INTERVIEW: Zagorac - Mega Leks is the best choice for any young player

Wednesday, 25. January 2017 at 14:34

Looking at the overall index rating and at the top scorers list in ABA League, you will find the name of Rade Zagorac in Top 10 charts of both categories. 

Rade Zagorac (Photo: Mega Leks/Ivica Veselinov)

Looking at the overall index rating and at the top scorers list in ABA League, you will find the name of Rade Zagorac in Top 10 charts of both categories. Young player of Mega Leks is having another great season, while according to him, his biggest goal in the rest of the 2016/17 campaign is to help the team keep the ABA League status.

Read the full interview with Rade Zagorac:

Mega Leks have improved their form lately, while a convincing win against Zadar definitely proves this words. How does everything look to you now?

"This is the season in which the team faced certainly the most changes in comparison to the previous years. I am sure that we can make a starting 5 of the players who left the team last summer. On top of that, we are playing one more competition in this season in which you will find many quality teams. Basketball Champions League has brought us valuable experience which means a lot to all players, but on the other hand we have stayed without a lot of energy and without time for correcting our mistakes at trainings. Still, I believe that we are on the right way to show what are we really capable of."

How unusual it is for you to fight for the ABA League survival, when you played in the ABA League Finals less than a year ago?

"It is certainly not pleasant to be in the bottom part of the standings. In this season we have suffered numerous defeats after thrilling endings, while a year ago we triumphed in most of the 'close games'. If we had won at least half of them this season, we would have been among the teams who are fighting for the Playoffs. Still, we should not moan about the missed opportunities. Instead, we should look to win as many games as possible in the rest of the season, in order to keep the ABA League status. We all feel a great responsibility on that matter, as every single generation of Mega Leks have successfully passed that test and we do not want to be the first one to fail."

Last summer you decided to turn down the offers of other clubs and to stay in Mega Leks. Do you think now that you made the right choice?

"Yes. I haven't questioned my decision for a single moment. I believe that people in Serbia are generally not really informed well about the situation which occurred last summer, so I can understand certain 'suggestions' that comes to me every day. I claim that if any young player had a choice like I had, Mega Leks would be the best choice he could make."

Head coach Dejan Milojević is already considered as a top expert for working with young players. How would you describe your cooperation with him?

"Dejan Milojević is a young coach, which is generally the first thing that describes Mega Leks. He also learns new things every day, like we do. I think that he has potential to achieve big things in his coaching career. Working with him is one very healthy and pleasant process."

Where do you see your team at the end of the season?

"I think that it is not really good to make any predictions at this moment. I believe that we have finally found the right rhythm, and that we are in front of a successful period. I wish a lot of luck to FMP in their chase for the ABA League survival, as well as to Partizan NIS and Crvena zvezda mts in the upcoming Playoffs."

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Rade Zagorac - "Mega Leks je najbolji izbor za mladog igrača"

Gledajući ukupan indeks korisnosti, kao i broj postignutih poena u ABA ligi, Rade Zagorac se nalazi u Top 10 igrača u obe kategorije. Mladi košarkaš Mege Leks igra još jednu odličnu sezonu, a kako sam kaže, glavni cilj mu je da pomogne svom timu da izbori opstanak u najjačoj ligi u regionu.

Pročitajte ceo intervju sa igračem Mege Leks.

Mega je definitivno podigla formu u poslednje vreme, a ubedljiva pobeda protiv Zadra je to najbolje pokazala. Kako je vama sve to izgledalo na parketu?

"Ovo je sezona u kojoj je tim nesumnjivo pretrpeo najviše promena u odnosu na neke prethodne godine. Siguran sam da bi mogla bi da se sastavi čitava petorka igrača koji su prethodne godine bili veliki oslonci u istorijskim uspesima za klub, sa kojima su, verujem, svi upoznati. Na sve to, ove sezone smo pristupili još jednom takmičenju u kojem igraju izuzetno kvalitetne ekipe. Liga šampiona nam je donela nesporno iskustvo koje puno znači mladim igračima, ali smo sa druge strane, ostali i bez velikog dela energije i prostora za korekciju timskih grešaka na treninzima. Verujem da smo konačno na pravom putu da pokažemo ono za šta smo, nesumnjivo, sposobni."

Koliko vam je neobično da se ove sezone borite za opstanak a pre manje od godinu dana ste igrali finale ABA lige?

"Svakako da nije prijatno biti u donjem delu tabele. Ove godine smo pretrpeli veliki broj poraza u utakmicama na jednu loptu. Prethodne sezone smo gotovo sve neizvesne utakmice prevagnuli u našu korist. Da smo ove godine u barem pola tesnih završnica uspeli da pobedimo, sada bismo bili pretendent na mesto koje vodi u plej of. Ne treba da žalimo za propuštenim prilikama već moramo da gledamo da do kraja sezone pobedimo u što većem broju utakmica i da obezbedimo igranje ABA lige i naredne sezone. Svi osećamo veliku odgovornost po tom pitanju jer su se igrači Mege u prethodnim generacijama izborili za to i svakako ne želimo da prekinemo taj niz."

Prošlog leta ste odlučili da odbijete ponude drugih klubova i da ostanete u Megi, Da li mislite da ste doneli pravi izbor?

"Da. Nijednog trenutka nisam posumnjao ili preispitao svoju odluku. Verujem da ljudi u Srbiji i generalno javnost, nije najupućenija u situacije koje su se letos dešavale, pa i mogu da razumem određene 'sugestije' koje svakodnevno stižu do mene. Odgovorno tvrdim da je Mega najbolji izbor koji jedan mladi igrač može da napravi ukoliko ima izbor kao što sam imao ja."

Trener Dejan Milojević već sada važi za velikog stručnjaka za rad sa mladim igračima. Kakav je vaš odnos sa trenerom i šta možete da kažete o saradnji sa njim?

"Dejan Milojević je mlad trener, kao što je uglavnom i sve što asocira na Megu. I on svakodnevno uči kao i mi. Mislim da ima potencijal da jednog dana dostigne velike stvari. Sa njim je saradnja zdrav i prijatan proces."

Gde vidite svoj tim na tabeli na kraju sezone?

"Mislim da nije zahvalno u ovom trenutku prognozirati plasman Mega Leksa na tabeli. Verujem da smo konačno posložili kockice u igri i da nas očekuje lepši rezultatski period. Želim puno sreće FMP-u u borbi za opstanak a Partizanu i Crvenoj zvezdi, verujem, u predstojećem plej ofu."

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