Zalgiris Kaunas head coach Andrea Trinchieri talked to the Lithuanian media in the open practice, and discussed his outlook for the upcoming season and the adjustments the team has made to improve from last year’s performance.
Reflecting on the changes and his mindset going into the new campaign, he explained the motivation driving the team.
“I don't have the crystal ball, and I know that I was very hungry to start the season. The summer gave me a chip on my shoulder. The season didn’t end as we wanted, so it means one thing: we have to go harder and better,” he said, emphasizing a commitment to building a stronger team this season.
When asked about the key differences between this season’s roster and last year’s, the coach highlighted the physicality and versatility of the new players.
He stressed that the team’s focus wasn’t just on size but on the ability to compete effectively.
“We brought in a lot of physical players. Physical doesn’t mean a lot of big guys, and I want to see how they function on the court,” he noted.
He went on to describe his approach to navigating the EuroLeague free agency market, using a vivid metaphor to illustrate his strategy.
“Let’s compare the EuroLeague market free agency to the sea: there are big sharks, big fish, and small fish. I know that I cannot be a white shark, but I don’t want to be eaten like a small fish. So, I have to go for something a little bit different. I want to be a very quick fish, so maybe the big shark won’t eat me so easily. I need to be very creative and think out of the box,” he explained.
Discussing the goals for Zalgiris this season, the coach made it clear that the expectations remain high, with a focus on continuous improvement and achieving strong results in both the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague.
“Every year is the same, every year I won’t be different,” he stated.
He reiterated his desire for the team to perform better in the LKL and to compete for a top-ten finish in the EuroLeague.
“We want to do better in LKL; that means there is only one thing that we have to do. We want to compete in order to be in the first ten teams of the EuroLeague,” he added.
Finally, the coach outlined the main idea behind the roster construction and his vision for the team’s style of play.
He described a strategy focused on energy and versatility, with an emphasis on having a deep roster that can maintain high energy levels throughout the season.
“I try to divide the roster in three areas: guards, wings, and bigs. The roster is made with a lot of guards, a lot of wings, and not a lot of bigs. My main goal is that my team will have the opportunity to display energy game night in, night out, play with a lot of energy,” he concluded.
