Sport Weekend | Alexey Karvanen: Spartak spirit will be revealed in team play

26.07.2010 BC “Spartak” sports director gave an exclusive interview to the “Sport Weekend” reporter in which he talked about the team’s latest acquisitions and season preparation plans.
Following Russian basketball players Anton Ponkrashov and Vladimir Dyachok, Stephane Lasme, a Gabon citizen who graduated from an American university and played the last two seasons for the European League teams – “Partizan” Belgrade and “Maccabi” Tel Aviv -  has signed contract with “Spartak”. The question about this player was the one with which we started our interview.

-In the European League applications Lasme was identified as a central player while on “Spartak” official website he is represented as number four…
- Lasme doesn’t have stability in middle and long distance shots. His strong points are his jumping ability and playing under backboard. He can become indispensable for team rotation by substituting Miha Zupan, for instance. The Slovenian may in his turn take the positions of numbers four and five.

- Aren’t you disturbed by the fact that after the great season in Belgrade the Gabonian player didn’t manage to show his best in Tel Aviv?
- During last season many great players were not noticeable in “Maccabi”. I will not go into details of the Israeli club’s internal problems though the fact that they have replaced their main coach Pini Gershon with David Blatt tells a lot. 
- Can we say that this summer’s selection work is finished and “Spartak” team is completed?
- No, we can’t, we still have one vacancy. We are currently holding negotiation with a player well known both in Russia and in Europe, who is also an aim of other our clubs. If we manage to get him then we will be able to say that “Spartak” team is completed for the season.

- Won’t there be any problems in communicating with the congenitally deaf Slovenian player?
- It didn’t prevent Miha from getting into his country’s national team that takes leading positions in European basketball. Zupan always emphasizes: “I’m just like other guys except I don’t hear”. He passed medical examination in “Spartak” and there were no communication problems. Miha uses special device and after a certain period of adaptation he will be able to communicate to his partners in a normal way. He understands English and tries to make the others feel that he is an ordinary guy.

- After the season ended Zvi Sherf emphasized that he would pay special attention to potential newcomers’ health. Doesn’t it contradict the fact that after Goran Suton left the team you signed the contract with Vladimir Dyachok who is prone to injuries?
- Suton had to leave the team not because he spent a lot of time undergoing treatment in America during last season. He just didn’t fit into Sherf’s coaching concept. Nowadays he has signed a contract with an Intalian team of the “A” series. Dyachok showed good results in “Yenisey” during last season. His career in CSKA and Khimki was not successful not because of the injuries, it’s just that in elite clubs he was doomed to sitting on the far end of the bench. If he had realized it earlier and moved to a team of “Spartak” or “Lokomotiv-Kuban” level, today he would have been able to be in a national team.

- Can we say the same about Anton Ponkrashov?
- On the one hand his talent can bring him a lot. On the other hand Anton rarely shows his talent in full. There were few matches like EuroBasket – 2007 final in his career. Ponkrashov’s returning to “Spartak” is his conscious decision. He joins the coach under whose guidance he can improve his abilities and the team in which, given his duly attitude, he will have enough playing time. 

- Many people doubt this as there is Levans Fields ready to play 40 minutes in each game and the negotiation is being held with another famous player. Will there be time for Ponkrashov and Kolesnikov?
- Fields played for 40 minutes in the last season not because he liked it. This was a necessity as we there was no backup player for our playmaker. In spite of Kolesnikov’s last statements I don’t think Yevgeniy can become a playmaker. Given his duly attitude he can become a great number two. I’m sure both Russian players and league players will have enough playing time. Especially provided that in the forthcoming season “Spartak” will have more official games.

- Is Dijon Thompson who has signed a contract with Saint-Petersburg club better than James White in terms of guard?
- He will be more useful for our team. White didn’t have constant motivation to show one hundred percent of his abilities in the games for “Spartak”.  That was his main problem. Having been trained by the NBA school White sometimes tried to perform some show elements to the detriment of team play. Tompson’s level of guard play is much higher.

- Is Petar Popovic able to replace a Serbian central player Milovan Rakovic?
- This player played for good Spanish clubs and his country’s national team in the Olympic games-2004. Popovic says that it is very important for him to play in a country that is close to his one in its mentality. I hope he will fit in “Spartak” team.

- After the end of the season the team lost Anton Yudin and Zakhar Pashutin who personified the spirit of “Spartak”. Whom do you see now as a keeper of “Spartak” traditions?
- Spartak traditions should be revealed in the team play. I don’t think any person can keep them alone. We should use our play to prove what a team from Saint-Petersburg, though not the richest one, can do.

- Are the new season preparation plans ready?
- Here we will follow the traditions. In the beginning of August Sherf will return to Saint-Petersburg, and then after about August, 10 the players will start arriving. Since August 18 till August 26 there will be a training camp in Finland where one important game is planned. Spartak players will play a lot in Italian Bormio where the team will stay since August 29 till September 14. We have planned 8 sparrings for the second training camp. At the end of September we will play at “Yubileyny” in the Vladimir Kondrashin and Aleksandr Belov Cup.

Boris KHODOROVSKY