Before Phil Jackson started tripping over Mark Twain quotes, he once said that if you “approach the game of basketball with no preset agendas, you’ll probably come away surprised at your overall efforts.” Whether Qyntel Woods ever heard him say that or not, that’s the way he approached this past season for his Poland based Asseco Prokom Gdynia team. In doing so, he led his team further than any Polish team’s ever gone in Euroleague competition, and to the surprise of some, he may have very well just Qyntel Woods played himself right back into that league Jackson’s coached in for the last 20 years. Over the weekend I had a chance to talk with Qyntel about that recent run, as well the season he’s had in Poland so far this year. “Playing in the Euroleague, that’s the closest you’re going to get to NBA competition [outside the League], so you know it’s tough. But my teammates and I just came together this season, and we just did everything we could do possible to play as well as we could together. We had some bumps early in the season, and we just found a way to get it together in the end.” That end was an unexpected run to the Euroleague Elite Eight, and that tough competition included names like Josh Childress and Linas Kleiza. Woods’ Asseco Prokom team eventually did fall to the Kleiza/Childress led Olympiacos squad in the quarters, but not without winning a game against the perennial Euro-power in that best of five series. Woods averaged over 19 points and 9 rebounds in the four games against Olympiacos, and through twenty Euroleague games he totaled averages of 17 points and 6 rebounds per night. He attributes his approach this season with a lot the success he’s had – both individually and as a team – on those foreign hardwoods. “I was just more focused on this season over here [this year] and I wasn’t worried about anything that was going on back home with the NBA teams as far as what they were saying. I was just focused on the task at hand, and just Qyntel Woodstried to go out and do the best I could every night. ” http://www.slamonline.com/online/other-ballers/international/2010/04/polands-lebron/ I thought Qyntel had great potential when he was first drafted in the NBA. I am glad he is working on his game! He is 6-8, has handles, and can shoot! It is just a matter of time before another NBA team comes a calling!
He has some raw talent, from the neck down. After watching him in Portland, I honestly believe he has mental problems. The animal abuse stuff was just the tip of the iceberg.
