Sarunas Jasikevicius describes the team's current phase as a summer-like preseason: "It's summer in Istanbul, haven't you noticed?"
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul celebrated their fourth consecutive EuroLeague victory on Friday night, defeating Zalgiris Kaunas 98-86 in a comeback effort. With a record of 14-7, they currently sit second in the standings.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
24
|
| Marko Guduric | |
| Points | 20 |
| Accuracy | 4-4 |
| Rebounds | 2 |
| Assists | 3 |
However, coach Sarunas Jasikevicius isn't particularly focused on rankings.
"I absolutely don't care where we are in the standings," Jasikevicius told BasketNews' Lukas Malinauskas. "I view the standings as much as I see my feed on Instagram or Facebook. I've gained experience, and I understand that without a solid game, rankings don't matter. At one point, we were 9-2, but we were playing catastrophic basketball.
"You have to play well, and the results will follow," Saras added. "I haven't really looked at the standings for many years, so I don't know what's behind us right now. I know we're in a good position now, but nothing will happen without good play."
Fenerbahce has faced numerous injuries this season, which has led Jasikevicius to view the current situation as still being in the preseason, especially with the recent addition of Errick McCollum.
"Absolutely," he affirmed. "In December, we had one preparation stage, and in November, there was another. Now that Errick McCollum has arrived, it's another preseason process. It's summer in Istanbul, haven't you noticed?" he smiled.
When asked about the return of key player Wade Baldwin, Jasikevicius responded:
"I don't know. He has a recurring injury, so it will definitely take longer than the medical staff recommends. He suffered four hamstring strains over the past year, so he needs to fully heal. He's in a preseason stage, for sure."
