11.09.2008 14:00
Barrett: “We can become a really good team”
Carles Cascante
André Barrett is another of the newcomers to Barça 2008/09. Unknown by many, his notable university period and his performances in the NBDL have opened the doors to Europe for him. André thinks that Pascual’s men “could become a really good team”.
Every day his teammates get to know him better, they begin to understand how he moves on the
parquet and know what decision he will end up making. Adapting to a new team is one of the key
factors for a team to function well, and even more so if you are one of the playmakers. Barrett,
despite the language barrier, is growing step by step in the “good group which is
forming”, as he assures.
How are your first few days with your new team going?
“The truth is I’m having a great time. I’m only just getting to know people
and using the opportunity to learn the Spanish language. It’s good fun. I know some words in
Spanish, but I will keep learning more as I get to know my team-mates better and get used to
it”.
Who is helping you most to integrate?
“To tell the truth everyone has helped me to fit in and adjust more easily, I
wouldn’t say just one player. Everyone is really nice to me. They are all good
team-mates”.
What do you think of the new players’ level?
“They are all good players; they will do well for our team. Obviously they signed for
one reason, to take this team where it belongs, at the very top. I think they have all given depth
to the team”.
What about the friendlies you’ve played so far?
“We played well in the friendlies, but we could have played better.
We are a new team and are still getting to know each other, but having the opportunity to play
these games together for the first time I think we’re doing well. Juan Carlos and David
Andersen arrived in time to play the last friendly-iurbentia Bilbao- and the truth is that we
played quite well against them. No one was selfish in attack and we played well in defence. But
this team has to grow, we can always improve. I think the team could turn out very good”.
What should the team’s objectives be?
“We have to try for everything. To win the ACB means a lot and to win a Euroleague is
very important, but we have to do so step by step and always study every game. If we do this we can
become a really good team”.
The ACB on a level with the NBA
André Barrett hasn’t had much time to check out the level of European basketball, especially
the ACB. The North American guard has heard a lot about the Spanish domestic league and knows that
the level is very high: “I haven’t had many opportunities to play European basketball,
I can’t compare it yet, but I think that the ACB league, from what I’ve heard, is just
as hard as the NBA and if it isn’t, it’s only a step below. So I hope to see athletic,
fast players, guys who throw easily…In short, something quite similar to North American
basketball”.