Don146;t miss the wood for the trees, says Bucan

8220;Napred!8221; 8212; pronounced 8216;Naah-prrey-dh8217; might well be how Indian hoopsters...

8220;Napred!8221; 8212; pronounced 8216;Naah-prrey-dh8217; might well be how Indian hoopsters will be egged on to make that decisive split-second pass or choose the best moment to shoot, in the future. For, besides carrying his considerable expertise which on the CV reads grooming of NBA pros Darko Milicic Memphis Grizzlies, Kosta Perovic Golden State Warriors and Nenad Krstic New Jersey Nets in their teen-years, India8217;s Serbian coach Aleksandar Bucan is also down to refining his communication connect with his Indian charges.

8220;Napred8217;s the Serbian way of encouraging. It8217;s like your Chak De,8221; he astonishes.

Weaving his way through a linguistic maze of the Hindi speech and English sub-titles when he watched the film Bucan explains how he tried to interpret and transcribe, but gave up since it didn8217;t really matter. 8220;The story is quite simple, and I understood perfectly without picking the words,8221; he says.

There also, ended the 6 feet 4-incher8217;s comprehension of the ways of Indian sport.

8220;I don8217;t know how India will move up the ladder if they continue playing on concrete courts and other outdoor surfaces,8221; he rues, sympathising with his players who risk their backs and knees. 8220;Not just injury, but different courts play to different speeds. Basketball is an indoor game, and unless we move onto wood, our players will find it difficult to play the body-offence game,8221; he insists.

Well aware of India8217;s sporting priorities, Bucan knows basketball8217;s limited resources won8217;t permit the luxury of indoor courts. 8220;But the sooner we sort that out, the better,8221; he adds.

Hailing from a nation of 8 million that has dominated the game like few others in the last 30 years 8212; winning Olympics, World and European Championships 8211; Bucan believes that good coaching has been second only to player pedigree in contributing to this success.

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8220;When your coaches are as in demand as your players, it indicates that basketball is in good shape,8221; he said.

8220;Everything in India can improve 8212; more so the quality of coaching for the club sides. They should look around to what8217;s happening in Europe and America to increase knowledge.8221; he says.

On the issue of the league, Bucan maintains that a home-away league played out in 10-12 centres with as many clubs will be a good start. 8220;Our performance depends directly on the health of India8217;s club system,8221; he reiterates the crux.

Bucan has never watched India8217;s touted star Robinson play, but heard good reports from his colleagues. 8220;I8217;m not sure of his current playing status post suspension, but I8217;d like to watch him play,8221; he safely says.