First matches in Naples for Alessandro Lever, first great satisfactions. The Neapolitan team is, to a certain extent, turning the Italian championship upside down: a very clear victory against Sassari and then, immediately afterwards, against Milan. In all of this the Reggio native, who arrived in Trieste for two seasons, is making a valid contribution. We reached him for an interview about the city, the team and the basketball he encountered over time.
Basketball, Napoli feat in Serie A: the Neapolitans beat Milan 77-68
How exciting and important was it to beat Milan, and beat them the way Napoli did?
“It was certainly a very important match to win, given the start of the championship. We said it more than once between the coach and the club, the start would be quite tough and every match that could be won was important. Then in front of our fans, in the first match of the season, we need to give a message that the team is there. Hopefully, at the next home games there will be as much support as there was against Milan, which is crazy“.
Stunning victory in Sassari, victory against Milan: isn’t it that the analyzes were a bit ‘held’ and underestimated GeVi?
“The team is completely new, the coach has changed, part of the management has changed. I can understand the analysts, not knowing how the team would be formed, it could have happened. We worked from day one in the gym, with the right mentality and the desire to do something important here in Naples. The start was good, it’s up to us to continue and keep these goals ahead and try to win as many games as possible, and at the end of the championship look at what the ranking is and hope to qualify for the playoffs“.
This team has a very interesting package: Pullen, Zubcic, Ennis, Owens, Sokolowski and Jaworski are very respectable for Serie A.
“The team was made up of experienced players who have played in our league, some in very important leagues around Europe. There was a desire to create a close-knit group, with experience, to try to do something important in Serie A“.
Speaking of management, you find Alessandro Dalla Salda. How important was the fact that he was there for you?
“Very much, knowing him in Reggio Emilia. I talked to him a couple of times, then the GM is Pedro Llompart, also a player in Reggio Emilia. Their presence here in Naples helped me make this decision to sign here“.
How do you find yourself in Naples in terms of the city?
“Very good. You have to get used to the traffic a little. I don’t live far from the stadium, but to do those 2.5 km it always takes those 10-15 minutes because there is always traffic. But it’s a beautiful city, I’m trying to explore it in every free moment as much as possible. I love it“.
111 points in Sassari: how satisfied did that performance leave you?
“Very very much. It was a match we wanted to win from the first minute. In attack we were almost perfect in terms of percentages, very high. In defense we didn’t do a great job, in fact Sassari scored 90 points. We allowed them to score a lot. Against Milan, however, we played an excellent game in attack even if the percentages were not like those against Sassari, but the defense allowed us to win the match“.
You also had a good start to the championship. Beyond the 12 points with Sassari and the 7 with Milan, it was understood that you are a fundamental and well integrated part.
“Yes. We are a team that likes to run and shoot threes. These are two characteristics that reflect my game. We have quite interchangeable big men in the 4 role, this is our style of play and I like to play like this“.
Speaking of coach Igor Milicic: what interpretation of basketball does he have and how different is it from what you’ve experienced so far?
“He is certainly a coach with a lot of experience, despite being ‘young’, also considering the results obtained with Poland. A coach who gives a lot of trust to his players, allows them to play freely in his schemes and his directives, especially in attack. He wants defense to be our strong point. We hope to continue to do well like this“.
How different can you define the basketball played in Trieste from that of Naples?
“It depends on what a coach wants. Maybe one always prefers to call a scheme, another who runs and tries to make a basket and, in case there are no quick solutions (Last year’s Varese style), calls the scheme to fix the attack. The playing styles between Trieste and Napoli are very different, as were those of the coaches“.
What did the two seasons in Trieste mean to you?
“They allowed me to grow a lot. Coming from college, in the first six months I had to readjust to the European game, Serie A. They allowed me to grow as a person and player“.
Another basketball comparison: the one played and lived in the NCAA and the one played and lived in Italy.
“The basketball that is played in the NCAA is a very athletic basketball, where there are 30 seconds per action. I was watching videos, with 2-3 clips of things that are done in the NCAA. You see these players defending for 30 seconds, it seems very long. The playing styles are certainly very different, the European one is much more physical and a little freer and a little less schematic, more ‘thought out’. You want to do certain things to attack certain situations that the opposing team has some difficulty defending or attacking“.
You had the chance to taste the senior national team. Does this remain a goal for you?
“Every time there is a call-up to the national team it is a great honor to be able to wear the shirt of your country. That will always be a goal every summer: to be able to participate in any competition with the national team shirt“.
So far you have only been able to play one official match with the blue shirt, the one in the European qualifiers in Russia*.
“Then I also had the opportunity to play a friendly match in Trieste against Slovenia“.
*Russia-Italy 92-78, November 26, 2021. Russia’s results were later canceled following the war against Ukraine.
In which we keep guessing who was there. A random player.
“Doncic. Let’s say a bit strong player“.
And even there he didn’t skimp on trivial things.
“Exact“.
That match, then, was played precisely in Trieste at that moment as charged as perhaps very few times.
“For sure. Every time there is a national team match in Italy people rush to come and watch it. There is always a nice atmosphere. You can’t miss it“.
How much did what happened during your journey with the Under 19s mean to you?
“That summer I was injured with an ankle problem. But I had participated in the Under 18 European Championship in Türkiye where we won bronze. Beautiful experience“.
The one in Samsun, postponed to December.
“That’s right, it had never happened before that a European Championship was postponed to December. But it was, indeed, a wonderful experience with a group of very good guys“.
There were various elements from those two years who then went on to play in Serie A, some even in important situations. Baldasso, Pajola, Midnight, Visconti.
“Moretti, Caruso. Many of those ended up in A or A2“.
What are your team and personal goals for improvement?
“Certainly a team objective is to save ourselves as soon as possible and to give our heart on the pitch, every time, everyone, to bring home the victory away or at home in front of our fans. Personal objectives: help the team achieve its objectives, do everything to save itself and aim for the playoffs“.
We were talking about the not very simple calendar: the next ones are Brescia away from home and Virtus Bologna and Brindisi at home. Now you’re a loose cannon: does appetite come with eating?
“Clearly we are going to Brescia with the desire to give our best and try to bring home two points against a team that started the championship in a spectacular way, beating Treviso by 28 points, which is in rhythm and which wants to demonstrate that it is a big names in the championship“.
The championship started in a particular way: looking at the rankings, Reggio Emilia, Brescia and Napoli with two victories were not particularly expected. Can this be defined as a very eventful start?
“Safe. As far as Brescia is concerned, they have maintained last year’s squad, the players know each other, they have added top-level players such as Balance, Christon and Burnell, who is an energy player, who runs on the pitch, who knows how to attack from the dribble, who knows how to shoot. It’s a very strong team, and the same goes for Reggio: they built a team doing 6+6 for the championship, without the cups. They are making very strong teams“.
Credit: Ciamillo
2023-10-13 16:41:28
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