By Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – Lithuania is set for a EuroBasket quarterfinal clash against Greece, and the team is focused on one thing: playing as a unit.
Jonas Valančiūnas, the Denver Nuggets center and Lithuania’s star big man, spoke to the media in Riga ahead of the showdown, emphasizing preparation, team identity, and the challenges posed by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After a full day of preparation, Valančiūnas said Lithuania has a clear plan but acknowledged the difficulty of stopping one of the best players in the world.
“We spent two days—actually one full day—preparing for the Greek national team. They’re a good team with weapons, especially as a shooting team. They have Giannis, who’s very strong individually, so we have to do a good job. We prepared, we have a game plan, and tomorrow we’ll show it,” Valančiūnas said.
He did not want to reveal how Lithuania plans to stop Giannis.
“I’m not going to tell you. That’s the game plan,” Valančiūnas said. “Every team has its own style of play, and we have ours too. We’re going to go out there and use our strengths.”
Valančiūnas also highlighted Greece’s experience and three-point shooting.
“They’re a good three-point shooting team, and they’re knocking down the threes. They also have a lot of experience and players who know how to play these kinds of games, so we have to avoid mistakes, eliminate easy points, and do a good job on defense and offense.”
Regarding Lithuania’s point guard situation after the misfortune with Rokas Jokubaitis, Valančiūnas said:
“What else can we do? We have 11 guys, and we miss him big time. We need the same performance or even more from everyone tomorrow. Our strength is the team, the team play. We all know our roles, and we just have to go out there, support each other, and play hard basketball for 40 minutes. That’s our identity.”
Valančiūnas also shared his opinion on the potential of extended rosters in international competitions.
“It’s not my power to decide; I’m still a player. I’m looking forward to the games and doing what I can to help. You feel a loss when a guy goes down, not just emotionally but also in terms of the roster, and that might make a difference.”