Ramūnas Butautas interview

[TalkBasket]

Lietuvos rytas daily published interview with Lithuania NT head coach Ramunas Butautas. Original text here.

- Do you miss that electric chair in which Lithaunia NT coaches have to sit in?

- I do. I am already thinking about next summer. Quite often I think about NT play, tactics, preparation camps. I try to think what players will represent the team. I keep a contact with all the players from the NT. I spoke with Robertas Kuncaitis (assistant coach) and he said that he is waiting for summer too. I constantly speak with Rimas Kurtinaitis, Lithuanian basketball federation headquarters, we all coordinate our plans and don't leave those things forgotten.

- What is the first thing that you remember when thinking about Eurobasket in Spain?

- The first thing i remember is a loss against Russia in the semi-final. We had an opportunity to play in the final and rise above at least by one palce. I often think why we failed to do that.

I remember a constant tension and quarter final game against Croatia when the luck smiled to us. But they say the luck is on the strongest side. We were really lucky that Croatia missed those free-throws. Of course I remember the night when we won bronze and the fans delight.

It is very important that we qualified for the olympics without additional qualifying tournament. I try to avoid sentiments but it's always a pleasure to remember when before the end of the final we went outside arena and we met a group of Lithuanian fans and they got down on their marrowbones instead of us. I will never forget this.

- You didn't take a single record with Lithuania's matches in Eurobasket to Riga. Haven't you watched a single match yet?

- I don't have the records. I spoke with NT scout Donaldas Kairys. He has all the records.

ASK Riga schedule is very tight. We play every three days so I have to analyze our and our opponents game, prepare for the games. As much as I wanted I wouldn't find the time to watch Eurobasket games.

- There are less than 8 months until Olympics. Is it much or little?

- I think there's something else to worry about. Olympics start on the August 8th whiel Greek and Italian championships finish at the end of June. NT will have only a month to get fresh, charge the batteries and make a game plan. However, I hope to see a few new faces in the NT and that will force us to change our defensive and attacking tactics. We'll have an incredibly little time to do that.

- You'd prefer if Olympics will start in September just like Eurobasket?

- I guess no coach would say that it is good to play in August. Everyone wants to have more time to prepare for the games. Olympics are exceptionally important event.

- Your father Stepas Butautas won silver in 1952 Helsinki Olympics. What do Olympics mean to you?

- Olympics were very important for my father. He used to remember the games often. Especially when there was a real chance to win gold because USSR lost to Americans only in end of the game. He has told me even about warm up: Americans could easily touch the ceiling by jumping from their standing position while USSR players had to run and jump and could touch the ceiling only with their fingertips.

I think that for a coach and for a player Olympics is top of their career. We will be going for medals in Beijing and I will do everything to achieve that.

- LKF (Lithuanian Basketball Federation) decided to start the training camp on June 20th. How many players do you expect to have in the first training camp?

- In the first training camp we'll have only those players whose championships will be over in May or in the beginning of June. They'll have some time witout basketball so they'll start preparing earlier. The hardest job will be to join the rest of the players. Players are psychologically tired after the season, you have to miss basketball, to rest from it but next year there will be no time for that.

- So the full squad will have only a few weeks of training?

- There are still 8 months until Olympics and it's too early to guess what will happen. All I know is that all the NT members declared their wish to play in Olympics and that delights me. We had a really great collective in Eurobasket and I have no doubt that it helped us to win a ticket to Beijing. I am optimistic about the future but we have to wait.

- Arvydas Macijauskas told that after a good game you congratulate him, you communicate via SMS. Is he a player that you missed most in Eurobasket?

- I am sure he would strengthen the team. A player of such style and skill is wanted by any team. His huge contract with Olympiacos confirms that. I am glad about his great form and determination. And his quotes in media about Olympics delights me.

- Do you keep contact with Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas?

- I haven't spoken with him this season yet. New Year is coming and I will congratulate every player. I will also call to Zydrunas.

- Maybe you already see a player who could equally substitute Sarunas Jasikevicius in the NT?

- There is no second Jasikevicius, for sure. He is a basketball talent. His fighting spirit and sacrificing for the team makes him a unique player. I don't know if we have another player like him ever again. Sarunas raised the standard for all the player on the court. Now everything is measured according him. All I can say is that Lithuania is a basketball country and we'll have talents in the future. But in the nearest reserves I can't see second Jasikevicius.

- Do you closely follow NT players in their clubs?

- I have bougth a satelite in Riga so I can see lots of games. I watch Olympiacos, Montepaschi, CSKA Moscow, Unics Kazan matches - if I see that a Lithuanian player is playing, I always watch.

- This year Arturas Jomantas and Marijonas Petravicius are playing very well in the Euroleague. Are these players among candidates for the NT?

- I wanted to see them in the training camps this year already and I have invited them, but because of different reasons they couldn't come. At the moment the level of their play is the one that I imagined. But we have to wait for the summer first.

- How to find a place for all the stars in Lithuanian "Dream Team"? Who will lose a place in teh team?

- That's a problem but it's pleasing to me. It is really hard for the coach when you have to leave a good player outside the team. On the other hand every coach dreams about large choice. We have to wait until season ends. Dream are not a real thing. The history shows that unexpected things can turn everything upside down.

- Will there be 12 players preparing for the Olympics with second team training nearby, like this year?

- We have one opinion that the second team is needed so we are going to continue training that way. We couldn't fullfil all our plans last summer because of university games. Next year we'll try to do everything as planned: train together and send players from one team to another. Second team will go to tournaments (frinedly) because there will be more offers than we need before Olympics. We also have to think about 2011 Eurobasket and 2012 Olympics. It doesn't matter wether I'll still be the head coach but I can't leave an empty space. So we will be taking care of new generation. At the moment I have 25 players on the list. I am going to add a few more young players. The most important positions are center and point guard.

- The preparation plan is clear but not all opponents in friendly games are known. Are you waiting for the draw?

- The draw will be made very late - only in April. The preparation must be planned earlier. So we will have to risk and make decisions before the draw ceremony. A few weeks ago we refused to play in friendly tournament in Macau where we could face USA and Russia because those teams will be among main rivals in the fight for the medals. That's enough - we already lost against Russia once.

- So that means that Russians will not come to Vilnius to play traditional Federations supercup?

- If we refused to play in Macau, then we won't play against them in Lithuania either.

- Is there another tournament planned before Olympics in Asia?

- I spoke with LKF general secretary Mindaugas Balčiūnas and suggested to organize a tournament in Asia by ourselves because we will have to acclimatize there. If we can arrange tournaments in Vilnius or Kaunas, why couldn't we do that in Asia too? You rent training base, hotels, invite the teams and you're done. But we have lots of suggestions and offers so there are no final decisions yet.

- But the plans to play series of games in Spain will not be changed?

- We will definatelly fly to Spain. We'll play twice against Spain and Angola.

- How much time it will take to acclimatize in Asia?

- We plan to fly there 10 days before the games start, even though the doctors recommend to fly there 14 days before the games. We think that it would be to much. Two weeks before the Olympics and then 3 weeks in Olympics could depress the players psychologically. The optimal choice is to go 8-10 days before the games.

- Lithuania NT usually reach its best form later, when the main games start. Aren't you afraid of losses in friendly games like it happened this summer?

- I can honestly say that it is unpleasant to remember those losses against Latvia and Sweden. But they were natural, because all the coaches changed in the NT, players gathered after not playing together for a long time. The time was needed to revive the connections. The defense and offense changed and we had to overcome painful times. We had to defeat Swedes and Latvian even when playing poorly, but we failed. It is still unpleasant. In Latvia I am constantly reminded that they deafeated us. That offends me. I think that next year we won't have to make such experiments like we did last summer. But if Ilgauskas and Macijauskas play, we will inevitably have to amend our tactics.

- LKF president, Vladas Garastas, has told that there is a trip to USA planned to meet Lithuanian players that play in the NBA. Who will go there?

- I was offered to go but my schedule at the club is so tight that I can't leave the club. But somebody will definatelly will go there.

- All 3 NT coaches are busy with the clubs. Do you plan to invite more peopel to help?

- We can't invite new people because the team can take no more than 20 people to Olympics. That means that there is no place for the second doctor and second scout. 12 players, 3 coaches, physio, two massagists, doctor and a scout will go to Beijing.

- Does the coach of continental medalists feel the pressure? Lithuania won 3 brones and once finished 4th in the Olympics. In LKF meeting there was a task confirmed - to play for the medals.

- Al my work is pressure. I chose this profession and I know where and why I am going. It would be ridicilous if I say that it would be good to take 6th place. To win medals - it is a difficult task, but we are a part of basketball world's elite and we have give ourselves the highest tasks.