I guess he transfered teams in europe (went from Tau Ceramica to Barcelona), the only thing that really caught my eye was the fact that he dosen't seem to be very confident about coming to the NBA. Also I think he had some issues with his previous team about playing time. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Roko Ukic became another big name on this year?s transfer list. After coach Velimir Perasovic publicly told him that he?s free to leave Tau Ceramica, big European teams became interested for 21-year old playmaker. Barcelona paid 850.000 euros reimbursement and Roko will spent next three years in Catalonia?s capital. ?I didn?t feel too much of a need to leave Tau Ceramica but that?s the way it turned out. Big reimbursement made them interested and after ten or so days we managed to get all parties satisfied. I have arrived in an environment where hopefully I am going to develop better.? Arrival of two playmakers in Tau Ceramica, Igor Rakocevic and Goran Dragic, sent clear sign to Ukic. Time to go. Barcelona didn?t pass on a chance to sign the youngster who ousted them from the last season?s play-off. Roko doesn?t hide the fact that he?s pleased with this move. ?Tradition puts Barcelona and Real above all other teams in Europe and they are the dream of every player. I had a season that can be seen in hundreds of ways; you could say it was great or lousy. I?m satisfied with it. I think I have improved in many aspects of the game and I demonstrated that in the play-offs when I received more playing time. I played more mature and responsible than I had done before in Split and I still managed to score and my team was winning. This first step is important but there is still room for ten of those. A lot of work is still left to be done. You can?t achieve anything without work.? More playing time in the play-offs was also a result of team?s first playmaker Pablo Prigioni?s illness, but quality performances were logical sequence of experience accumulated from playing in two strongest European competitions. ?Euroleague?s Final Four tournament in Prague helped me the most. I saw there that I could play with the best. My performance was not memorable but you get a sense that you?re not inferior and that brings you a lot of self-confidence. From that point on, right from the start of the playoffs, I played on a higher level than before, including the games against Barcelona.? But Perasovic was not pleased with his performances. Coach didn?t pass the chance to publicly state that he was not happy with Ukic?s performances in the season in which Tau Ceramica became vice champion of Spain and third team in the Europe along with collecting two national trophies (Supercup, King?s Cup). As it is evident now, dissatisfaction was mutual. ?Perasovic has the right to say what he didn?t like but I don?t have to agree with that. I think he hasn?t been using me the right way. I didn?t like the way I had to play and spend my minutes on the floor. Sometimes you can perform better in 15 minutes than playing differently for 30 minutes. Perasovic and I had different perspective on the game. I wish him success in his coaching career and to win second place in the championship.? What was the problem? I didn?t want to change myself. I didn?t want to become Pablo Prigioni or someone else. I am aware of the fact that I need to change certain aspects in my game, upgrade them and work on many things to make them better. But I don?t want to change my personality because I don?t want to lose myself. Roko will add: ?Of all Perasovic?s words only those when he said that I hadn?t been imposing myself in practices hurt me. That doesn?t make sense since I work off each practice the best that I can and nobody ever objected about that to me. It was never a problem for me to stay in the arena and practice.? Such approach won?t change in the new team. Barcelona?s coach Dusan Ivanovic, another player connected with Split?s club, is a coach who acknowledges nothing but hard work. Ukic already has a list of things he wishes to improve. ?I must balance the offensive and defensive game. When I spend a lot of energy on one side of the court, I lack it on the other side. I improved mid and long-range shooting, that?s an aspect of a game I worked a lot on. I?m not a born scorer, I?m a kind of player who needs to shoot 200 balls each day to stay in shape. Now I?m a little more rational in the game and that?s the area of my game with most potential to be improved. But I know that all that will come in time. I?m old 21 years old and those are not the best years for a player.? Very mature thinking for a 21-year-old. Now a new chapter in his career is ahead of him and he will be writing it with another teammate from Croatian NT - Mario Kasun. ?It?s a relieving element both for me and him. We have been together in NT for almost three years and we get along fine both on and off the court. I had Drobnjak in the team this year who can understand you and help you but this is something more, a friend from the same country.? NBA was an option even before this season but that goal is postponed for another year. Maybe even longer. ?It?s not my goal to go there and sign minimal contract, sit on a bench for a year and say that I played in NBA. It?s better to play in top European teams,? Ukic concluded.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">NBA was an option even before this season but that goal is postponed for another year. Maybe even longer. “It’s not my goal to go there and sign minimal contract, sit on a bench for a year and say that I played in NBA. It’s better to play in top European teams,” Ukic concluded.</div> If he was smart he'd join the Raps next year because he wouldn't get a minimal contract and definetly would not sit on the bench. He'd be the backup to TJ Ford, and if he realized that, than he should come over next year...
