Jaka Blazic, Cedevita Olimpija captain, spoke with Basketball Sphere ahead of the start of the ABA League and EuroCup.
This summer, Jaka Blazic has signed for the capital city’s club for the third time in his career. The first instance was in 2011 when he suited up for Olimpija. Then, in 2019, he played for Cedevita Olimpija and has now returned this season from Turkey’s Bahcesehir.
He spoke with Basketball Sphere about the upcoming season, Cedevita Olimpija team that has undergone significant changes, the new head coach Simone Pianigiani, and ABA League veterans such as Dragan Milosavljevic, Marko Jagodic Kuridza, Branko Lazic and Nemanja Gordic.
At the beginning, Blazic talk with us about the Slovenian Super Cup. A few days ago, Cedevita Olimpija defeated Helios Domzale by 76:59. It was the first trophy in the season for his team.
“It was definitely an important game for us. Here in Slovenia, everyone expects us to win both the Super Cup and the championship, so it’s a crucial victory. Some of the younger players got a chance and took advantage of it, so we are going into the first game of the ABA League on Saturday with good confidence.” – Blazic said.
Even the laymen know that Partizan and Crvena Zvezda are the favorites to win the ABA League this season. Buducnost and Igokea have serious teams, and then there’s Cedevita Olimpija.
“We all know the favorites. There’s Crvena Zvezda and Partizan, plus Buducnost, Igokea, and us. People expect us to give them a hard time and perhaps surprise them. They are the main favorites in this competition, and there are also young teams like Mega and FMP. There will certainly be quality games. It’s going to be great to watch, and it’s overall good for basketball in the Balkans.” – Blazic told us.
He also highlighted the Studentski Centar, team led by one of his first coaches, Andrej Zakelj. They won the ABA Super Cup by defeating Partizan in the final.
“They play excellent basketball. They’ve been with the same coach for three years now and are performing really well. I’m pleased that Andrej Zakelj, who was one of my first coaches in the junior categories, won the Super Cup, and I wish them all the best for the rest of the season.”
Cedevita Olimpija has undergone many changes this season. Simone Pianigiani is the new head coach, and 13 new players signed contracts over the summer, while 11 departed. It’s challenging to start essentially with a new team every season.
“He has had strong teams. He has won numerous trophies, which means he’s a coach with an impressive career, and a coach who can be of great help to us here in Ljubljana. We’ve been together for just 10 days, and I can see he has a passion for basketball. He certainly wants to instill confidence in the players on offense and give them freedom. Defensively, he aims for aggressive play and wants us to thrive from it.
So far, I can only speak highly of him. Still, this is a new team with many new players, and everything has changed. We surely won’t be playing our best basketball right from the start, but what’s crucial is that we win the games we must. The goal is to improve every day and by New Year, play the best basketball we can.”
Coach Simone Pianigiani is renowned in his career for emphasizing solid defense coupled with a swift transition. Jaka Blazic seems like the ideal player profile for such gameplay.
“Honestly, yes. He wants a solid defense, and for guards, he has many systems in offense. He allows freedom, allowing you to showcase your talent in the process. We also have a considerable rotation in frontcourt, so the motivation in every practice is high. It’s beneficial for development, and I think everything will be okay.”
Blazic has built his career on such gameplay, giving his all both in defense and offense. He’s pragmatic, aware of his capabilities and limitations, but is consistently at his peak. The question remains, how much can the body endure all this? We were interested in how much, considering the vast number of games teams play, he focuses on body recovery.
“That’s the most crucial part – fitness and prevention. I had a disc hernia surgery last year, and due to that, I need to work even more on my body. Some of it’s training, but a lot of time is spent in the fitness center, as well as with the physiotherapist’s table where you have to address minor injuries before every training session.”
Blazic is typically assigned to guard the best opposing team’s players, who are often their top scorers. There’s a lot of chasing them around, navigating through blocks and maintaining contact. We were curious if, in addition to the regular scouting that teams conduct, he does anything extra to prepare for an opponent?
“Today, you get everything – both video and player analysis sent directly to your phone. There’s an app where you have it all. We also have this feature this year at Cedevita Olimpija. First, in our team meetings, we do scouting of the opposing team, analyzing their tactics and defensive plays.
On the other hand, individually, you have to prepare for the player in your position. I must say, year after year, it’s becoming easier due to new technology. Everything is simply at your fingertips. If you want, you can prepare yourself a hundred percent for every game.”
Jaka Blazic, along with Igokea captain Dragan Milosavljevic, returnee to the club Nemanja Gordic, Crvena Zvezda captain Branko Lazic, and Marko Jagodic-Kuridza from Buducnost, is one of the most experienced players who still leaves a profound mark in the ABA League.
“I think we all have this desire for playing basketball. I can only speak for myself when I say, as long as I have that hunger for basketball and practice, I will play. As long as I can contribute to the team, I will continue. When that is no longer the case, I’ll definitely shift my focus to other things in life.”
Blazic is a Slovenian national team player. At the recently concluded FIBA World Cup, injuries greatly impacted the performance of his team. Slovenia has been in the limelight since 2017 when they won the Eurobasket in Turkey.
He believes that since then, the perception of them has changed and emphasizes the importance of continuous participation in major tournaments.
“Ever since 2017, a certain culture has been established in the national team. Everyone wants to join and give their utmost. We have fantastic chemistry among players. We are a threat in every championship. Somehow, things didn’t align in the last Eurobasket.
This year at the World Cup, we had injury issues. But we’re going strong into next year, hoping to achieve another significant result. We all love playing for the national team, and as long as we’re healthy, we will be there.” – Jaka Blazic concluded conversation with Basketball Sphere.