Carlik Jones: “I Respect Punter, But I’m Not Afraid—There’s No One I Can’t Defend”
Partizan’s star point guard, Carlik Jones, recently spoke about the upcoming EuroLeague matchup with Barcelona and facing former Partizan player Kevin Punter.
Jones, one of Partizan’s key summer acquisitions following an impressive performance with the South Sudan national team, has averaged 11.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists over his first eight EuroLeague games. Competing in the EuroLeague for the first time, Jones has quickly adapted to the energetic atmosphere provided by Partizan’s dedicated fan base. Reflecting on this, he told Meridian Sport:
“I love our fans; they inspire me. Their energy is incredible. I consider myself an energetic player, and I feed off that. They don’t directly impact my stats, but they remind me to be myself and play my best. I hope I can continue to do that and help us win.”
Partizan will host Barcelona in an intense EuroLeague double-game week on November 13. The matchup between Jones and Punter, who has made a strong start to the season with Barcelona, is highly anticipated. Jones shared his respect for Punter’s contributions to Partizan and looked forward to the challenge:
“Of course, I respect Punter for what he’s done and the player he is, but there’s no one I can’t defend. I’m not afraid of anyone, and there’s no player that concerns me defensively. I know what Kevin means to our fans and what he’s achieved here, so I have respect for him. But once we’re on the court, we’ll see what happens.”
Under the guidance of head coach Željko Obradović, Partizan has had a challenging start, sitting 15th with a 2-6 record in the EuroLeague standings.
