The L.A. Clippers signed a very interesting player in guard Milos Teodosic this summer. Teodosic is one of the best Euroleague players in history, and one of the most exciting passers in basketball. There was a lot of excitement when it was confirmed that he is coming to the NBA.
Basketball fans in general have had a chance to watch Teodosic play against NBA players in international competitions. Now, they will get to see him more often, playing against the best players in the world.
Teodosic spoke to Serbian TV station SportKlub and he touched on many NBA topics.
“It was something I thought about for the last two years,” Teodosic said about coming to the US. “I am very satisfied and I think I made a good decision in picking a team. In terms of their style of play and how it's built, I think I chose an ideal organization for me. The Clippers, when they became an option, were the team I liked most.”
Teodosic also spoke about the Clippers' guard rotation and whether he'll come in as a starter or off the bench.
“We did not talk about details much,” Teodosic said of his meeting with head coach Doc Rivers. “They have plans about playing me and (Patrick) Beverley together, and me and Austin Rivers together as well. We really did not go into details that much. We have a lot of time to learn to play together and adjust to each other.”
He also talked about the surprise factor that European players bring to U.S. soil — whether productive or not.
“You really get surprised. Sometimes by how much they know, and sometimes by how little they know. All of that is individual, some of them follow (European basketball), some of them don't. Bogdan (Bogdanovic) told me that he was surprised, since he met Vince Carter, that Carter knows a lot about European basketball. Most of the people would not say he knows anything.”
He also stated that he got messages from other Clippers players before he became a part of the team.
“DeAndre (Jordan) sent me a message even before I started negotiating the deal. He, (Blake) Griffin, Pat, later (Danilo) Gallinari, they all contacted me when I signed.”
Teodosic was asked about Beverley specifically, since they spent time together in Olympiacos.
“Pat is really an amazing guy, great friend. We have not seen each other in L.A., since he is in Vegas for the summer league. I am really happy that we're going to play together. Pat became one of the best defenders in the league, and also he improved his shooting a lot.”
Teodosic was also asked about the ambitions for the Clippers, given how tough the Western Conference became during the summer.
“The West is really too strong. The playoffs are our goal and if we don't reach it, the season will be a failure. Now, what seed we are is a different story. We need time to adjust to each other, with a lot of new players, but we have a great team and I believe reaching the postseason will not be an issue.”
Lastly, Teodosic was asked about the European Championships coming up this summer, and if the Clippers give him any trouble for wanting to play for Serbia.
“No, they just asked when is it. They know it is in Istanbul and that is it. As for special demands or restrictions, no. Our conversation did not go in that direction at all. For the future as well, playing for the Clippers will not restrict me from playing for the national team.”
Teodosic signed a two-year, $12.3 million deal with a player option for the second year.
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