If you will look at football you will see that players from all over the world are coming the Champions League. In the basketball it is NBA. The level of the club basketball is becoming higher with foreign players. You mast have legionnaires to win something. If CSKA play without them they could not move to the Final Four.
And about tomorrow game. Which CSKA players are most dangerous for you?
- CSKA first of all is the team but not only players. They have some players like Brown, Holden and Turkcan who are top players. Brown and Turkcan were elected in first five of best players in Euroleague. It is showing something. But CSKA power is not in some players, but in all team. There is the team with big experience. They have big long bench. There is the team with many players on all positions. It is very important when somebody has bad days or somebody is injured. You can try to surprise them in one game like Ural-Great in Cup of Russia. But for Dynamo it would be very difficult to surprise them.
Who is the favorite of the second semifinal?
- I think that UNICS. First of all because they are a good team, and secondly because of the home advantage. But of course home advantage is a very critical for here.
What do you think about our ex-player Nikolay Padius?
- He came to us in the beginning of the season not in the good shape. He was on the bench in CSKA before he arrived in Dynamo. But later he returned back in a very good shape. Last two months were very good for him. He was a big part of the succeed of Dynamo.
Ex-army player Nikolay Padius also agreed to answer several questions about tomorrow game and his future. He told that Dynamo is gathering together before the every game:
- This time we gathered together some days ago out of the city. Then we came to Aerostar and will stay here during two nearest games.
What is the difference in training process in Dynamo and CSKA?
- You know, it is like each other. Only players and coaches are different.
What did practices with Dusan Ivkovic give you?
- A lot of. I think that every basketball players want to work with such coach. He taught us tactic, professionalism and many other things.
What are you going to do next season?
- I do not have any plans right now because the season is not over yet. Now we are before the most important games of the season. We moved to the semifinal. But for me, for other players and for our coach it is not enough. We want more. I think that the coach prepared us well. The Game will show.
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