Everyone wants to win. Sarunas Jasikevicius needs it. With him leading Fenerbahce into a Euroleague Basketball playoff series again Monaco, Emmet Ryan on the fiery coach determined to prove his way works
There’s no shortage of places where Sarunas Jasikevicius is loved. That’s not the debate. The question for the former player who has rapidly risen in the coaching ranks is whether his way can bring the ultimate success. With Fenerbahce as slight underdogs in the Euroleague Basketball playoff series with Monaco, there’s an opportunity to send a message to his critics.
This rise was something else
Players turning into quality coaches isn’t a surprise. Rapid rises aren’t all that strange. Zeljko Obradovic is an obvious example in Europe. Still, the speed with which Sarunas Jasikevicius went from starting as a coach to being an in-demand commodity isn’t normal.
While he’s a decade retired from playing, it was the guts of two years before he became a head coach. Jasikevicius got going in a hurry, turning around a Zalgiris Kaunas side that wasn’t exactly scaring anyone in Euroleague Basketball. With one of the lowest budgets in the competition he brought them to the 2018 Final Four.
That wasn’t normal and he was in demand, not just in Europe. Jasikevicius was linked with NBA jobs. Instead, with plenty of suitors, he eventually took over a FC Barcelona team that was ready to spend. The marriage started out beautifully but ended in an ugly separation last summer. This despite winning the Spanish championship days before his departure.
You know what you get
Sarunas Jasikevicius is known for matching his gregarious manner with his intensity as a head coach. The thing about intensity is that the level is rarely the issue. The flavour is and that taste just wasn’t sitting right with everyone that works with him.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t people willing to try. The table however wasn’t exactly clear for Saras last summer. Panathinaikos, a club where he is beloved, had already chosen Ergin Ataman. Maccabi Tel Aviv, a place where he is remembered even more fondly than Barcelona for his playing days, was in no hurry to change. They also didn’t look likely to spend at the level he’d want. Top jobs simply weren’t there.
Fortunately, this is Euroleague Basketball. People get fired, even at contenders. That’s what happened to Dimitris Itoudis at Fenerbahce in December and that’s when the Turkish giants opted to jump on the Jasikevicius train. He had a chance, mid-season, to do something magical.
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A promising early report card with one big but
There were a lot of issues that are complex and, frankly, boring that led to the end of Sarunas Jasikevicius at FC Barcelona. The one that matters most was that, despite their early spending, he couldn’t deliver a Euroleague Basketball championship. Real Madrid, despite losing the finals series last summer to the Blaugrana, still seemed to have their number when it came to the highest honour.
In Turkey with Fenerbahce, there’s a different flavour to the pressure but it’s still clear enough. Contend for the big title and prove you hold the power over Anadolu Efes. The Turkish Cup didn’t help, with Fener losing the final to Efes. In both Euroleague and the BSL, Jasikevicius and his charges went down at home in consecutive outings at the start of this month.
There have been highs for Fenerbahce under Sarunas Jasikevicius but they are in for a fight against AS Monaco in the Euroleague playoffs.
That former result was crucial in Fenerbahce missing out on home court advantage in the playoffs. Still, Fenerbahce made it to the big dance whereas Efes fell in the first play-in game. Jasikevicius has also made his side look more varied in its approach. Last season was a strong playoff run but leaned too heavily on two few ballers. Jasikevicius has made Fener tougher to unlock. There is no inevitability in their games. Well, aside from Jasikevicius getting fired up.
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His way has to work
There will be more opportunities for Sarunas Jasikevicius if things don’t work out at Fenerbahce. That’s not going to comfort him in the slightest. While only 48 years of age, he is desperate to make that breakthrough and win the top prize. If doing things the Saras way can make a team the kings of Euroleague Basketball, even once, it sets a tone for the rest of his coaching career.
It will make more sides willing to accept the risks that come with an unfamiliar flavour of intensity, both in Europe and beyond. The Saras way will be considered a viable one for success. He’s still an extremely in demand commodity on this side of the Atlantic but the NBA overtures have faded somewhat.
Leading this Fenerbahce side, one far less fancied than the great teams Obradovic had, to Berlin would be a big breakthrough. Getting it all the way, which would clearly be against the odds, might even surpass getting his Zalgiris side to the last weekend of the season in 2018.
There’s an emotional investment made when you sign someone like Jasikevicius as your head coach. A form of acceptance of the stress to come. Still, you love it because he is so easy to love. A successful Saras is good for basketball, for the vibes if nothing else.
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