“It’s nice to be able to speak French in the dressing room”

Tom Thibodeau was used sparingly last season, Pacome Dadiet he’s not even in Mike Brown’s rotation, but the Frenchman is patient.

Before the Knicks’ win against the Magic, he went back with us on the methods of Tom Thibodeau and Mike Brown, how he approaches the situation he’s in, and his relationships with Gershon Yabusele and Mohamed Diawar.

Pakoma, this is your second season in New York. What are the differences between Tom Thibodeau’s approach and Mike Brown’s approach?

I would say it’s more…with Thibs it was a little bit more serious in a way. But then, with Brown it’s a little… and it’s serious, but more on the court, really, in basketball. It’s true that Thibodeau has a reputation for being serious all the time, it’s true. So I’d say it’s more like that. Off the court, coach Brown will smile more, communicate more, try to joke around a little bit, that’s good. I would say that is the biggest difference.

Are the rumors about Thibodeau’s super long workouts true?

At Thibs practice, oh yeah! It was very long. After that, I think with Brown it’s more what is done almost everywhere, in terms of training time. But yes, it’s true that Thibs, it’s been a very long time.

“It’s more the mental aspect of knowing how to be ready when my name is called”

What is the difference between extra long and normal?

I would say compared to the pre-season, for example. We had training sessions lasting 2.5 hours, sometimes 3 hours. Whereas we are usually closer to two hours or 90 minutes.

We are over a third of the season, how do you analyze these first 25 matches?

At the very beginning of the season, we had problems when we played away. But there, in the last matches, I think we raised the level a lot. Especially on our transition defense, which we put more emphasis on… I think we are really in an upward phase there, right now.

You don’t have much time to play, you are also a team playing for the title. There are many people ahead of you. How do you find a balance between learning from more experienced teammates while still being prepared if a coach ever decides to call on your services?

For now, I try to arrive before everyone, leave after everyone. I also have the G-League to stay fit, to keep up. It’s more of a mental aspect that you have to know how to be ready when my name is called.

However, is it difficult to put into practice?

Of course it’s not easy, because I want to play. But after that, that’s part of basketball. This is not the first time I have been in this situation. I’m used to being a young player in a professional team. I know what it’s like and I know what it costs to get playing time.

“As soon as we have free time, we try to get together and do things together”

What is it like to have three Frenchmen in the same team?

It must be nice to speak a little French in the dressing room. Even off the field. Whenever we have free time, we try to get together and do things together. It’s always nice to have people from home.

What do you do together off the field?

We often go out to eat together. When we go to new cities, we walk around and discover things. When we are in New York, Mohamed also often spends time at my house.

Does Gershon Yabusele, who has a little more experience, who is older than you, have the role of a veteran, a big brother for Mohammed and for you?

That’s for sure. We ask him questions, he gives us a lot of advice. Because he had a special trip. Filled with ups and downs. He was out of the league, he’s back. These are powerful experiences. We ask questions about things like this. Because it can happen. He really has that mentor role.

Does the format of this NBA Cup or this Final Four change the atmosphere around the match? Does it make you think about what you experienced in Europe, for example?

It reminds me more of tournaments when we were younger. European or world campaigns with the national team. We all end up in the same town. We all stay in the same place, in the same hotel. Actually, it reminds me more of that.

All teams present in Las Vegas have at least one Frenchman. Have you seen each other? Did you exchange? Is there talk of who will walk away with the trophy?

We talked to Noah, because we have known each other for a long time. We are close. We worked with him on INSEP, with him we worked on Pole France, selections. As soon as we have some free time, because we don’t have a lot of free time, we try to spend time together.

Comments collected in Las Vegas.