Sarunas Jasikevicius addressed the relocation of Fenerbahce's EuroLeague game to Kaunas, discussed the integration of newcomers Wade Baldwin and Boban Marjanovic, and expressed skepticism about claims that this year's EuroLeague is the strongest ever.
Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and his Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul squad are going to play their EuroLeague Round 6 home game against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Lithuania again this year.
The game will be held on Tuesday at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas due to safety concerns surrounding the situation in Israel. Last season, these two teams played in Panevezys under similar circumstances.
"Like last year, we initially wanted to play in Germany since we have a strong fanbase there, in Berlin and Munich. But that didn't work out. I don't know if there were any other options, but here we are in Kaunas," Jasikevicius told the Lithuanian media at the Kaunas airport. "This wasn't one of our first options, especially with Zalgiris playing two home games this week. We're not expecting many fans. I know that very few tickets have been sold, which is not good."
Reflecting on last week's loss to Panathinaikos, Saras highlighted a bigger concern: "What worries me the most is that the team is not together. More than any of the losses. Losses are just one point here, one point there. If we're not together, we cannot achieve anything this year."
Is this lack of unity just a short-term issue or something deeper?
"There are indeed situations like this. The team needs to be put together. There are many new players, and you know the situation with center position, injuries," Jasikevicius said. "Well, there are many headaches this year."
One of the most talked-about changes over the summer was Wade Baldwin's arrival as the new leader. So, how is he adapting?
"His integration has been going well, I'd say really well," Saras noted. "Wade didn't play for four months -- he was injured for two during the quarterfinal series in the EuroLeague, then out for another two over the summer. It's not easy to jump back in with a new team and philosophy. We understand that, and we're working with him. I'd say things are progressing well."
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul / Schedule
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradeAs for another newcomer, Boban Marjanovic, Jasikevicius shared:
"Difficult, another person who really hasn't played for a long time," the coach stressed. "It's hard to understand how much he can help. It's clear that he's a player who's suited to specific matchups and moments. You need to get used to when he can play and against whom he can play. Anyway, Boban understands everything, he's not a child. He knows his role, understands his limits, and it's great to talk with him off the court."
Lastly, Jasikevicius isn't buying into the common belief that this year's EuroLeague is the strongest we've ever seen, with star additions like Cedi Osman, Evan Fournier, Furkan Korkmaz, Frank Ntilikina, and others.
"People say it's the strongest every year, especially those building up the season. I don't know how different it really is from last year," Saras said. "The number of players is decreasing. Of course, there're a few big names returning from the NBA, but so far, they're just names."
