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Already this weekend, the Betsafe-LKL Championship will feature one of the most anticipated duels of the entire season. The eternal opponents of Vilnius: Rytas and Kaunas basketball players “Žalgiris” will win weapons in the capital.
However, this time both teams face a great duel with a radical renovation.
It will be an unusual night for a player who, like no other, understands the importance of the early opponents battle, because over the past six years, representing Žalgiris, he has experienced it ten times. This is the beginning of a legionnaire’s career Edgar ulanov.
By switching his hometown colors to the blue-yellow Tenerbahchee jersey in Istanbul this year, the forward has already gotten used to the pace of life in the multi-million dollar city of Istanbul.
“It just came to our notice then. Their mentality, speed of life and movement differ. As for the colleagues and employees, they were all well received. I feel like it was my own and I don’t feel much difference. Of course, the family and the friends who stayed in Lithuania are now represented by my wife, my daughter and my close teammates, ”E. Ulanov described the experience of the first months in Turkey.
However, even while playing in another country, the Kaunas resident does not forget to follow the current Betsafe-LKL topics, and the intriguing showdown of the tournament table leaders will not pass his eyes this Sunday.
“Of course, I will watch these games, as well as all Žalgiris games so far. I will come back after my game and I will definitely turn on the broadcast and support the residents of Kaunas,” said the basketball player.
E. Ulanov spoke with LKL.lt about the new stage of his career, the afternoons with Betsafe-LKL and the most important moments of next Sunday’s duel.
– How were the first months in the new stage of your career?
– Everything is fine, no problem. I didn’t see anything new, more or less everything was going as expected. In the Euroleague, the last week has been a failure, but personally I am happy to have the confidence to play. As a team, we still have to work and fix some things, improve team play, understand each other and trust each other more, but that’s just the beginning and I don’t even doubt those things will improve. The equipment is new, the kernel is new.
– This is the first season that you do not play in Lithuania. How long do you think it’s time to see Betsafe-LKL, what impression has the season left so far?
– Of course, I follow all the news, I watch the game. I usually have nights off, so after morning training I can always watch the games, and if I can’t watch them, I open the protocols. There were quite a few surprises at the beginning, which is very intriguing.
In the course of the season, the favorites become clear, “Žalgiris” shows a good game, the games with “Juventus” were solid. It is interesting to follow the Kėdainiai team, they surprise a lot of people and have fun watching. Lietkabelis, who plays in the European Cup, has also put together an interesting lineup. The team of the same “Šiauliai” is intriguing, but so far they have not found their own game.
– How successful is it to stay in touch with former teammates in Lithuania?
– Grigonis and Milaknis are the people who also had to contact Jankūnas. It is interesting to know how they are doing. Of course, there are more friends than just in the Kaunas team: my good friend Vaidas Kariniauskas plays in Kėdainiai. I keep in touch with everyone I know and we speak with Žalgiris often; both when they play better and worse, this is normal.
– “Žalgiris” has suffered only one failure on the season so far – against Panevėžys “Lietkabelis”. How do you rate the game shown by Kaunas residents in the first month?
– That defeat, in my eyes, was not due to tactical decisions. I think the opponent was underestimated: we won against Panevėžys in preparation, and they did not show a good game at the time and “caught” the Kaunas residents when they relaxed. After that, good conclusions were drawn and now “Žalgiris” has not lost in the Euroleague.
Maybe everything went well because it bothered the coaching staff and the players, they realized the need to make changes, learn from mistakes, not repeat them and now things are going well. Lately, it’s been nice to see their game – the core is perfectly understood and newcomers are making their contribution too. They don’t want to show their ego right away, but they agree to go in the direction of the team, which is great to see.
– After all, Vilnius “Rytas” seems to be just as serious at the moment, what is the impression of the Vilnius game and the assembled team?
– Starting with the ensemble, it is very interesting, surnames are heard and well known in Europe. The latest purchase (Maurice Ndour, aut. Past.) He also saw high-level basketball. This duel is always intriguing.
It will be interesting, this is the first match of its kind this season, they will test each other. Opposition remains, and statements by coach Donald Kairis that he wants to bite Žalgiris also contribute to this, further motivating Kaunas residents. From my experience, I can say that it is a lot of fun to play in an opponent’s court where motivation is high, and when support is still coming, the game becomes even more exciting.
– You have had to play in that duel for many years. What did these duels mean to you and how did you prepare for them?
– The preparation for the match can be compared to the Euroleague, because the meetings with this rival have a long history. This is very important for the fans, and it is also very important and fun for the club to win a victory against these opponents. Preparation is always at a high level, the day after the last Euroleague game you have to prepare. The story and things behind the scenes contribute to everything: the media, the players, the coaches, the fans. It is exciting for everyone, but at the same time it is very welcome; For these reasons, it is a lot of fun to watch these games and participate in them yourself.
– What game do you expect? Which can become determining factors?
– “Rytas” should start very aggressively, because they are not yet playing in the European tournament, and “Žalgiris” will be after a difficult match. Vilnius residents have a whole week to prepare, so from the first minutes they should try to play vigorously and use it. After the Euroleague match, Kaunas residents may be exhausted, they had to experience it themselves, now I know how difficult it is. Rytas has athletic players who like to play aggressively, so defense will be very important.
On the Kaunas side, it will be important to stop the main rivals, their quick attack, dictate their conditions and show their game – team, patience, looking for the best possible option to attack. I would predict the victory of Kaunas, because the game they are showing at the moment is one of the best in Europe and with that good wave they should win.
– For the entire Betsafe-LKL season, what seems most likely to end at this point? Can Rytas try to bite Žalgiris?
– If they keep the lineup, the Vilnius residents should reach the final, I don’t see that anyone can challenge them more, but this is the beginning of the season. It’s hard to predict, but from today’s perspective, the ending should be like this. In the final itself, every match is very important, and intrigue and pressure are always felt no matter who you play with. It will be the same this year: after running a match during relaxation, things can change quickly.
– You are currently the last MVP of both the Betsafe-LKL final series and the final four of the Citadele King Mindaugas Cup. Who could take over the tag of your most important decisive player?
– “Žalgiris”, like “Rytas”, has many weapons. In the final series he would see Grigonis or Lekavičius as such. They can move the team forward and take over that relay. These two surnames are the first on my list.
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