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The coach compiled the list of participants taking into account the fact that there will be no serious testing for the national team this summer.
And many games will be lost. D. Masoliūnas’s men will face Estonia and Latvia in a friendly tournament.
Although the camp at Palanga is minor, it was not without its uncertainties for basketball fans and various basketball players. The names of Jonas Mačiulis, Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Donatas Motiejūnas were not on the list of participants, and D.Maskoliūnas did not immediately inform them of their decision.
The coach of the Lithuanian national team said he had considered inviting Ignas Brazdeikis, a Canadian citizen, but who aspired to become a Lithuanian citizen, who belongs to the New York Knicks team, but ultimately decided not to include the young defender on the list. .
D.Maskoliūnas’ conversation with journalists about the camp’s goals, uninvited veterans, and I.Brazdeikis.
– In what mood do you choose to camp?
– The mood is excellent, I am glad that the Lithuanian Basketball Federation has provided the opportunity to gather, train and touch players that we have not yet had the opportunity to touch. As you can see, during this period, as a national team, we are not preparing for anything except for two friendly matches, those goals are very cognitive, preparing the players for the club season. We will put a strong emphasis on fitness, injury prevention, and of course, as much as possible, we will want to introduce you to the system we want to see through the windows and, I hope, on the selection for the 2021 Olympics.
Erik Ovcharenko / 15min photo / Darius Maskoliūnas
– So you can expect that young people will also be given a bigger role in friendly matches?
– Yes, but you probably know that for obvious reasons we couldn’t see all the young players we invited. There is, as is, such a situation. Those players who know what they are capable of, whom we believe and trust, are clearly with them. I want to see how young people will look, how they will appear in the national team.
– Why didn’t you invite some older people?
– I have answered this question several times. I can already assure you that I have spoken to all the elders now, I filled that gap immediately (laughs).
Of these older people, Jonas Mačiulis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas were the most mentioned. What they are capable of, what they can help the team with: we know this very well and we want to see what their positions will be in a few years. The situation allows this to be done.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Jonas Mačiulis
I ask you not to look for underwater currents. I’ve talked to both Jonas and Mindaugas, they understand everything, they come out more than they don’t exist, and you ask why they don’t exist so that some kind of resistance arises.
Relationships are normal, we communicate well. Again, will they be observed, monitored, or are they 100 percent members of the national team? No way, you need to win it, show results in clubs. The doors were always open, no one closed them, no one expelled them.
– Is Donatas Motiejūnas also on the same shelf as J.Mačiulis and M.Kuzminskas?
– No. Donatas had to play in China, we did not know that this would happen (D. Motiejūnas left China without starting the season renewal – aut. Past). We saw him through the February window. Now it is much more interesting for me to see what young Marek can do than Donat. Also, I say, we didn’t even consider it because we knew it would have a season in China. These are just the reasons.
Now it is much more interesting for me to see what young Marek can do than Donat
– Regarding youth, what is the situation of Ignas Brazdeikis?
– It’s hard for me to say that we sit with the coaches, we thought. It would be nice to see him, but now to invite … It had to be done much sooner, because when he returned from the United States, he would have been quarantined immediately.
Nor do we know the situation with citizens, it is difficult to call it into the future.
I understand the question and I think it would be logical to see what it looks like even with the perspective of obtaining that citizenship, although I do not understand why you should not obtain it. As I mentioned, the more competition, the more strong league players, the better.
Photo by Scanpix / Ignas Brazdeikis
– Why are Gytis Masiulis and Rokas Giedraitis not on the team?
– Gytis has been playing in Frankfurt since June, he has played a lot of basketball and ended the championship there. He wants to work according to an individual plan that intersects with what we would have done here. We didn’t get in the way of that.
And about Rock … Maybe you need to talk to him more. It’s unrelated, he wanted to come, but he also wants to explore certain things and take the time to do it.
– Are you going to support Jonas Mačiulis in a 3×3 tournament?
– Why John? Maybe I support others (laughs).
foto 3×3 Championship / Linas Šilkaitis / Jonas Mačiulis
– National basketball player still …
– Yes, national teams. Ex (laughs).
– You used to say that you would install a Žalgiris system on the computer, now you will call it Barcelona? Perhaps that system will also change?
– No, it will be now greenish yellow. I don’t know how to answer this question more continuously, but we are going to establish a system that we know how it works and how it works.
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