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Photo: BNS
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Having played a great game last season, Žygimantas Janavičius, although he had a valid contract with Klaipėda’s “Neptune”, threatened by the specter of bankruptcy, could have turned into a great catch for any team in the off-season. Still, the player, who was born in Alytus but loved the port city, remained representing the western Lithuanian team until 2022.
The 31-year-old 192 cm defender does not hide from considering proposals from abroad, but the uncertainty that surrounds the world of sports and personal life due to the still unmanageable pandemic made the player’s gaze turn to dialogue with “Neptune.”
Janavičius sat at the negotiating table with the Klaipėda club leaders, both parties described their needs and listened to the wishes and possibilities of each other. Negotiations did not take long and already in June, Klaipėda residents were able to rest in their ranks after saving 2019-2020. a basketball player who showed solid indicators for a couple more years.
“Klaipeda is a good city, Neptune is a good club. Although it is reorganizing itself a bit this year, I decided that I like it here,” said Janavičius about his choice for the BasketNews.lt website.
The LKL defender collected an average of 8.4 points per game, served 2.3 balls, made an average of 6.1 effective passes to teammates and accumulated 10.1 utility points.
But then the world and the sport were locked in quarantine for many months, after which they lack the time and nose to prepare for the new season.
“Our preparation is short, so far a lot of physical preparation, endurance training,” Janavičius said about his return to the site in the new season. – We will go into the details of the game. We played three friendly matches, the first ones were really worse, then we have already taken a step forward ”.
Klaipėda residents will start the season on September 18, when they will face Alytus “Dzūkija” at the start of LKL, and then go to the Bulgarian city of Botevgrad, where the FIBA Champions League selection will take place. from September 22 to 24. In the semifinals, Neptune will face the Lions of London, and the next pair will compete with Cmoki from Minsk and Balkan from Botevgrad.
The basketball player shared his thoughts with BasketNews.lt on the renewed composition of the Klaipėda team, the preparation for the season, the hard work of the head coach, the burning eyes of the players and the plans for the next two seasons.
– In the context of financial difficulties, negotiations on your new contract with the Klaipėda team took place and what factors determined the decision to stay a couple more years?
– I had a contract with Neptune for one more year. I wanted to be in this organization, which is why I chose it last year. There was a request from Neptune to slightly reduce the salary in such a situation. I understood everything. The club’s management spoke of the idea that there will be many young people in the next two years, the team will try to be reborn from scratch. Klaipeda is a good city, Neptune is a good club. Although a bit of a makeover this year, I decided that I liked being here.
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– You are named as one of the best players in the LKL, you had a good last season. How much and where did you get care from without Neptune?
– “Neptune” really wanted to save me, I had to find compromises. She had a few more options from abroad she was thinking about. But everything was very complicated: I have a contract, it is difficult to leave. It was an interesting situation. I leaned in the direction that if there had been something very interesting and specific abroad, maybe we would have found another compromise with Klaipeda. But we solved all the problems from last year, I realized for myself that there are no easy times for the club. That is what we agreed. We have seen a common direction and we will try to march on it.
– Is it true that one of the points of the contract is that the club will pay the salary for 12 months instead of 10 months as usual?
– This is confidential information. I can’t tell you what the terms of the contract are. We agree on everything, how it should be and how it will be, it’s our business.
Basketball has a 10-month contract practice, which I’ve had before. I don’t know what other contracts Neptūnas signs, other clubs. You know, certain moments come, some situation and changes happen. Perhaps in this situation, other clubs react differently. Everything is in communication with each other. If the club interacts with the basketball players, if they agree that everything is fine, then I think it could be a 12- and 14-month contract. Nobody has a problem if there is an agreement that works for both parties. In the past the fee was a 10 month contract, now there may be a fee for a 12 month contract.
– Tomas Gaidamavičius is at the wheel of “Neptūnas”, he is named as a strong, strict and specific minded coach. Although you haven’t spent much time with him yet, what impression have you left?
– Last season, when I came back from the Lithuanian team, he was already the team leader. coach. However, I got a little sick, so I didn’t work with him much last season. I’ve already seen this season that the label that a coach is strict, demanding, doesn’t come out of nowhere.
Tom is a young coach, he has his own vision, he has his own understanding of basketball. Nobody knows if it will work or not, but the coach sticks to that plan and tells us to follow it. He has his own understanding of basketball and tries to instill his philosophy in the players. Don’t be distracted by other people’s sayings, be strict and try to demand what you want. Other coaches, when something goes wrong, they try to change it. He’s got his line so far, we’re trying to tip it and go for it. Later in the season we will see clearly how he will react to everything, whether he succeeds or not.
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– How is the training process going, preparing for the season with the coach? What systems do you intend to implement in the team?
– The coach asks for perseverance, tearing the defense apart, creating opportunities. This is requested by all players, third, fourth places. It gives the players freedom, it allows them to attack with courage, it takes the initiative, it gives the basketball players confidence. How the season will be, more press or not, we’ll see. From the defenders we want us to play with courage, to push, to break the front row, to look for opportunities to break under the basket, to throw the ball. We have pitchers on the team, we’ll be hungry to do it.
– Right now, there is a Lithuanian in the Neptūnas team, some of them are young. How does the team look from your vision perspective?
– Interesting Lithuanian team. The club looked from another perspective, towards the future. Many players do not have much experience, they have not won titles or seen good clubs. But that’s the beginning. They are young, they want to win, that’s the most important thing. You see, they want to win, they want to be winners. Now everything starts again, we will all try to achieve those victories. As far as we can do this season, next season, maybe go upstairs. “Neptūnas” has a long-term vision, has signed contracts with young players, whom he sees in the future as club leaders, and we all look to this year as the year of shaping the team.
– What did the teammates return after a long break?
– That preparation is very strange. We were all closed, already longing for basketball. Every summer three against three played each Bucket Summer tournament, some had that basketball beat. I myself paid more attention and work to strengthen the body. But so far it is difficult for everyone. It seems that the eyes are burning, the same elementary things, what to do, but not everything goes that far. Five months is a long time and it will take time to get back into the rhythm of basketball. But I think things will get better soon. Everyone longs for basketball, everyone’s eyes are burning, young people want to prove themselves, they want to play. The preparation is intense, we are already waiting for the first official match.
– There is little time left for the LKL and Champions League teams. Doesn’t that seem like a short time to prepare?
– At that time, the party is small. The pace of the game itself comes through the matches, through the video views. Training is training, but during the game you can perform better, see the places where you need to work. In the third friendly we have played as many as we have heard, there are still two or three planned. Through them we will continue to try to improve. Of course, you always want to play more. Until the beginning of the season, you need to focus on what and what to win. The season is long, you need to get in shape and showcase the best basketball after winter, spring. Our entire season will be like preparing for the playoffs. If it is not successful, there will be a season of preparation for the next season. The club has such a vision that this season is the prospect of hard work in the future.
– How are you improving your game heading into the Champions League qualifying phase?
– We do not highlight if it is the preparation for the Champions League or the LKL. The league championship is very important to us, the four finalists are waiting, I would like to enter the league itself. The more basketball players play, the better for them. Those few extra games a week would be great, especially with good opponents. However, the players are now focused on working with themselves, in friendly matches. When the time comes for the Champions League game, I think we will gather the best moments and try to reach the final round of the groups. Now it’s hard to say anything. We want to be there and the future will show what we can do.
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