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¿What's the good part of debuting in the NBA with Minnesota?
I'm lucky to be in a young team where the objectives are not as high as
as in other teams like the Lakers or some other teams that get a lot of pressure from the media when they lose
Here it's different. Here they give you more freedom, that's very important.
I have a lot of minutes and the confidence of the coach, that's essential
And I'm feeling very comfortable with my teammates
I see we can do things and grow together
How has it been your arrival to a NBA lockeroom?
I was a little afraid because I had talked to Pau Gasol, Marc, Rudy, Calderon and they said
that sometimes some veteran players could make your life kind of impossible
but the truth is I'm feeling really good both on and off the court
¿Were you worried about the 'lockout'?
Not at the beginning. By the end, the week before the agreement
I was already thinking about coming back to Europe
Just when I was deciding to come back to Spain, before I left
they reached an agreement so I didn't get to talk to any teams
What was going through your head when you heard the criticism last year in Barcelona?
I was my first critic
I perfectly know that I wasn't doing the things well, and maybe I was too hard with myself
and that made me lose my confidence in myself, that's the last thing you must lose
I think I've learned a lot about that, and although here in the NBA I've started shooting well,
not so much in these last games, I keep doing things I should never have stopped doing
like playing defense 100%, organizing the game...my personality. Shooting is the least important thing
What does Rick Adelman expect from you as a coach?
He expected me to step up as a leader on the court
because in the first practices I was a little quiet since I was kind of respectful about everything
but when Rick Adelman told me that I had to speak more on the court and that I had to be a solid point guard
it really gave me a lot of confidence and I was also able to earn the respect of my teammates
What is the difference between basketball in Europe and USA? Are you afraid of the famous "rookie wall"?
We play a lot of games and many back-to-backs
and there is almost no time to rest, but that's the same for everybody
The rookie wall issue is perhaps more mental than physical because there is a lot of pressure
when you become professional after college, but I've been a pro in Spain for several years and that helps me
How do you see the chance to be Rookie of the Year?
If in the end of the season they name me Rookie of the Year it will be an honor for me
but the most important thing for me is to be able to enjoy all this
Are you ready for a succesful career in the NBA, but without winning any titles?
It's hard to be in a team where the objectives are not winning
you have to mentalize yourself about it and set your own goals
How do you face fame?
Family is very important for that
They will always love you, no matter if you do good or bad, they will be there
They have made me not to lose my mind a little bit