While Paris Basketball returned to victory, Jean-Christophe Prat spoke about an element that did good to a whole group: the departure of Kyle O’Quinn.
Kyle O’Quinn gone, Paris Basketball freed? In any case, this is what Jean-Christophe Prat confided in a post-match press conference, in remarks reported by Paris Basketball On Air. He said bluntly that there was a problem between the different parties and that the separation took a weight off everyone.
“Yes, certainly, the group is relieved, we are not going to make a fuss. We are not going to hide it, we had a problem and when there is a problem, the responsibilities are shared. It’s not 100% him, nor 100% the club. There are things we didn’t do well, others we did, and vice versa for him. The most important thing is really to focus on those who are there and to learn from what happened. It happens in all clubs, we will just have to learn from it but it is not the right time for the moment. »
Could this departure allow young hopefuls to gain a few minutes with the professional workforce? Jean-Christophe Prat does not forbid himself anything, in particular with regard to training, an essential aspect of the sports project of Paris Basketball. But he keeps in mind that it is better to start by starting the youngsters of the club, like Mohammed Diawara, who took part in the victory against Bourg-en-Bresse.
“We have a scouting department. Last weekend we went to see some 2008 and 2009 in Poissy. We found rare pearls, which are already very big and very good. So yes, we are already making progress on that. We always try to be one step ahead, but we will first take care of ourselves and try to move forward with our players. We have Juhann (Begarin) and Ismaël (Kamagate) who will surely leave us at the end of the year, we have Milan (Barbitch) who is still there. Before going to recruit outside we will already take care of our own, that’s our priority. If I put Mo on the field it’s because he deserves it. I can allow myself to play them when we have a little bit of margin, because we are still in a fight for maintenance for the moment, but afterwards if it goes well we will put them on more and more. If we secure ourselves quickly enough and we cannot play above, we will not hesitate to put them on the ground. »
Photo: Kyle O’Quinn (Thomas Savoja)
