Ignas Sargiunas has earned positive feedback from Fenerbahce head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius after making an encouraging start to his EuroLeague career with the Turkish champions.
Fenerbahce secured its third victory in as many games on Friday, defeating Dubai Basketball 76-66 in Istanbul. Although Sargiunas contributed a modest 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 17 minutes, his influence went beyond the box score, according to Jasikevicius.
“I think Ignas understands exactly what is asked of him: to come off the bench and give us energy. And he’s giving us exactly that,” Jasikevicius said. “He’s learning a different system. For the last two or three years, he was on one team, and before that he was in American college.
“So things are a little bit new for him, but this is what he needs to do. He needs to come in and bring energy. A lot of times when he comes in, he starts playing all over the place, really at full speed. This is exactly how I envision things – just energy, energy,” Saras continued.
The 27-year-old Lithuanian moved to Istanbul from Rytas Vilnius this summer, agreeing to a two-year deal that includes an option for a third campaign.
So far, Sargiunas has appeared exclusively as a reserve, posting averages of 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across his first three EuroLeague outings.
Jasikevicius believes the guard has already embraced his responsibilities, although maintaining that level of contribution throughout a demanding schedule will be his next challenge.
“Yes, sometimes he can do better, sometimes he can do worse at this point of the season, but the energy is there. He’s really giving us that in this first part of the season. Now let’s see if he can build on it, because with so many games, you need everybody.”
