NBA: Spišer interview:”The superstars have a lot of power.”

Paul Zipser has established himself as an important pillar of the Chicago Bulls. SPOX spoke with the German national player about a possible role as a permanent starter, a new team atmosphere without Wade, Butler and Rondo and his goals for a season marked by a rebuild.

SPOX: You’ve been in all five Preseason games before and you’ve been in the Starting Five in the first two games. Does Coach Fred Hoiberg have this role in mind for you for the entire regular season?

SPOX: A possible comeback of Zach LaVine doesn’t play a role in the lineup planning?

Zipser: With us everyone has the same chances, and this also applies to Zach. It’s not that we still have the big stars or even superstars here who have fixed demands for a place. We are in a situation where it is really all about which players work. And these players then form the Starting Five or the Second Unit. No one has a special position, no one makes their own arrangements with the coaches. To return to Zach: When he comes back, something will of course change, because he adds new elements to our game. But whether he does it as a starter or a sixth man doesn’t matter to me, him or anyone else.

SPOX: You’ve already mentioned the superstar”shrinkage”: Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler are three alphatiers who left the ship. How does the team hierarchy feel now? Are there big differences?

Zipser: Absolutely. It feels completely different if you don’t have such three players on the field. Our team is now completely reassembled and finds a new relationship. Everyone here plays their part and trains hard. And if someone has something to say, he says it – the status of a player doesn’t matter anymore. I think that’s the way it should be, because these are attributes that distinguish a good team.

SPOX: Did the coach gain more authority due to the mentioned departures?

Zipser: Yes. It’s no secret that the NBA is a league where players have a lot to say and a lot of power. So when you have superstars in a team, they are involved in many decisions and influence them. But now, as I said, we have a team without players of great status – which is why the word coaches has more weight than before.

SPOX: Does the training take place in a more pleasant atmosphere?

Zipser:’ Pleasant’ may be the wrong word, but it is definitely different. For me personally, it is good to know both sides. I had a lot of fun with Wade and Co. last year in training, but without them it’s also a valuable experience.

SPOX: How do you assess your role in the newly formed team, do you dare to be a leader?

Zipser: When something like this happens, it’s to do with the quality I bring along as a player. If I get better and take on more responsibility in the field, then more responsibility will come by itself. The players who are now at the top of the league have not said from day one what they have to do. The same applies to the coaches. This status must be acquired. And of course it’s a goal for me to become a player who knows a lot about basketball and can lead a team.

SPOX: And what are your goals for the coming season?

Zipser: I want to stay healthy and play a solid season, which I managed quite well last year. I have to – and want to – be focused every night, even if it is uncomfortable and may hurt one or two parts of the body.

SPOX: You are now in a Bulls team, which is in the process of rebuilding after the summer moves. As a player who is ultimately part of the rebuild, were you involved in the plans of the front office?

Zipser: No, not at all. I was just a player in the summer, with whom the Bulls could have done something in various trades. I was aware of this situation. As a player, you can never tell exactly what happens next and what kind of plans the franchise has with you. Of course, you always think your part and interpret different things – this can also have something to do with the press, which plays its part. But in the end, nobody in the front office is looking into the cards.

Page 1: Spieser over the superstar fading in Chicago

Page 2: Spišer about the rebuild and the position of the league