WLOCLAWEK (FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers) – Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat is not taking part in Poland’s FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers campaign but has been following closely the efforts of his former team-mates, who have won their opening two games in Group D, against Portugal and Belarus.

The 32-year-old big man was even in attendance at Poland’s 83-57 win against the Portuguese side in Wloclawek, sporting a sleeved jersey of sharp-shooting swingman Adam Waczynski, and left very satisfied with what he saw both on and off the court.

"The fans were fantastic," Gortat told sportowefakty.wp.pl. "They cheered on the team so loudly I could not even not hear what I was saying to my brother, who was sitting next to me. Once upon a time, this was not the atmosphere during the games of the Polish national team. The last time I remember such an atmosphere was in Lodz, during FIBA EuroBasket 2009. You can see that Wloclawek loves basketball."

Despite the fact Poland cannot count on Gortat’s help, the veteran center has full trust in his former team-mates and expects Mike Taylor’s men to continue their winning ways and be a dominant force in Group D.

"Let's be honest, qualifying to EuroBasket is a duty for our team," Gortat said. "I do not see another solution. We should win hands down this group and prepare for the next EuroBasket calmly. I know that the fans who want to see the national team be successful again share this view.

"Wacynzski is a leader of this team, he is in the best period of his career and he shows it on the floor. He reads the game superbly, gets important shots, he is not afraid to take the responsibility on his shoulders.

"Maciej Lampe (who returned to the national team for this campaign following a three-year absence) is a player who can play at a high level and the the only issue is for him to adapt properly to the team. You can see that he is in great shape physically, he's lost a little weight and I believe that in the following games he should play under the basket even more and attack rivals."

While Gortat's view must sound like music to the ears of Polish fans, unfortunately for them the experience of watching Poland from the stands did not make the big man revise his decision to retire from the national team.

"I am an old man," Gortat said. "It's now up to (22-year-old) Przemyslaw Karnowski to take over as the center of the national team. It is a pity that the injury kept him away from this campaign but Szymon Szewczyk stepped in for him and is helping the team with his experience.

"I am already gone and soon Lampe, (Adam) Hrycaniuk and Szewczyk will also go, Karnowski will be left alone (in the frontcourt) but I hope that youngsters from the U18 and even the U16 sides will step up and make the difference on the (senior) national team."

FIBA