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One of them is Francois Lamy, a Frenchman with extensive experience in European basketball, who will take over from Paulius Motiejūnas, the club’s deputy director of Sports.
Previously, the Žalgiris club announced that it had completed the line-up for the next season and signed a contract with the new organizer of the team’s attacks, which became 25-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay, who had signed a one-year contract.
At the 2015 NBA Rookie Exchange, this basketball player from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was named seventh in the Denver Nuggets and spent five seasons in the strongest basketball league in the world.
For almost three years, the player wore a Nuggets jersey, played for a year and a half for the New York Knicks and spent a season with the Utah Jazz team.
Kaunas “Žalgiris” head coach Martin Schiller was happy with the newcomers who joined the team this summer, but the strength and opportunities of the team will become apparent later when the match begins.
According to him, E.Mudiay is probably the most famous surname among them.
What helped persuade you to come to Kaunas?
“I wouldn’t say he needs to be persuaded; he prefers to wait for me to assess his chances of continuing his NBA career. As a result, he was the last to sign the contract. But Emmanuel was very interested in the Euroleague game from the beginning, just I wanted to know what was happening in the market on the other side of the Atlantic.
“The hiring process was slowed down by the fact that the NBA Summer League was held a month later than usual,” explained M. Schiller.
Considering the circumstances, the athletic form of an American is not bad. He worked with a personal trainer, played in the Summer League. So there is no need to worry, it is just a task to prepare it for a long season.
“The first days are dedicated to the knowledge, evaluation of the sport form. So far all the guys look good, and that’s important to me, “said a 39-year-old basketball specialist from Austria.
Speaking about the team’s play in the new season, M. Schiller said he was looking for ways to “expand” the field by attacking from a distance, which is why Tyler Cavanaugh and Niels Giffey were among the first invited basketball players.
Last season, Žalgiris had a big hit, but basketball players rarely threw. The coach would like to be attacked with similar precision this year, but much more frequently.
“We are very happy with the guys on the team, but it will take time to see the results,” said Schiller.
The coach did not want to guess who could become the team’s savior this season, as Marius Grigonis moved often last year when he moved to club CSKA in Moscow.
Will the second season in Kaunas be different for M. Schiller himself?
“I know the team, I know the city, I know the Euroleague, I can help the newcomers myself. Many advantages,” smiled the coach.
Mantas Kalnietis, who returned to Žalgiris, did not hide that it was special equipment for him.
“It just came to our attention then. Žalgiris is the first and probably the last team of my career. I want to give it the maximum benefit possible,” thought the Kaunas resident.
According to him, the “Žalgiris” club creates a sense of family and offers sporting opportunities that few people in Europe have.
M. Kalnietis revealed that only a couple of workouts have been done so far, during which the main focus was physical fitness.
“The legs are still heavy,” smiled M. Kalnietis. His most important personal goal this season is to contribute as much as possible to the successful performance of the team.
According to the basketball player, the team has changed dramatically and its true potential will become apparent during the game.
Meanwhile, Artūras Milaknis, a former team member, said he missed the stands at Žalgiris Arena the most.
“With jealousy, we watched the team perform in June, which was supported by a large number of spectators. We miss them so much, because the empty stands are not fascinating at all, “said A. Milaknis.
According to the basketball player, many newcomers have appeared in the team and it is necessary to wait for the first game to reveal the real picture.
A. Milaknis has no doubt that the Lithuanians who have returned to the team feel well the importance of the name “Žalgiris” and support their motivation to seek victories.
“The welcome in Kaunas was very warm,” shared N. Giffey, who moved from the ALBA club in Berlin, his impressions of the first weeks.
The basketball player would like to improve his individual skills on the field and contribute to the victories of “Žalgiris”, which are very important for the team.
¿N. Giffey have you heard a lot about “Žalgiris” before?
“When I was playing for the Berlin club and we came to Kaunas, the noise in the arena was really incredible,” recalled Žalgiris.
