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LKL.lt continues to meet the new head coach of Kėdainiai “Nevėžis-Optibet” David Gale.
You can read the first part of the interview, where the specialist talked about working on NBA teams, his admiration for Šarūnas Jasikevičius and his professional goals, here.
So far, the American has worked in countries like the United States, Canada and Germany, where he has had to live in cities much larger than Kedainiai – Los Angeles or Toronto. However, the coach does not value moving to a much smaller settlement, as he claims that he did not come here for fun, but for work.
“It’s actually a very different experience, but I’m here for a reason: being a coach and the desire to learn in a country that is one of the strongest basketball nations in the world,” Gale said. “I may not have a lot of luxury here for food or entertainment, but I’m here for basketball, so I try not to get affected by those things.”
For your attention, the second part of the conversation, in which the coach spoke about the reasons for his arrival at Kėdainiai, the challenges of joining the team mid-season, the talent of the young Ariel Hukporti and hopes to meet the expectations of the fans.
– What were the reasons for your choice to come here? Was it an easy fix?
– Yes, it was an easy decision. The times we live in make it difficult to find work. I will say this: the most important thing was to train and do it in the first league, in a country where basketball is a religion, so I immersed myself in this opportunity. Our management would assure me that I have demonstrated that I want this position.
Furthermore, it cannot be ignored that Mr. Hukporti was a student of mine for two years. The presence of him and Abram Canka here and the knowledge that we have a great relationship with them made it a comfortable place for me. Thanks to COVID-19, some of the proposals I was hoping for were starting to disappear. Putting these things together, it was an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up.
– Did you communicate with Jonas Valančiūnas before coming here? If so, what did he tell you?
– Yes, I interacted with him. He didn’t know much about the team. We talk more about the country and the people I will meet here. He made it clear that it was a small town and said that if he needed anything, he could call him. He’s a great guy. The human connection is very important to me, I try to keep it with John and I try to make the same connection with the players here. John said that he would see many things that he had not seen in basketball or in life. It’s good to have people you can trust and ask for help when needed.
– How much did you know the team?
– I tried to do it before my arrival, I spoke with everyone on the phone before meeting in reality, because it is very important for me to have a meaningful relationship with the team. Players will try to respect you more when they know they care about you as people, not just basketball players. I met them, I wanted to know about their families and their lives outside the square. We will stick together, it is a process.
– You made the team mid-season. How difficult is it to do that?
– This is a different challenge. When I was in Germany, I was able to work from the beginning of the season and build everything from start to slow. Still, working with Jerry Stackhouse in Toronto, I got to know his coaching style. He immediately “threw” many tasks at the players from the beginning. Let’s say we have a hundred combinations in our book. He told us to learn all those combinations at once, so we slowly refined everything, rather than smoothing out one combination and then moving on to another.
It’s kind of like what I’m trying to do here: I’ve given guys a lot of chores on offense, defense, transition, and the like. I told them that I understood that it would be difficult to do that, but I think the further we go the easier it will be if we understand why we are doing the right things. It is difficult, but I have been challenged like this and, although it will take time, I believe that we will achieve our goal.
– What changes would you like to see in the team game?
– Without giving too many tactics, we will have to play faster. We have a young team and we must take advantage of it. It is a group of athletes and young people, I have already said the same to older players who may have preferred the style of the former coach. Still, I think we need to be more aggressive and that should be seen in our game.
It will be a mix of American, Canadian, German and Lithuanian games. It is also important to play together and consistently. We will have combinations for specific players, but there will also be room for improvisation, which Lithuanians are taught from a young age. I don’t think it is necessary to tell them all the steps, they are very smart. Just start a little on the road and you get a nice and flashy game.
– You have already mentioned that the presence of Mr. Hukporti has become an important reason for his arrival. How would you describe this player and where do you see the ceiling of his game?
– His roof is a participant of the NBA All-Star Match, a superstar. It all depends on how strongly he wants it himself and works hard. I’ve known him since I was fifteen or sixteen, so I watched him grow up and saw all the little things that kept him from getting a little better.
I can say that here it is different than in Germany, more mature. Ariel better understands the opportunity she has. He has played a bit so far, but I think he will see how it can be. His style is tall, capable of doing defender-like things on the ball, like Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Wiseman, who was called up to the rookie stock this year. You can compare him to Julius Randle or Anthony Davis, that’s his style. I’m not saying that’s the case either, but his height, his ability to pass the ball and attack the basket, play in different places on the court and the versatility he has in defense make him a modern player who can do anything.
Now it is important for him to learn this at a high level, because until now Ariel was bigger among his peers and did not have as much competition. Naturally, you have learned many things, which is why your roof is a superstar, but if you don’t take it seriously enough and change your eating habits and routine, you can become someone who plays in fifteen minutes in France because it fits your style. But that would be a mediocre career. He has nothing against the French league, but I think he is a player with a much higher ceiling, at least for the Euroleague or the Spanish championship.
– Having Bobby González, another American basketball fan, on your coaching staff, how much will it help you?
– We already talked to Bobby about that. From his experience, I have to trust him. This is a man who has had the experience of a coach and leader, with whom you can go to war, it is very important. I can talk to him about training, ask him if he has ideas to improve the environment and things like that. During the match, he can advise on minute breaks or relevant game situations. I don’t think I will give him a specific task, I will need many different things from him. Bobby’s is rich in knowledge and will help me.
As for the style of play, I do not mean that the maniac is American. I would say that what I consider to be my style is more in line with European basketball. Even before coming to Germany, I really appreciated the off-the-ball movement and the different defensive tactics in basketball played here. Watching the NBA you can see a lot more European ideas than Americans in Europe. I don’t think you see us playing picnic high up or isolating basketball.
– What would you like to convey to the fans of your team and the entire league community?
– For Kėdainiai fans: I want you to be proud of us. I know it’s a small town, but we want to bring you the kind of product and style that you’ll be happy to see, win or not. We will play with the heart, I promise you. We need your support, we look forward to it and we will do everything possible to make you proud of what we show in the square. I have already said that the players who put on our jerseys have to be completely dedicated, because we represent not only ourselves, but the whole city.
I would like to convey this to the league and to the Lithuanian people; I hope we can learn from each other and they accept me as a foreign coach, because I am very happy to be here, all experiences are great so far, although nothing special can be done due to the virus. All the Lithuanians I know are some of the best people I know.
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