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Every single day players of Geoplin Slovan begin the practice counting the line-up and with the question whether anybody else sustained a new injury since the previous training. One of those who was lucky avoiding medical problems at least until this week is Jaka Klobučar, even the only one alongside Gašper Vidmar who was playing in the NLB League already in the previous season for Geoplin Slovan. Klobučar is also one of those members of the team fans expected quite a lot in 2006/07 season. It was planned he will take an important role within the team but the first few weeks were not quite like he planned to be. But finally, the break-through came with the game against Cibona on Saturday when he made 28 points. Nonetheless his team suffered another defeat and it doesn't look that will end very soon. Klobučar on the other hand thinks quite the contrary: he predicts he has a good feeling already for the next game, played against Union Olimpija on Saturday.

For the beginning tell us why didn't you play in the Slovenian national championship game on Tuesday, when Geoplin Slovan achieved the victory against Kraški zidar JK with only seven players?

I injured my back during the Monday's practice in the fitness. First, it looked very bad, but already on Wednesday I was able to join my team-mates at the practice and as it looks I will be ready for the game on Saturday. Fortunately, my medical condition is improving faster then it was expected.

Geoplin Slovan has many problems this season, the team achieved only one victory in
13 games played so far in the NLB League. What can you tell us about the
current season if you compare it to the previous one?

Besides injuries, which luckily we didn't have many problems with in the previous season, the team is also very rejuvenated now. It was easier to play in 2005/06, every positive action or move we made resounded in the public while the negative ones were immediately forgotten. This season Emir Preldžić, Vidmar and I have a lot of responsibility, the only two players with more experiences are Ernest Novak and Miloš Paravinja. Everything is more difficult. In the previous season every time you looked on the court you saw there three, four experienced players and one younger one. Every time you got a ball, you knew there is somebody you can count on by your side. It is quite the opposite this season.

As you said the team is very rejuvenated, you too are also only 19. Does the lack of more experienced players if compared to the 2005/06 season have a big influence on younger ones?

Of course. When I joined Geoplin Slovan, older ones helped me a lot. It is more difficult to improve not having them by your side because they are the ones who could thought you many basketball skills and how to get along with some thing on the court. Saša Dončić, Stipe Modrić and others, who were with us in the previous season, helped us to develop.

How do your practices look like lately since few players are sidelined due to an injury? On Tuesday you played with only seven players in teh Slovenian championship.

The club registrated two younger players for the NLB League about a week ago, Zoran Dragič and Siniša Bilič. They both help us at practices. There it is also Grušovnik who is on a loan to Triglav but helps us on the training. So we kind of succeed to gather ten players. But until the injured ones won't come back we will play games with only seven, eight players.

You have one victory and 12 defeats so far in the NLB League, in the Slovenian championship is quite the contrary – 8-2. Why?

The difference in the quality between the two competitions is obvious. The unsuccessful strike in the regional league lasts for too long now but in some games we proved we can struggle for the victory but then we always give up in the final minutes. That mostly happens because we do not have enough players on the bench.

You said it is difficult to resist the despondency in the team. What do you think are your chances to finally make the turn from defeats to victories and when?

I do see the turn will happen. The victory in the NLB League is closer and closer. For example: Cibona is the leading team of the competition but we succeeded to follow it for 35 minutes, playing good in offense and in defense. We play better.

The city derby between Union Olimpija and Geoplin Slovan is scheduled for Saturday. In the previous season every game between the two teams mentioned was caracterized a big derby, what about this year, what do you expect?

The first game we played at the beginning of the season in the sport's hall of Geoplin Slovan was pretty tied. Since then both teams went through many problems. But I do feel already for a few days that the game may has a positive outcome for us. Besides we were very successful in Tivoli in the previous season so it would've been nice to continue the tradition.