Jankūnas on the defensive: “Everyone understands but not” / News

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Photo: BNS

Kaunas “Žalgiris” lost the fewest points in the losing series, but after the defeat against team captain “Zenit” from St. Petersburg, Paulius Jankūnas was the most unhappy with the defense.

Žalgiris missed 83 points, scored 75 himself and suffered his fifth consecutive failure in the Euroleague.

“The match was not as successful as the last three,” said Jankūnas, who scored 6 points and grabbed 5 balls after the match. – Same mistakes, before we were 30 points behind and only then did we start playing. Here is the biggest problem. Today we still represent each other in defense, but in team defense we have to help each other, that was not the case today. For me, that thing is missing.

And that we caught up at the end of the game, I don’t think it means much when we start the third quarter with three opponents. We had a plan to change everything, they couldn’t make those kinds of pitches, but as is often the case this season, it’s already happening. “

– Paul, what are the roots of the team’s defense problems?
– I don’t know that there are players and since last season, there are those who joined. In the Euroleague, everyone is a professional and highly qualified player. Maybe not everything is going to anticipate, but team communication has to be. Maybe something just lacks focus, responsibility. Something missing, something is missing. If you are weaker, you can be defeated one by one, but team defense is the job of the five basketball players, we have to help each other. And after losing so many games … An offense can win the games of the others, and the defense has won many games. The more you lose, the stronger the defense must be. But so far we are not doing it somehow.

Man of the match

– In the first half of the game, the team made only two free throws. Did the team lack aggressiveness?
– If we made two free throws, he probably missed. Perhaps progress was lacking, situations in which we would be more aggressive and cause more fouls.

– After three quarters, as if you have comments for the coaches, maybe you can share what you told them?
– There were no comments, just after a poor second, third episode we wanted to activate the defense a bit. That result got worse with each attack and a more aggressive defense was needed. Little by little we did it, we defended ourselves better, we helped each other. When such a result, you only need to activate defense, not attack to try to catch up with opponents.

– Why do you think that the players do not listen to each other in defense or do nothing, why does the same problem recur for so long?
– I don’t know, if we knew about this problem, we would solve it immediately (smiles). Maybe a lack of responsibility, maybe someone is afraid of being punished, maybe someone is afraid that when he goes to defense, the points he defends will prevail. This is where we have to work like clockwork. We can defend ourselves more aggressively, but something does not, someone is afraid. I don’t think anybody gets it, but it’s not done.

Press conference:

Match summary: