LEIDEN (FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers) – Many around Europe said that the Netherlands’ chances to win Group B of the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers were dead in the water following their opening day 75-72 loss at home to Austria, however nobody within the Dutch camp paid attention, as Netherlands shooting guard Worthy De Jong explained to FIBA.com

The Dutch team went on to win three consecutive games on the road, including triumphs over Germany and Austria, and find themselves at the top of the group standings going into their Wednesday clash with Denmark in Leiden. It turns out that having tasted the big stage at FIBA EuroBasket 2015, the Netherlands decided they belong there.

"When we played at EuroBasket 2015, we figured out that this is where we have to be, that’s the type of level we have to play basketball on, every time." - De Jong

FIBA.com: What steps exactly did the team have to take to regroup after the opening day loss and turn the situation on its head?
De Jong: We did not need to, we didn’t play a bad game against Austria at home, we had 24 more shots than them, we out-rebounded these guys by double digits. We just missed a lot of shots and of course Austria knocked down their threes, so that’s what cost us. So for the second game on the road we scouted them very well, we executed our plays well and everything went right for us. We simply played the ball that we know we can play.

FIBA.com: What is the secret for a team to maintain such faith in the process even after suffering what many thought was a damning defeat at home?
De Jong: It’s not faith as much as the realisation that firstly we want to play at EuroBasket and secondly that we can, we have the recipe, and we belong on that level. We have always been the underdog, if you look at where we came from when we qualified two summers ago for the first time in 26 years, that was a big deal and we knew it at the time. Then, when we played at EuroBasket, we figured out that this is where we have to be, that’s the type of level we have to play basketball on, every time. At the beginning of this campaign Germany were the favourites, everybody thought they were going to be the best team in the group and I think that motivated us. We are here to win and we have everything we need on this team to win. We have great coaches and all players know what to do. We trust each other because our biggest strength is our team play.

"If you look where we came from and that we managed to qualify after 26 years, it doesn’t help you as a player but it helps our country and that’s what we are working on, we want to put basketball on the map." - De Jong

FIBA.com: Is this team play what enables Netherlands to achieve on the court things that are seemingly beyond the team’s strengths, such as being the eighth-best rebounding team in the Qualifiers in spite of your relatively small size?
De Jong: I think that’s because our idea behind it is bigger than big men, it's not about who gets the rebounds as long as we as a team get the rebounds. The important thing, no matter who we play against, is that our bigs keep their bigs off the boards. From then on we have guards that rebound a lot and that gives us an advantage.

FIBA.com: How do all guys stay happy though when their individual statlines are not a priority? For example, you had 24 points against Austria but you only took three shots from the floor against Germany, you don’t mind that?
De Jong: The main focus is success, success as a team. We have such a good bond off the court that it makes playing on the court with each other so much easier and it makes winning easier. It doesn’t matter who scores, it matters that we score. That state of mind is what makes the difference. Of course we are disappointed when we play a bad game, but unlike other teams we manage to look at the bigger picture. If you look where we came from and that we managed to qualify after 26 years, it doesn’t help you as a player but it helps our country and that’s what we are working on, we want to put basketball on the map in the Netherlands.

FIBA.com: Can you stay so laser-focused on Wednesday when you take on Denmark and avoid keeping an eye on the score in the game between Austria and Germany?
De Jong: We’re nowhere yet, this campaign ends on Saturday when the last game is played. We want to win all games, without any doubt. We want to show that we come to play basketball and we don’t want to put anybody in a position that they might go to EuroBasket. We want to show them that we are the ones who are supposed to be there. Our mindset is one game at the time, so our only focus now is winning Wednesday’s game. Denmark is not going to be easy, you just saw they beat Germany after triple overtime. That means that these guys are serious, they want to win, they put themselves in a tough position and they will do whatever it takes to make it right.

FIBA