Canarias Ahora: Blazers F/C Joel Freeland Trains In Canary Islands

Spanish website Canarias Ahora reports that Portland Trail Blazers forward/center Joel Freeland is working out in the Canary Islands as he prepares for the 2013-14 season.

Bear with the google translation...

Joel Freeland, of the Portland Trail Blazers, has been training until Wednesday in Gran Canaria in order to improve his defensive play and face the challenge of his second season with the NBA, after a year in [he is] expected to have a greater role in the best league in the world.

His first season in the American professional basketball has been "hard", but notes that it has "learned a lot " ... [He] believes that now must focus "on defensive work, and less on attacking play. " "You have to run a lot, do good blocks and grab rebounds. That's my job here."

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Freeland said he was "very happy" to have been back in Gran Canaria "enjoying a bit, but also training" before facing his second year among the best basketball players on the planet.

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His representative , Rafael Calvo, has directed the English player workouts during these days on the island and has abounded: "It has been a year quite hard to adapt, as we saw earlier." Grancanario agent believes his player has faced "a new concept of basketball where the individual often takes precedence over the collective", and although the season ended "better [than] it started," adding that "he still has two seasons" in they expected to have "greater personal success."

Freeland began his professional career playing for Gran Canaria from 2005 until 2009. The Canary Islands are located west of Morocco.

As Timmay! noted in July, Freeland opted to withdraw from his duties on Great Britain's National Team to focus on his preparation for the 2013-14 season.

Freeland, 26, averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 51 appearances as a rookie last year. He averaged 5 points and 5.6 rebounds during five appearances at the 2013 Las Vegas Summer League.

Hat tip: Rip City Project

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter