Talen Horton-Tucker believes Fenerbahce and Olympiacos are among the early favorites to return to the EuroLeague Final Four, with the American guard also admitting that Fenerbahce have “unfinished business” with the Greek side after last season’s semifinal defeat.
The two teams will meet again at the upcoming Abu Dhabi Super Cup, giving Fenerbahce an early opportunity to face the team that ended their EuroLeague campaign last season before going on to win the competition.
Fenerbahce have unfinished business with Olympiacos
Talen Horton-Tucker sees both teams as natural candidates to make another Final Four appearance, while the memory of last season’s semifinal remains fresh for Fenerbahce.
“Yes, to answer the first question, I obviously think that since both teams were contenders in the Final Four, going into this season, it is a little easier to make an early prediction about which teams will return there. So I would definitely say us and Olympiacos.
I definitely feel like there is unfinished business against them, simply because we lost to them in the Final Four. And they eventually won the competition. So, whenever we can step on the court and compete against a team that has beaten us in the past, it is something that means something to us”, American guard told Gazzeta.
Asked whether Olympiacos’ physical defense played a role in Fenerbahce’s defeat, Horton-Tucker did not point to a specific tactical issue. Instead, he felt the better team simply won on that particular day.
“I feel like the better team just won that day. You know, there are days when some players will show up and not have their best performance, while on other days they will show up and be at their best. So, it just wasn’t our best day at the time. But I believe that everything you do in life is about experience.”
Talen Horton-Tucker on Fenerbahce’s new roster
Fenerbahce made several changes during the offseason, but Horton-Tucker believes the new roster gives head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius even more players capable of impacting the game in different ways.
“We definitely have a lot of different players. A lot of players who can do many different things. I would say that is probably the biggest difference compared to last year. I’m not saying that last year we didn’t have players who could do a lot of different things, but now we have a lot more of them. And we’re just following the path that Saras is showing us. Hopefully, that path will lead us to something good and to success.”
Conversation with Kendrick Nunn
Horton-Tucker also remains in contact with former teammate and close friend Kendrick Nunn, with the two guards discussing the start of the new season.
“I spoke with him a little bit, obviously ahead of the new season. We all know what we need to do individually and as a team. So there aren’t many conversations about those kinds of things. We just talked generally about preparing for the new season and staying healthy.”
Horton-Tucker focused on Fenerbahce and future
After deciding to remain with Fenerbahce for another season, Talen Horton-Tucker is focused on competing at the highest level and continuing to build his career in Istanbul. A potential return to the NBA remains something he is open to, but he is not looking too far ahead.
“I just want to be exactly where I am right now. If the NBA is my future, then it will be in my future. And I’ll only know when that time comes. So, I leave those things to fate and let them unfold naturally.
Coming back to Fenerbahce, I definitely wanted the opportunity to play at the highest level, win games and just try to build even more on whatever legacy I started creating and want to have here. So, I’m just taking it day by day and preparing for the new season.”
