Luka Šamanić: "Everything starts with playing good defense"
— Great team win. We had 28 assists and shared the ball well. I think everything starts with playing good defense — offense comes much easier after that. We did a great job.
— In recent games, the team has been allowing significantly fewer points — around 50 per game. What has changed defensively, especially in pick-and-roll coverage?
— I cannot say everything. We are just playing with much more energy. The coach came in, and we all bought into it together. I think now we take much more pride in playing defense.
— Zenit are about to face a five-game stretch against teams from the lower part of the standings. Are games like these a better way to understand the coach’s philosophy, or is it something that’s more accurately tested against teams like CSKA and Lokomotiv?
— I think every team is a good team and we have to take the serious from Samara to Enisey. We cannot think about Loko or CSKA, we go game by game. Big teams are gonna come eventually, but until them we have to win every game and to try play as a team.
— Luka, how well do you already understand your role within the coach’s system and philosophy? And how different does it feel compared to what you had before?
— I just need to play defense, and offensively we need to play as a team. One night I can do more on offense, but everything starts with defense. That’s the main idea the coach brought in.
