With five key players on this Toronto Raptors team that hail from overseas, there are bound to be non-English articles out there that are of interest to us North American fans. Case in point: this Italian interview with new Raptors strength and conditioning coach Francesco Cuzzolin. Don’t you wish that someone could translate it for you? Well, your wish just came true.

Thanks to mookie from A Stern Warning for the translation work.

Francesco Cuzzolin, who has come from Benetton Treviso, is now with the Raptors to act as trainer.

How is your experience going so far?

Super. Truly beyond all expectations since arriving. With different working methods and different ideas in terms of administration and off-the-court, it was not easy to put everything into practice immediately.

As a third of the team is European, it’s really easy to work with them. And of course, there was immediately great harmony with the two Italians.

There are still many things to fix, but we are working well. The team is young and has nine new members. It is only a matter of time. We believe in what we’re doing.

Maurizio, Hedo and Francesco. (via HTSpor.com)

What inspired you to accept this new adventure?

Life is full of challenges and this was something unexpected, but it was something I could not leave alone. I take the view that you can’t live life with regrets. I was convinced that my credibility in Italy and Europe could be questioned, so I accepted this opportunity with open arms. It came at a time in my life where I could make choices, so I did. [mookie's note: I think he's implying here -- if I translated correctly -- that he needed validation by taking on the NBA after Europe. Could be wrong though.]

Would you accept it anyway if you were going to work in a team with no Italian connection?

I worked in Russia and Latvia. The need is not to have European players, the need is to have a coaching staff that believes in the trainer that works in direct contact with the players.

Tell us about your relationship with Andrea Bargnani.

I’ve worked with Andrea for seven years. I feel a bit like an older brother to him. We worked out during the Summer and firstly we have a professional relationship and secondly a friendship that has solidifed over time.

Does he have room for improvement physically?

Yes, he does, because Andrea has not been well-endowed physically. So everything that you give him is something that can improve him. Andrea is a tactical weapon that can be used in different roles. He must improve his strength and his centre of gravity, as he has to compete against players that are heavier than him and shorter [mo0kie's note = have a lower centre of gravity] than him. It’s a job that takes time and we hope sooner [rather than] later to see the improvements.

What did you think of Marco Belinelli?

Marco missed a bit at the end of last season that caused him to lose condition. This summer he played with the national team and has also worked to get back in shape. He is not yet in “top shape” that I would want him to be, to be competitive at this level. That’s why, on Saturday, his day off, that we also got in the gym to train. I’ve known Marco since he was at Virtus with the cadets [juniors], and he’s a great guy.

DeMar Derozan seems to be an “animal” athletically.

For me, it’s a bitter wood [Italian saying, for a wood that you can't yet use on the fireplace] that needs to be invented, from the point of view that he has a lot to improve in athleticism and has great potential, but also many weaknesses. He’s a boy and does not have a solid physique that will allow us to increase his load exponentially. We’re working hard and he’s another guy with lots to give, so he should be kept away as he’s very young, even from the standpoint of physicality and athleticism. But he’s a great piece and a great person.

In an 82 game NBA season, you also work [the rest of] the year — what can be done to prevent accidents?

Prevention and preparation are parallel — they are not two different worlds. Logically, 82 games gives you a period of time that is very restricted. And there is very little time between trips and workouts. The quality of what we do is crucial. That players have to work out even during the season on their fitness. Of course, different people require different amounts of work. We must differentiate the work as much as possible for this reason.

Steroids: Mark Cuban has in recent days made a statement on the possible use of steroids to heal injuries. What do you think?

I read those statements. Maybe, I’m just saying, what he said has been a bit manipulated. Because there are medications that contain steroids that are prescribed by doctors, but I am of the view that one cannot generalise and we speak about these things, we must have a specific notion of cause. This is all I will say: addressing the steroids issue in a superficial way is a risky thing because there are many students who might misunderstand. Again, there are structures, there are doctors who have the right skills to be able to prescribe this type of drug and patient information. But to say that can be used with ease to …. is wrong. That’s it.

LeBron James is convinced that there is a problem with steroids in the NBA.

But he is so strong that they would definitely be needed!

Joking aside, in basketball this is an idea that doesn’t stand. Your skills make the difference. You can be someone who is not physically a giant and have those skills that allow you to soar up high. In some disciplines it can make a difference when the physical weight and power are the key elements, like for those that play defensive line in American football, or in track where you have to make a single type of movement. In my opinion, [in] basketball [it] is the most stupid, because the risks that you run to get that result are not going to be compensated by the satisfaction you have by improving your technical skills. So why do it? You don’t become a champion in basketball by weighing five or so pounds heavier.

Thanks again to mookie. Be sure to follow him @asternwarning.