KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Dubai Basketball captain Klemen Prepelic has urged his side to channel the lessons from a demanding European campaign into a title push in the Adriatic Basketball Association League knockout stages, insisting that anything less than lifting the trophy would be “a huge disappointment”.
Speaking from Bosnia, where top-seeded Dubai Basketball are preparing for their quarter-final against Spartak on Wednesday, Prepelic reflected on a season of fine margins in a dual campaign where they narrowly missed out on a play-off place in the top-tier EuroLeague. They finished 11th in their debut campaign where the top 10 made the play-offs.
“We didn’t really have the home court advantage that we used to have,” Prepelic said, referencing the team’s absence from their regular base at Coca-Cola Arena for parts of the season. “We beat some powerhouses like Bayern Munich twice, Olympiacos, Real Madrid [in EuroLeague]. We came back in games when people thought we were going to lose and we managed to win it.
“But on the other side, we lost too many games against teams that were not even in the play-in area, with no disrespect to them. That’s what cost us the postseason in Europe.”
Despite the near-miss, Prepelic believes the experience gained will prove invaluable. “Every single game is important and every loss can cost you at the end of the season. That’s what happened to us this year. We gathered and gained this much-needed experience for next year,” he said.
Dubai, however, have responded emphatically in regional competition, finishing the ABA League regular season with a 21-3 record to secure top spot and home-court advantage in the play-offs. “Ending the season 21-3 is a super-good result and we have to be proud of this,” Prepelic said. “But we know what the playoffs are. Everything starts from zero and we have to be ready.”
The captain acknowledged that injuries, a congested schedule and a shorter rotation had contributed to inconsistencies during their European run. “Playing several games in such a short period is not easy, especially when you have a shorter rotation,” he said.
“There are many reasons and excuses we can find, but we are not built like that. We want to win every single game but... If we had won those games, we would probably be talking about top six, not even top 10. But right now this is pointless.”
Instead, the focus has shifted firmly to the ABA League title in only its second season of playing in the regional European tournament. “The ABA League title was the first goal that we set in the pre-season, so obviously whatever is not winning the ABA League is going to be a huge disappointment for us,” he said.
Dubai enter the play-offs with statistical history on their side, with top seeds traditionally dominant. “In the history of this league, the first-ranked team won in 99% of the seasons, so we have an advantage,” Prepelic noted. “We still have some kind of home-court advantage, even if it’s not the same as Coca-Cola Arena.”
The team has been rocked by the departure of its inaugural coach Jurica Golemac, but his replacement, Aleksander Sekulic, is a man who has coached Prepelic in the past as well as a certain Luca Doncic.
“We don’t live in the past, we look at the future,” said Prepelic. “A decision was made and we needed to be part of the solution.”
If the captain was happy to reunite with Sekulic, he did not show it. “Him working with Luka Doncic for the last seven years gives him huge credit,” Prepelic said. “He is a very good human being and has worked with so many good coaches in the past. The first three weeks with us, the club did a good job.”
Looking ahead to the quarter-finals, Prepelic struck an optimistic tone. “We will be more than ready for our playoff that comes tomorrow. Hopefully, we can win this series 2-0 and prepare for our semi-finals,” he said.
On a personal note, the Slovenian guard revealed his long-term commitment to the club and life in the UAE just like his senior colleague David Bertans. “This is most probably the last club where I will play. I just re-signed a multi-year contract,” he said. “My family is super-happy. Talking about Dubai is pointless because we know this is the best city in the world.
“Being named captain and being able to lead such a talented group is a huge honour, but also a huge responsibility. I want to be part of a winning franchise, especially at the end of my career, and I believe this is the right place.”