Andrey Vorontsevich: "Respect for the opponent, but focus on our own game"

Zenit forward Andrey Vorontsevich commented ahead of the VTB United League Round 32 matchup, which will take place tomorrow, March 14, in Krasnoyarsk. The game against Enisey will tip off at 12:00 St. Petersburg time.

— Zenit is currently on an eight-game winning streak in the VTB United League. Does the team pay attention to that?

— Of course everyone notices things like that. But I think our focus is more on our own growth and progress, because there’s still a lot we can improve and strive for. This is our path with a new system and new coaches. Players are joining the team, and we understand that we need to adapt quickly and make decisions quickly. Naturally, we keep working on our game — both on offense and defense.

— This will be our fourth meeting with Enisey this season. The home games in winter ended in our favor, but we remember the loss in Krasnoyarsk in November. What can you say about the opponent’s current form?

— We’ll see soon enough. The most important thing is the condition we are in. We have great respect for Enisey and for any opponent. We also know that it’s never easy to play in Krasnoyarsk — the time difference, a good arena, and warm, active fans. Their team has been performing well this season, and as you mentioned, we did lose to them. That shows that if we relax even a little, the opponent can turn the game in their favor. So with respect for the opponent but focus on our own game, we’re flying there to play and fight for the win.

— Egor Ryzhov, who is playing for the Krasnoyarsk team on loan, has been in great form and is now the second-leading scorer on their team. Is there an ideal plan to stop him?

— To play our game and follow the instructions given by the coach. Of course, we have to pay attention to every player, not just Ryzhov. As I said, they have a well-balanced roster, and anyone can score or run the floor. There isn’t a single player there who doesn’t know how to play basketball. If you underestimate someone, they can score 20 points on you, and then you start wondering what you did wrong. From the very first minutes we need to play with full concentration and fight for every possession, every ball, and every rebound.