The specialist who analyzed the reasons for Neptune’s success: “It is an element that can help win the match”

Until the end of the LKL regular season, the teams have only 3-4 games left to play, and the clubs will do this until May 9.

The biggest remaining intrigue in the regular season is how the teams will line up from 4th to 6th place. Juventus of Utena (15/11), “Lietkabelis” of Panevėžys (14/12) and “Neptūnas” of Klaipėda (14/13) are fiercely fighting for these positions.

The quarter-final series will be played up to 2 wins, and the semi-finals and finals will be played up to 3 wins.

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Why is the playoffs a completely different world?

I would say that the most interesting thing now is how the 4th to 6th places will line up in the LKL standings at the end of the regular season. The playoffs themselves will be interesting, as all teams from second to sixth place can qualify for the finals. Of course, Zalgiris, which is the clear leader, should be in the final.

Even Utena’s “Juventus” can enter the finals, since the capacity of this club is not very different from “Neptun” from Klaipėda, “Lietkabel” from Panevėžys, “Wolves” from Vilnius and the same “Ryto” from Vilnius.

It is very interesting who Wolves will play in the quarterfinals. It is practically certain that they will take 3rd place in the regular season, but the battle with the sixth place will certainly not be sweet for them. I imagine that Wolves’ goal is to reach the final and play Zalgiris there, but the difference between 4th and 6th place is certainly not such that Wolves can comfortably see themselves at least in the semi-finals.

One of the happy moments is that “Wolves” gave a chance to young coach Ned Pacevičis, who is a really interesting, up-and-coming coach. He got a chance, but the final evaluation of the coach will depend on the result achieved in the playoffs. The quarter-final series in the LKL championship is very short and here, like last season, psychology can play a role. The regular season is a different set of rules, and the playoffs are a whole other world.

In a short time, you, as a coach, have to show the best result, be a great psychologist, mobilize the team, make small tactical corrections in order to surprise your opponents. You have to be psychologically strong yourself, because everyone follows the coach-leader. If N. Pacevičius passes this exam, and I would like to pass it, it will be nice to have another talented coach.

What’s up with Neptune?

As for “Rytas”, if the club sets the goal for the coach to win the LKL, and a club like “Rytas” should do it, the coach should tell the management what players he needs to achieve this goal. “Rytas” must dominate at least one position in order to compete with “Žalgiris”. If the line of defenders still looks similar, then in the front line “Žalgiris” has a very clear advantage.

Both Vilnius teams, in my eyes, lack strength in the game. They can defeat Žalgiris in individual matches, but winning the series will be a very difficult task.

“Zalgiris” still managed to register rookie Demetre Rivers, who is a player in the 2-3 position. This shows the professionalism of the club. “Zalgiris” wants to do everything in its power to avoid surprises in the LKL playoffs. We know that Arnas Butkevičius and Tomas Dimša are injured and it is not clear when they will return. What if something happens to Edgar Ulanov again? He struggled with leg problems at the end of last season, so the arrival of a new player is the ultimate hedge.

It catches my eye that “Neptūnas” started playing much faster after changing the coach. Basketball players obviously move faster in the attack, there are more deceptions in the game, imitations of barriers. It is difficult for opponents to defend, because they do not know whether Daividas Gailius will go down or stay at the three-pointer. With all due respect to Mindaugas Braziis, who is still a growing coach and has a lot of knowledge, Georgios Vovoras knows more clearly what he wants and communicates it more clearly to the players. Now there is less distraction and more clarity. Too much information can throw a team off balance. Experienced coaches have already refined their offensive and defensive systems and provide players with concentrated material.

Deflections: How Can They Help You Win Basketball Games?

I would also highlight the importance of “deflections” mentioned by G. Vovaras (lit. – hitting the ball while defending). This is a very important detail that can help you win the match. I had an internship with the Dallas Mavericks for several years in a row. Coach Rick Carlisle had written and drawn many things on the board in the locker room, including Deflection. To be honest, I didn’t know what it was until then.

The Mavericks coaches had calculated that if the team made a certain amount of “deflections” during the game, there was a high probability that the game would be won. Dunks throw the opponents out of rhythm, combinations, changing the trajectory of the ball causes a lot of problems for the opponents and disrupts the teams’ offensive plans. When defensive players work not only with their feet but also with their hands, more space is taken up on the field. It was an eye opener for me. Later, while working in Germany, I had introduced a bonus system for offensive rebounds and deflections. The best coaches have their “pearls” and “deflections” is one of those “pearls”.

The coach Oliver Kostićius, who came to Utena, put together a neat basketball and built a competitive team, which so far allows the club to reach the fourth place and home field advantage in the quarter-final series.

Nenad Čanakas managed to stabilize the situation in Panevėžys after an unsuccessful start to the season, but the current equipment does not allow the coach to reach the maximum with “Lietkabel”. A lot will depend on what kind of sports form Džordže Gagićiš will be, whether player Dovis Bičkauskis will be able to recover from his injury.

The Mažeikiai club, which will likely play Rytu in the quarterfinals, did a good job. Taking 7th place in the first season playing in the LKL championship is a solid achievement. Especially knowing the fact that the club does not play its home matches in Mazeikiai, but in Telšiai. It is a club with interesting decisions and it will be interesting to follow it further.

Jonava set the bar very high for herself last year, and this year she is faced with reality. Virginijus Šeškus is a really good coach, but a very common mistake of clubs is signing one-year contracts with players.

In the LKL playoffs, I hope to see a good defense, tactical innovations of coaches, and interesting rotations.

Šarūnas Sakalauskas, specially for the news portal tv3.lt