Zalgiris Kaunas will be a surprise next season
Zalgiris Kaunas will be a surprise next season
Zalgiris Kaunas is one of the most beloved teams in Europe. Having a coach like Sarunas Jasikevicius and a fan base like the one from Zalgirio Arena it’s something special. We all remember what happened two years ago when Zalgiris Kaunas shocked everybody and qualified to the Euroleague Final Four in Belgrade.
However, since then, the Lithuanian team didn’t manage to raise its budget, therefore the roster wasn’t as good as the other teams’. Last year they managed to get into the playoff with a last-minute effort, but they were eliminated by Fenerbahce Bako.
Going into the summer, Zalgiris Kaunas lost some good players: Brandon Davies went to FC Barcelona, Leo Westermann left for Fenerbahce Istanbul, Deon Thompson signed with Unicaja Malaga, Nate Wolters decided to move to Maccabi Tel Aviv, Aaron White was convinced by Ettore Messina to go to Milano, and Lukas Uleckas signed with Prienu Skycop.
However, Sarunas Jasikevicius made some interesting moves. Zalgiris Kaunas added Zach LeDay (Olympiacos), Jock Landale (Partizan Belgrad), Nigel Hayes (LA Clippers), Martinas Geben (Juventus), Lukas Lekavicius (Panathinaikos), and Alexander Kaufmann Perez (Bandirma).
Looking at these names, I think that Zalgiris Kaunas is not as good as last season. Most of these players didn’t have so much playing time so it will take a little bit to get them used with the Euroleague style. Also, Saras will have to work on their chemistry, because it’s always hard when you add six new players.
However, the new additions are all players who are hungry and eager to play. Having a great coach like Sarunas Jasikevicius will be another big plus for the Lithuanian team. That’s why I think that Zalgiris Kaunas can make a big surprise in Euroleague, but we could tell more after we see the team play some games.
*photo: euroleague.net
Zalgiris Kaunas will be a surprise next season
