The Lithuanian national team head coach Kestutis Kemzura agreed to share his thoughts about the team and their opponents for the last time on Lithuanian soil just before boarding the plane to Turkey.
“I wouldn’t be happy if we didn’t make it out of the group stage,” Kemzura was very short about his short-term goals.
About improving:“There’s always something to improve. You can always find details that need be worked on. Our team can’t avoid the ups and downs – especially against stronger opponents. We’ll try to further improve our game in the World Championship and try to avoid the slumps.”
About the first game: “All of the games are important, but the first one is going to set the tone for the whole tournament. New Zealand might not be the favorites of the group, however, they have always been known for their character on the court. This year is no exception. Our first opponents are very good against stronger teams. New Zealand likes to play tough basketball - it’s important that our players understand that no matter what the score is, New Zealand will go all-out.
They don’t have world-class superstars but we could point out Kirk Penney, who’s already well known in Lithuania after playing in Zalgiris. Penney is one of those players who can drop 30 or 40 points in a game. The rest of the team is pretty evenly matched – there are both some young players and also some veterans. Per Cameron, Phillip Jones are in the ‘dangerous’ list alongside Penney.”
About the group: “Our scouts and coaches have been working very well. We collected the video material, which we’re going to bring to Turkey with us. We’re going to take each team seriously - game by game.
The Canadian team is a bit less known for us, but we’ve found some information about them as well. We have plenty of information about Spain. Of course only having the information is never enough. France is without some of their best players but they’re still strong, athletic, fast and talented.
Lebanon is kind of in a shadow and we don’t know much about them – they have a coach who used to work with New Zealand – he’s a great specialist.”
About Kleiza: “Kleiza is one of our leaders and there is some truth in that we’re a bit dependent on his game. Linas is a big part of our game but we’re just as dependent on each and every other player who steps on the court. It’s the team game that settles the score, not individual players.”
