Jaylen Hands was the main character in the 8th round of Basket League since he had an amazing appearance in PAOK mateco emphatic victory against Karditsa. His high ranking and the impressive numbers between all the other players that battled the past days were the ones which fairly featured him as the most valuable player of the week!
He also feels extremely proud of this accomplishment so he made a comment by saying: «This is the first award I receive in Greece. I would say that the Greek League is quite competitive and has great players. I can confirm that by matches I have played and seen myself, the level it’s really good».
He has already played in Greek League and Europe, in his first year with PAOK mateco in Greece and he’s getting prepared for the Greek Cup too. The 23 year old guard mentioned that: «We haven’t played in the cup yet but I know we need to make a first good round in the Greek League to get in the final stage, so maybe the procedure is kinda difficult. On the other hand, it is tough when you compete in Europe because you have to deal with teams from different countries, so that’s incidental to other styles of play, variant players and also lot’s of trips. So yes, I would say that these competitions are tough and especially the Greek League because of the different strategies. I have never played in a League with so many pick n’ roll.
PAOK has different strategies depending on the player and ways of play. Everyone has to get used to some pick n’ roll or defenses, we might haven’t seen and that happens every week. Of course, it plays a major role the way that a player is shaped but the strategies behind him is the hardest part. However, I got used to this procedure and it helps me get better, because I feel I’m becoming more understanding. So I am more concentrated and can create more chances for the team».
Then, he spoke about his ambitions for these three competitions: «My goal is to win every game and if until the end of season we manage to be between the top 5 of Greek League, it will be a big deal for us. It would be the same if we go to the next round of BCL but also reach as far as we can to the cup».
Jaylen Hands also made a comment about the atmosphere in the team: «We have great guys in the team with good vibes and that matters. All the Americans and the Greek players are ambitious and have a motive, as coach Lykogiannis says. Each one of us is coming from different situations, so we are “hungry”. We understand that if we play well and win, we will keep going up. We all have the same goal, everyone is young and ambitious and we want to succeed in Europe and Greece».
His final comment about the tough game against Olympiacos on Sunday but also the PAOK fans support: «They are by far the best fans I have ever had in my entire career. They travelled to Karditsa and cheered us up. In Italy too and generally they are next to us in every game. For a young team like ours, it is a big deal and it will help us become better. As it comes to the game against Olympiacos, I know it will be difficult because it’s a good team and I really believe that all our fans want us to win. So all we gotta do is fight for the best result».
