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This season at Juventus de Utena became a test for basketball players who saw it all.
The Glen Rice scandal, Jamel Artis, who tried to replace him without success, the fury of the coronavirus, the 3×3 tournaments, the postponed games, the trauma of Julius Jucik, all these difficulties had to be passed through Utena in the first months of the season.
He is one of the best players on the team this year. Martynas Gecevičius. The sniper, who is gradually gaining veteran status, is not hiding: such a stormy start to the season shook the Juventus ship considerably.
“I slept in bed for 10 days when I was sick, a week before the game with Rytas, my well-being was in space. It was not easy to recover, but now you feel a little breathing. Surprisingly, you have to play like this: for both the head and the body, this is somewhat unnatural. The consequences are still being felt, “M. Gecevičius told LKL.lt.
The 32 and 193 cm tall defender returned to Lithuania to compete after a year off. This is his eleventh season in the national championship.
So far, the basketball player records solid numbers here: on average, he earns 11.8 points per game, recovers 2.7 balls and 4.7 assists (the best indicator in LKL’s career), and accumulates 14.4 utility points.
The high average number of effective transfers shows that this year M. Gecevičius is more creative than ever. However, they should decrease when Vaidas Kariniauskas, who has shown impressive sporting form thus far, comes to Utena.
M.Gecevičius’ thoughts on the circumstances that aggravated the start of the season, the arrival of V. Kariniauskas, the atmosphere in Utena and the reactions of the teammates after meeting the rivals of the Citadele KMT quarterfinals – in an interview with LKL.lt.
– After a long time you returned to the field and won two games in a row. What was that basketball life like on your team?
– It seemed complicated, the whole situation was like that. We ourselves laugh that we only played a few games in two months. This was followed by the quarantine, everyone fell ill, lying in bed with Rytas, we played with one leg and we were not prepared. At Kėdainiai, the competitors were bleeding, we still haven’t fully recovered. It was an interesting period: injuries, change of players. Now we go back to doing sports, a strange time and so on.
– This year the team already had cases of coronavirus, several players participate in 3×3 tournaments, there were injuries. How much do all these conditions complicate your work?
– It’s even more difficult. We started well, we won what we had to win and everything was fine, but then came the injuries, the change of players, the 3×3 tournaments, the coronavirus – many events and it made everything difficult for us. We couldn’t even play “5v5” in training because we were short on people, so we played “4v4”. It’s not the same and it lacked that playful rhythm.
After playing with Neptune, we will now have a break again. We will only get back to the rhythm of the competition after the new year, when we will have more matches in January, but the question is whether there will be no surprises again. And the fact that we don’t have that rhythm right now is natural and understandable.
– V. Kariniauskas recently joined you, how much do you earn with his arrival to the team? Where does the presence of such a player personally open your hands?
– During the first training session I saw that everything would change in the game. So far we have played without a completely real player or with just one. Whoever passed the ball on the pitch, and now it seems that we have a player. It’s easier for us pitchers too. I think he makes us all better, he’s in good shape, plays well and finishes the attacks himself. There is no doubt that this was the right decision.
– At Juventus, most of the players are from last year, and from the side it seems that the atmosphere in the dressing room is great with you. How would you describe working with these guys yourself, what team life is like?
– Before signing the contract I knew most of the players, but had not played with anyone and did not know them well. I did not know what to expect and when I arrived the first week I was convinced that it would not be sad, there are happy and well-intentioned characters. Everything is good in the dressing room, fun, sometimes even too much. But better than someone who didn’t talk or joke.
We all agree well, although there is everything in the square. We humble each other a bit, a lot of characters, but we are used to it, especially those who have been playing together for a long time. We know what to expect from each other. Emotions are necessary, without them it would be difficult to train.
– There are many basketball players of the same age in your team, and have you managed to get used to that veteran status?
– Everyone laughs because they say I started playing professionally too early and now they call me a veteran. The 32-year-old still doesn’t seem that much of a veteran. I’m not young, everything is normal so it doesn’t hurt, it looks good on me and I don’t see anything wrong with that.
– How important was the game in Lithuania when choosing a club in the summer? Maybe you want to spend the rest of your career right here?
– Not that I want to play only in Lithuania. I look at the pros and cons, and this year there were many more pros while I was in Lithuania. We have two children and the oldest is already in kindergarten. Utena was the closest to Vilnius; my wife and I decided that this would be the most appropriate solution.
Depending on how things are going, it doesn’t seem like we’re wrong. It’s not a shame that I’m not going abroad. I play in a good team, in a good environment, close to Vilnius. With the current coronavirus situation, you can sit at home and it’s better than being closed abroad.
– In the KMT quarterfinals, you took out Vilnius “Rytas” in a magical ceremony. What were the reactions of the teammates?
– At that time we had a training and we knew that Eimantas Skersis would draw spells. We’ve been saying for a long time that it doesn’t matter what I get out, but not in the “morning”. In the middle of training, we found out that we just took them out. For me it is the first time, but there are people who will play a quarterfinal like this for the third or fifth time. These are already the spells, it was possible to get something better, but it exists, as it is, you cannot choose.
– Is the match against the former team something special for you personally?
– Now playing against “Morning” there are no more feelings. There are no players or coaches left in my time, there is no extra emotion.
– The morning does not seem like a barrier that you cannot cross right now. Where can you look for hooks in the Vilnius game that will allow you to fight for victory? What can be learned from the two losses this season against this team?
– In the first game we were left without a player and we used to run. We only play the seconds after getting out of bed, so no conclusions can be drawn either. Now they have problems with injuries and a virus, but they are still a very dangerous team with many weapons. Having Vaidas ourselves will change us, it will give us many benefits before “Morning”. We will try to take advantage of it and make as few mistakes as possible. This is not an insurmountable team. There is a different pressure in the cup match, here you have to concentrate as much as possible.
– As a player for Olympiacos in Piraeus, you were part of the march that surprised the Euroleague. What qualities become most important when playing against your favorite opponents?
– It is determined by the fight and the belief that it can do it. There are many psychological things. It makes no sense to think that he has no chance of going to the square because he gives up right away. The mood and a good start to the game contribute a lot. Your hands spread and the favorite is hit and suddenly it becomes much more difficult for him to play.
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