The Reyer guard is feeling confident ahead of the team's final two regular-season games
Tyler Ennis: 'We can literally beat any team, even EuroLeague teams'
Interviews
14 Mins read
Umana Reyer Venice is in the thick of the playoff hunt in the BKT EuroCup, sitting seventh in Group B with two games to play, with a big road contest coming up against Turk Telekom Ankara on Wednesday night. With that in mind, Euroleague.net’s Javier Gancedo spoke with ex-Turk Telekom and current Reyer point guard Tyler Ennis in this week’s EuroCup interview.
Ennis’s return from injury, having missed Rounds 3 through 8, has been a big reason for Reyer’s resurgence as the Italian team has gone 7-2 over the last nine games after starting the season 2-5. Having made his EuroCup debut with Turk Telekom in 2021-22, the 30-year-old – and the brother of Dylan Ennis, who asks a question of his own in this interview – has averaged 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 10 games this year, but there’s the job’s not finished yet.
Hello, Tyler. First things first, we have to talk about Reyer’s crucial 76-75 win against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem last week. What allowed you to get the win in this back-and-forth game?
"Obviously, we knew Jerusalem had a lot of firepower. Jared Harper, [Khadeen] Carrington... so we really wanted to lock in defensively on that. But I think since we’ve kind of been getting bodies back every game and the new rotation, we wanted to continue with the chemistry we have, continue building and getting some wins at home. I think there was one point where we were winning more on the road than we were at home, so we wanted to come out and obviously just get any win we can to stay in the race. And they played well. They played their game, but we held them to some tough shots and ended up coming out with the win at the end. It was really close."
In fact, it went down to the final play – a missed shot by Carrington that would have changed the whole playoff picture in the EuroCup. Can you take us back to that final play?
"Ideally, you don't want to have your center switch onto the highest scoring guard in the EuroCup: Harper. But we trust Mfi Kabengele to guard guys. He is athletic enough to change a lot of shots, and I think he forced Harper to think twice about the first one, and then he kind of locked in. We all were hugged up to our guys, and you don't want to give up a second chance but we put in another effort and made Carrington miss. And then somebody tipped it out, so... not an ideal end to the game. Obviously, if this is the championship, these games could go in different ways. But on that night, I thought we did a good job of just continuing to play through, sending them to the free-throw line a lot. We played through a lot of adversity that we have dealt with and just stayed together, which is kind of our main mantra right now, just staying together, staying positive."
Like you said, you got some bodies back. Xavier Munford and you were injured, and more players missed some games. On the flip side, Kabengele has been amazing all season long, too. How is the team feeling right now given that everybody is back?
"Yeah, we feel good. I think people being healthy kind of allowed other people to play the roles they anticipated coming into the season. We had guys playing point guard that weren't point guards and different things like that, so we are just putting it together. Whoever is healthy, we have more than enough to play with anybody, to beat anybody, and we are showing that we can. We want to just be more consistent. We don't want to drop the games that we are in and we have a chance to win. And I think going into the second round, I think we were in every game, even the ones we lost. We just have to come ready and consistent."
Your next game is in Ankara against Turk Telekom, one of your former teams. You also worked with coach Erden Can when you were with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. So you know what to expect and this is a crucial game, the game of the season for you guys. How do you feel going into this one?
"We feel good. Obviously, it is a totally different game than the first round. With so much at stake, you want to come focused and as ready as possible. It's going to be a great atmosphere. It's going to be a great, great game. but at the end of the day, we just have to come out with a win. At this point in the season, we want to play great. We want to do everything right, but things don't go that way. As long as we come out with the win, put ourselves into the playoffs, hopefully everybody will be happy, and I think it will kind of be a great moment. After all the team went through at the start the season, I think it would be a great moment for us that shows our resilience and hopefully continues to carry on with us until the end of the season."
Your brother Dylan Ennis made it to the All-EuroCup Second Team a few years ago. Are in touch with each other? Do you follow each other's careers?
"Yeah, we talk every day. We were lucky enough to play against each other while we were both playing in Turkiye. We have had very different careers and are obviously different players, but we always go through the ups and downs of being a professional athlete. And I think it's just great to have somebody to lean on, who knows me personally, who knows my intentions and everything, and to kind of give you a different outlook on problems you are having or even on the positive things, just to kind of congratulate you on some good things that are going on. So we speak every day, whether it's about basketball life or just anything."
Well, I’ve spoken to Dylan, too, and asked him to throw in this question: When you were young, how many video game controllers did you break because you were losing?
"(Laughs hard) Too many. Too many! I have to give some backstory. At the time, I was the youngest so I got bullied a lot. I lost a lot, whether we were playing video games, whether we were fighting, playing basketball outside, I was losing. I was three years younger than Dylan, and I'm five years younger than our oldest brother [Brandon]. So I think that built my competitive edge. Obviously, at that age, you don't know how to control your emotions too much. And maybe that's that taught me how to do it now, but it made me want to win. It made me want to be better than them at everything and gave me that drive and competitive force. So I give them a lot of credit for my career and what I have been able to do, being able to follow in their footsteps and eventually take my own path. But yeah, I was definitely the angry brother growing up... maybe not the angry, but the emotional brother. And now, I think it has flipped. I think Dylan is more emotional."
It happens. I also wanted to ask you about the other two Canadians in the team. How great is it to be around so many Canadians, people that you know from the national team? Has it helped the team gel together quicker?
"I think me and Kyle [Wiltjer], this is our third team playing together. We played on the [Houston] Rockets and then we played on Turk Telekom together, so this is our third stop together, a third different team, so we already have a chemistry on the court. We kind of know: he knows what I'm looking for, I know what spots he likes, and then off the court, we have been great friends since we met. He was one of the main reasons I came to Venice, to be able to talk to him and get his experience on basketball, life off the court and everything. So it was an exciting opportunity to come play with him again. With Mfi [Kabengele], I actually feel he’s a little bit younger than me. He grew up watching me, but I watched him in high school and going to Florida State. This is my first experience being on a team with him, but it's been a pleasure. Obviously, you could see we kind of hit it off right away with the way I play and what I'm looking for, and what he needs as a big guy. We have a lot of pick and rolls together, and I think we just trust each other to be in the right spot and to find each other. So hopefully he is able to be rewarded for the amazing season he is having with some accolades, and obviously that depends on how well we finish the season. So I'm excited for him in his career. I think this is really a breakout year in Europe for him."
February is around the corner, which means it is do-or-die time in the EuroCup, the end of the regular season. How exciting is it for a basketball player to get there, when things are finally decided and more important games are coming up?
"It's great! I mean, it's obviously a lot more pressure, a lot more riding on every game, but I think that’s what you play for. I don't think you really see too much the tie that we have on our side of the EuroCup [with five teams from third to seventh, including Turk Telekom, on a 9-7 record]. I think that's pretty unique with so many teams, all with the same record and whatnot. But I think if you asked us when we were going through those losses at the start of the year and the injuries, that if we’d take being in this position, I think we would all agree to it. We were able to kind of turn the season around in terms of wins, but none of that matters unless we clinch the playoffs, and that's our plan. But looking back and being reflective for a second, I think it has been a great turnaround and showed a lot of character for everybody on our team to just continue to fight through the obstacles and stay together."
Let's talk about the tie: five teams with a 9-7 record and one of them will be eliminated at the end of the regular season. The good thing for all the teams in this tie is that winning both games takes you there for sure. No one depends on other people's results right now. How great is it to hold your EuroCup destiny in your own hands?
"I think that's all you can ask for in this situation that we have been in. Ideally, you want to be first or second and get the [eighthfinals] bye, but things don't always go that way. So we will kind of be where our feet are and focus on Turk Telekom. I think it's storybook that I get to go back and play my old team for the first time. I haven't played in Ankara since I played there, I think three years ago. We want the storybook ending and to leave Ankara happy, but we know it is going to be tough. We know it is gonna be a tough game. They have a great coach and really talented players. So we are looking forward to the experience, the atmosphere and everything that goes along with a game like this."
Finally, after these next two games, the competition takes a break and returns for the playoffs. That's plenty of time for a team to get in shape and perform at its best. If you qualify, how dangerous can Reyer be in the long run?
"Whether we are playing in our domestic league or in the EuroCup, I think we can literally beat any team, even EuroLeague teams. I think talent-wise, we are right up there with everybody, and it's just on us to come and play with energy and be consistent. So I think if I was on the other side, and I’d seen that we got the draw of our team, I think it's a little bit more worrisome than a lot of other teams. But talent only takes you so far, you have to go out there and produce. We are focused on the right things now; getting players back healthy is all we could ask for. We are just looking forward to the competition and looking forward to making the playoffs. We just have to get it done."