FIBA Basketball
GER - Bauermann switches gears from Bamberg to Germany
BAMBERG (FIBA World Championship) - German national team coach Dirk Bauermann has experienced a wild last 12 months.From winning the 2005 German championship with GHP Bamberg to capturing the silver medal at EuroBasket 2005, with Dirk Nowitzki winning Most Valuable Player honours, it's been non-stop for Bauermann. This season has seen Bauermann help Bamberg become the first side in Bundesliga basketball history to advance from the first round of the Euroleague. They also reached the final of the German Cup and just missed returning to the German play-off finals
:: WIN a trip to the FIBA World Championship Finals weekend ::
BAMBERG (FIBA World Championship) - German national team coach Dirk Bauermann has experienced a wild last 12 months.
From winning the 2005 German championship with GHP Bamberg to capturing the silver medal at EuroBasket 2005, with Dirk Nowitzki winning Most Valuable Player honours, it's been non-stop for Bauermann. This season has seen Bauermann help Bamberg become the first side in Bundesliga basketball history to advance from the first round of the Euroleague.
They also reached the final of the German Cup and just missed returning to the German play-off finals.
But as high as the past year was for Bauermann, the last seven weeks have seen plenty of lows for the defensive-minded coach to endure. Bamberg lost their top scorer Demond Mallet to injury in the final game of the regular season.
They suffered defeat in the final of the German Cup in front of their own fans. In the first round of the German play-offs, Bauermann's team was involved in an altercation against Telekom Baskets Bonn, which resulted in 13 players being disqualified from the game.
In the deciding Game Five of the semi-finals, Bauermann's troops were eliminated by RheinEnergie Koln on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Koln centre Aleksandar Nadjfeji. Then Bamberg's jersey sponsor Nici filed bankruptcy and its name sponsor, GHP, exercised its option and pulled out of its partnership with the club.
PA Sport's David Hein spoke to Bauermann on behalf of FIBA this week.
FIBA: Taking a look over the past seven weeks, you've seen quite a bit of tough times as the club coach at GHP Bamberg, with losing Mallet, losing the German Cup final, the fighting incident in Bonn, losing to RheinEnergie Koln in the waning seconds and problems with sponsors. How have you held up?
Bauermann: I've never been a coach that has made excuses if things didn't go the way we wanted them to. Losing Demond definitely hurt us offensively. But it would be too easy to use that as an excuse. We were strong enough to win the championship. Blaming it on losing him would be an easy way out.
FIBA: What about the German Cup final against rivals Alba Berlin?
Bauermann: We just played against a team that on that particular day were better than we were. They shot the lights out in the first half. We had a big third quarter but they were able to regroup, and Hollis Price hit some big shots to give them the edge. I don't think they are or were a better team than we were. But that day they played better.
FIBA: And the team took a lot of heat for what happened in Bonn, where three players were suspended after an altercation in a game against Telekom Baskets Bonn.
Bauermann: I think the Bonn incident was blown way out of proportion. These things should not happen in basketball. The guys were not fighting. There were no punches thrown. There was none of that. I've never been in a situation like that. It was very unique.
FIBA: What happened in the semis against Koln where the team was up 2-1 in games but failed to close the door on them?
Bauermann: We should have put them away in the fourth game at their place which we didn't. And we should have done the same thing in Game Five. We had the lead late but took bad shots and made turnovers. We beat ourselves. We left the door open and they took the chance.
FIBA: Did you think about fouling with just seconds left ahead two points, forcing them to hit two free throws and force overtime.
Bauermann: We thought as the best defensive team in the league we could and would get the stop. That was the decision and I'd make the same decision again. It just back fired. Nadjfeji got open and Ivory found him. Nadjfeji hits a low percentage of threes and he showed a lot of character in making that shot. It's one of the things that happen. We played a lot of close games this season. But this was probably the biggest. And it was a heartbreaker. But that's basketball.
FIBA: So, let's get away from the German league. You didn't have any time off between Germany's EuroBasket silver medal performance in Serbia & Montenegro and starting coaching for Bamberg this past season. What's on tap for you now that the season is over?
Bauermann: Just kind of lick my wounds and regroup, and then just move on. For me the last year has been just unbelievable with winning the German championship and then the silver medal and the Euroleague Top 16 with my Bamberg team. Every once in a while you have a setback but you can't let it get you down. I'm looking forward to the summer. Being able to compete in a World Championships is a tremendous challenge. I'm just looking forward to working with the national team.
FIBA: But don't you need to shut down for a bit after such intensity for so long.
Bauermann: I'll just relax and take it easy for a couple weeks. I was thinking about going to Dallas but I decided not to do that. I will probably be in the States later for the summer leagues to scout for Bamberg. And I have speaking engagements with the federation and coaching clinches. And I wanted to see all the youth teams - the Under-16 and Under-18 teams - practice a bit. So I don't expect too much time off. But a couple weeks is more than enough.
FIBA: When will you start thinking about the German national team?
Bauermann: Right now we're talking to the players and telling them how to prepare and come in in great shape.
FIBA: Germany have a 10-day training camp on Mallorca starting July 13. You were there before EuroBasket 2005 as well. Why did you decide to return there?
Bauermann: It's a good situation. The players enjoy it. We worked our butts off. If you stay in Germany you could have 14 days of rain non stop and that's unpleasant. We're just going to Spain to work hard.
FIBA: What's the timeline on naming a roster for the FIBA World Championship with warm-ups coming up against Canada on July 28 and July 30 and the Super Cup in Braunschweig with Turkey, Italy and France on August 4-5?
Bauermann: We'll have 17 players in Spain. We expect to go into those Canada games with 14 players. And we'll make the last cut after Super Cup
FIBA: There's also the President's Cup in China with Argentina, Brazil, China, Greece and France.
Bauermann: Yeah, that's a great test just a week before the Worlds start. We'll see where we are.
FIBA: Let's focus on the Worlds now. How do you see your Group B stacking up? Germany play the hosts Japan in the first game and then have to concentrate on New Zealand and not look past them before the much-anticipated Spain game.
Bauermann: Absolutely. We have to take it all one at a time. Having to play that first game against the Japanese is very dangerous too. They will be highly motivated. And it will be more difficult than most people think at this time.
FIBA: And then you have to worry about not letting up against Panama and Angola to finish the group strong.
Bauermann: You want to go into the next round with a lot of confidence and in good form. You have to finish strong. It's not just about winning but how you play. In a tournament like this, you can't turn it off and then on again. You have to play at a high level on a consistent basis.
FIBA: How much pain do you feel every time Dirk Nowitzki goes down and grabs his ankle - as he's done a couple times during the NBA play-offs?
Bauermann: We would have never won silver without him. Obviously the other guys did a great job too. But I don't think there was another team in that (EuroBasket) tournament which relied on one guy more than we did. Every time he gets hurt or holds his ankle it's a concern. There's no way we can replace him. It's impossible. But he's a warrior. He'll be there, no matter.
FIBA: But Nowitzki is going to need help. Where do you see it coming from?
Bauermann: We're hoping that (Ademola) Okulaja is ready to play again, which would give us a second scorer. And that would be a big help. But what's really important is that the others have gained so much confidence from that (EuroBasket) tournament. All of them had a good game at one time or another. And that's good for the team.
FIBA: And who else do you see making big contributions?
Bauermann: Demond Greene has made a big step to being one of the better guards in Germany. With (Steffen) Hamann and (Nino) Garris we have two athletic guards. And we're also trying to give some of the young guys a chance. We think the combination of the experience from the older guys and the motivation of the younger guys will make up a good mix.
FIBA: Which younger guys do you think may be added to the group?
Bauermann: We'll probably give longer looks to Johannes Herber (West Virginia) and Christopher McNaughton (Bucknell), both of whom who showed they can perform under performance in college in the United States. So with Ade (Okulaja) coming back and the younger guys pushing the older guys, I feel very confident that we can have a very strong showing in Japan.
PA Sport
BAMBERG (FIBA World Championship) - German national team coach Dirk Bauermann has experienced a wild last 12 months.
From winning the 2005 German championship with GHP Bamberg to capturing the silver medal at EuroBasket 2005, with Dirk Nowitzki winning Most Valuable Player honours, it's been non-stop for Bauermann. This season has seen Bauermann help Bamberg become the first side in Bundesliga basketball history to advance from the first round of the Euroleague.
They also reached the final of the German Cup and just missed returning to the German play-off finals.
But as high as the past year was for Bauermann, the last seven weeks have seen plenty of lows for the defensive-minded coach to endure. Bamberg lost their top scorer Demond Mallet to injury in the final game of the regular season.
They suffered defeat in the final of the German Cup in front of their own fans. In the first round of the German play-offs, Bauermann's team was involved in an altercation against Telekom Baskets Bonn, which resulted in 13 players being disqualified from the game.
In the deciding Game Five of the semi-finals, Bauermann's troops were eliminated by RheinEnergie Koln on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Koln centre Aleksandar Nadjfeji. Then Bamberg's jersey sponsor Nici filed bankruptcy and its name sponsor, GHP, exercised its option and pulled out of its partnership with the club.
PA Sport's David Hein spoke to Bauermann on behalf of FIBA this week.
FIBA: Taking a look over the past seven weeks, you've seen quite a bit of tough times as the club coach at GHP Bamberg, with losing Mallet, losing the German Cup final, the fighting incident in Bonn, losing to RheinEnergie Koln in the waning seconds and problems with sponsors. How have you held up?
Bauermann: I've never been a coach that has made excuses if things didn't go the way we wanted them to. Losing Demond definitely hurt us offensively. But it would be too easy to use that as an excuse. We were strong enough to win the championship. Blaming it on losing him would be an easy way out.
FIBA: What about the German Cup final against rivals Alba Berlin?
Bauermann: We just played against a team that on that particular day were better than we were. They shot the lights out in the first half. We had a big third quarter but they were able to regroup, and Hollis Price hit some big shots to give them the edge. I don't think they are or were a better team than we were. But that day they played better.
FIBA: And the team took a lot of heat for what happened in Bonn, where three players were suspended after an altercation in a game against Telekom Baskets Bonn.
Bauermann: I think the Bonn incident was blown way out of proportion. These things should not happen in basketball. The guys were not fighting. There were no punches thrown. There was none of that. I've never been in a situation like that. It was very unique.
FIBA: What happened in the semis against Koln where the team was up 2-1 in games but failed to close the door on them?
Bauermann: We should have put them away in the fourth game at their place which we didn't. And we should have done the same thing in Game Five. We had the lead late but took bad shots and made turnovers. We beat ourselves. We left the door open and they took the chance.
FIBA: Did you think about fouling with just seconds left ahead two points, forcing them to hit two free throws and force overtime.
Bauermann: We thought as the best defensive team in the league we could and would get the stop. That was the decision and I'd make the same decision again. It just back fired. Nadjfeji got open and Ivory found him. Nadjfeji hits a low percentage of threes and he showed a lot of character in making that shot. It's one of the things that happen. We played a lot of close games this season. But this was probably the biggest. And it was a heartbreaker. But that's basketball.
FIBA: So, let's get away from the German league. You didn't have any time off between Germany's EuroBasket silver medal performance in Serbia & Montenegro and starting coaching for Bamberg this past season. What's on tap for you now that the season is over?
Bauermann: Just kind of lick my wounds and regroup, and then just move on. For me the last year has been just unbelievable with winning the German championship and then the silver medal and the Euroleague Top 16 with my Bamberg team. Every once in a while you have a setback but you can't let it get you down. I'm looking forward to the summer. Being able to compete in a World Championships is a tremendous challenge. I'm just looking forward to working with the national team.
FIBA: But don't you need to shut down for a bit after such intensity for so long.
Bauermann: I'll just relax and take it easy for a couple weeks. I was thinking about going to Dallas but I decided not to do that. I will probably be in the States later for the summer leagues to scout for Bamberg. And I have speaking engagements with the federation and coaching clinches. And I wanted to see all the youth teams - the Under-16 and Under-18 teams - practice a bit. So I don't expect too much time off. But a couple weeks is more than enough.
FIBA: When will you start thinking about the German national team?
Bauermann: Right now we're talking to the players and telling them how to prepare and come in in great shape.
FIBA: Germany have a 10-day training camp on Mallorca starting July 13. You were there before EuroBasket 2005 as well. Why did you decide to return there?
Bauermann: It's a good situation. The players enjoy it. We worked our butts off. If you stay in Germany you could have 14 days of rain non stop and that's unpleasant. We're just going to Spain to work hard.
FIBA: What's the timeline on naming a roster for the FIBA World Championship with warm-ups coming up against Canada on July 28 and July 30 and the Super Cup in Braunschweig with Turkey, Italy and France on August 4-5?
Bauermann: We'll have 17 players in Spain. We expect to go into those Canada games with 14 players. And we'll make the last cut after Super Cup
FIBA: There's also the President's Cup in China with Argentina, Brazil, China, Greece and France.
Bauermann: Yeah, that's a great test just a week before the Worlds start. We'll see where we are.
FIBA: Let's focus on the Worlds now. How do you see your Group B stacking up? Germany play the hosts Japan in the first game and then have to concentrate on New Zealand and not look past them before the much-anticipated Spain game.
Bauermann: Absolutely. We have to take it all one at a time. Having to play that first game against the Japanese is very dangerous too. They will be highly motivated. And it will be more difficult than most people think at this time.
FIBA: And then you have to worry about not letting up against Panama and Angola to finish the group strong.
Bauermann: You want to go into the next round with a lot of confidence and in good form. You have to finish strong. It's not just about winning but how you play. In a tournament like this, you can't turn it off and then on again. You have to play at a high level on a consistent basis.
FIBA: How much pain do you feel every time Dirk Nowitzki goes down and grabs his ankle - as he's done a couple times during the NBA play-offs?
Bauermann: We would have never won silver without him. Obviously the other guys did a great job too. But I don't think there was another team in that (EuroBasket) tournament which relied on one guy more than we did. Every time he gets hurt or holds his ankle it's a concern. There's no way we can replace him. It's impossible. But he's a warrior. He'll be there, no matter.
FIBA: But Nowitzki is going to need help. Where do you see it coming from?
Bauermann: We're hoping that (Ademola) Okulaja is ready to play again, which would give us a second scorer. And that would be a big help. But what's really important is that the others have gained so much confidence from that (EuroBasket) tournament. All of them had a good game at one time or another. And that's good for the team.
FIBA: And who else do you see making big contributions?
Bauermann: Demond Greene has made a big step to being one of the better guards in Germany. With (Steffen) Hamann and (Nino) Garris we have two athletic guards. And we're also trying to give some of the young guys a chance. We think the combination of the experience from the older guys and the motivation of the younger guys will make up a good mix.
FIBA: Which younger guys do you think may be added to the group?
Bauermann: We'll probably give longer looks to Johannes Herber (West Virginia) and Christopher McNaughton (Bucknell), both of whom who showed they can perform under performance in college in the United States. So with Ade (Okulaja) coming back and the younger guys pushing the older guys, I feel very confident that we can have a very strong showing in Japan.
PA Sport