Here's the un-edited version of the piece on Peja that 1kingzfan was careless enough to send to his editor from my computer.
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PEJA STOJAKOVIC: CLEARING THE AIR by Steve Crane
Peja Stojakovic sat quietly in the stands of the Folsom High School gym, watching carefully and smiling at the kids having fun at his Peja & Vlade Basketball Camp. Stojakovic was in town during the last two weeks in July with good friend Vlade Divac to participate in his camp and interact with the kids. He graciously took a few minutes away from his campers to clear the air on several issues of interest to area fans concerning his past, present, and future with the Sacramento Kings.
Stojakovic first addressed what he has been doing this summer to stay physically fit and prepare for the coming NBA season. While clearly not a “gym rat,” Stojakovic is putting in regular work this summer.
“I’ve been working out for myself,” he said. “I always go on the court to play basketball. I go two hours a day, but I don’t do any conditioning right now. I just do basketball and lifting weights. It’s too early for conditioning. You always have to keep yourself in enough condition that you will be ready for harder physical activity (in training camp). It’s nothing new, nothing old that I’m doing, so I’ve been doing this for all of my career. So you’ve got to keep working, because that’s our life.”
Aside from playing basketball daily, Stojakovic has been active playing other sports, including tennis and ping pong. “It’s always good to hit the ball, to clear up your mind,” he chuckled.
Many fans as well as experts have stated that Stojakovic could truly elevate his performance by developing a low-post game to complement his deadly outside shooting touch. The two-time NBA all-star addressed that issue.
“It is important, but it’s also important how the team is going to use you,” he said. “Are they going to use you that way? Because our style of basketball doesn’t use me that way. But I’m always trying to add something to my game. You have to get better.”
Stojakovic recently decided that he would not play on the Serbian national team in this year’s European basketball championships. Several subsequent media reports have quoted Stojakovic as saying that he was “tired” as the reason for not suiting up for his home country in September. The 6’-10” forward said there was more to the decision.
“I was meaning to play, but then I changed my mind, because of the two or three injuries, to the hamstring, groin, and my back that sidelined me for a little bit (last season). So I just want to be fit for the training camp, and rest a little bit, spend a little time with my family. I’ve played for the national team in 5 of the last 6 years.”
Stojakovic missed 16 games due to injuries last season, and he also suffered with plantar fasciitis several seasons ago. “That was three years ago,” he said. “Luckily, it’s gone. It’s something that nobody can help, not even doctors. Only time can heal that. But it’s gone.”
With last season’s departures of Divac, Chris Webber, and Doug Christie, much has been said about who is or should be the Kings’ new leader on the floor. Stojakovic had strong words to offer on this subject.
“Everybody’s screaming in the newspapers, ‘who is the leader?’ The most important thing is to be a team and for each of us to understand our roles, and not to do anything else. And to know what you’re doing that’s going to make the team better. When you step on the court, you know what to do, and that should be decided by the coaches.”
And Stojakovic knows where he fits in to the Kings’ game plan. “My role is like last year’s. I’m the type of guy, when I step on the court, I’m a scorer, and that’s my game. The thing is I need to add to my game, so I need to improve my rebounding, which I did the last couple of years, and passing skills and dribbling.”
Defense is clearly another area where the Kings need significant improvement, since the team seemed to have lost a lot defensively when Christie was traded last January. Stojakovic agreed.
“Doug was a guy that, when he was playing defense, we would feed off him. But in order to do something bigger, everybody has to play defense, the whole team. And you can’t work on defense when you have two guys in the starting five that are hurt and new guys. I hope this year that we’ll get ready, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
Stojakovic believes that the Kings still have the core of a contender, and October’s training camp will pull it all together. “I think we are a pretty solid team,” he said confidently. “We still had 50 wins last season, besides having trades, losing Vlade, and injuries. We had 50 wins. We needed more time playing together which we didn’t have. We just need more time and hopefully stay healthy during the year.”
Stojakovic first addressed what he has been doing this summer to stay physically fit and prepare for the coming NBA season. While clearly not a “gym rat,” Stojakovic is putting in regular work this summer.
“I’ve been working out for myself,” he said. “I always go on the court to play basketball. I go two hours a day, but I don’t do any conditioning right now. I just do basketball and lifting weights. It’s too early for conditioning. You always have to keep yourself in enough condition that you will be ready for harder physical activity (in training camp). It’s nothing new, nothing old that I’m doing, so I’ve been doing this for all of my career. So you’ve got to keep working, because that’s our life.”
Aside from playing basketball daily, Stojakovic has been active playing other sports, including tennis and ping pong. “It’s always good to hit the ball, to clear up your mind,” he chuckled.
Many fans as well as experts have stated that Stojakovic could truly elevate his performance by developing a low-post game to complement his deadly outside shooting touch. The two-time NBA all-star addressed that issue.
“It is important, but it’s also important how the team is going to use you,” he said. “Are they going to use you that way? Because our style of basketball doesn’t use me that way. But I’m always trying to add something to my game. You have to get better.”
Stojakovic recently decided that he would not play on the Serbian national team in this year’s European basketball championships. Several subsequent media reports have quoted Stojakovic as saying that he was “tired” as the reason for not suiting up for his home country in September. The 6’-10” forward said there was more to the decision.
“I was meaning to play, but then I changed my mind, because of the two or three injuries, to the hamstring, groin, and my back that sidelined me for a little bit (last season). So I just want to be fit for the training camp, and rest a little bit, spend a little time with my family. I’ve played for the national team in 5 of the last 6 years.”
Stojakovic missed 16 games due to injuries last season, and he also suffered with plantar fasciitis several seasons ago. “That was three years ago,” he said. “Luckily, it’s gone. It’s something that nobody can help, not even doctors. Only time can heal that. But it’s gone.”
With last season’s departures of Divac, Chris Webber, and Doug Christie, much has been said about who is or should be the Kings’ new leader on the floor. Stojakovic had strong words to offer on this subject.
“Everybody’s screaming in the newspapers, ‘who is the leader?’ The most important thing is to be a team and for each of us to understand our roles, and not to do anything else. And to know what you’re doing that’s going to make the team better. When you step on the court, you know what to do, and that should be decided by the coaches.”
And Stojakovic knows where he fits in to the Kings’ game plan. “My role is like last year’s. I’m the type of guy, when I step on the court, I’m a scorer, and that’s my game. The thing is I need to add to my game, so I need to improve my rebounding, which I did the last couple of years, and passing skills and dribbling.”
Defense is clearly another area where the Kings need significant improvement, since the team seemed to have lost a lot defensively when Christie was traded last January. Stojakovic agreed.
“Doug was a guy that, when he was playing defense, we would feed off him. But in order to do something bigger, everybody has to play defense, the whole team. And you can’t work on defense when you have two guys in the starting five that are hurt and new guys. I hope this year that we’ll get ready, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
Stojakovic believes that the Kings still have the core of a contender, and October’s training camp will pull it all together. “I think we are a pretty solid team,” he said confidently. “We still had 50 wins last season, besides having trades, losing Vlade, and injuries. We had 50 wins. We needed more time playing together which we didn’t have. We just need more time and hopefully stay healthy during the year.”
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