Igor Grischuk:
Respect Earned by the Dragons

Tsmoki-Minsk, a team from Belarus, didn’t exactly perform as a top tier squad, but at the season’s end a number of hopefuls jostling for Play-off positioning rolled into Minsk for some sure-to-get points, only it wasn’t meant to be. Highly motivated Astana, Kalev and Bisons teams have all left Belarus capital with a bitter taste of disappointment.

Coach Igor Grischuk’s battle-tested and scrappy squad managed to add the necessary pieces in the off-season and are ready again to make some noise!

In an exclusive interview we asked Tsmoki-Minsk’s head coach to share his thoughts on the last season, club’s transfers, a man who came from nowhere Justin Gray, veteran Aleksandr Kudryavtsev, young talent from Belarus and hopes for the new year in the League.

What was your impression on your debut year in the VTB United League?
First of all, let me say how I was impressed with the level of competition in the League. I realized I was up for a tough challenge before I signed with Minsk. After being here I can now say that this has to be one of the toughest leagues on the continent, on par with the Spanish and Turkish championships. I think working here has allowed me to take a step forward in my career.

Which of the games that you’ve coached Tsmoki-Minsk left the longest-lasting impression on you?
In the second half of the season we won a few straight games on our home floor, but I would have to say a road game in Krasnodar against Locomotiv left the longest impression. We lost that game, but our players felt what it is like to be holding their own against one of the tougher teams not only in our League, but also in all of Europe. The Dragons showed their character, earned their respect in a matchup against a tough opponent.

Talk about how you picked your spots on the transfer market this summer.
This is simple. Our team has one of the most modest budgets in United VTB League, so we can’t position ourselves as wholesale buyers or superstar hunters. Therefore, we really have to make quality signings and remember every penny counts, not just get players in the bundle and hope something works out.
Also, we have made it one of our top team’s priorities to nourish our local talent by giving them the best possible chance to raise the level of their game. Before we look for a player on the transfer market, we want to take a good look at a local youth team prospect.

What sort of impact do you expect from two newly acquired foreign players – Garrett Stutz and Anthony Hillard?
Garrett will make us stronger inside. He’s as powerful as he is experienced underneath the basket, we expect him to rebound for us and control the painted area. As for Anthony, we were familiar with his style of play from watching him play for the Bisons, and we needed to add a player of his caliber, who possesses his set of skills – ability to run a fast break, and a quality player in the post, who can take his defender one-on-one when he needs to.

Would you say Justin Gray was the team’s most surprising and valuable addition last year? He seemingly came out of nowhere in the middle of the season and developed into one of the team’s leaders.
It may seem as if he came out of nowhere to the general public, but I was familiar with Gray and was aware of how good he was back in my days coaching the Polish Anvil. He impressed me right away and I’ve never seen him play below his abilities. Therefore it was a no brainer for me, and we jumped on an opportunity to add him to our squad.

Let’s talk about the upcoming season. How will Tsmoki play?
We will give our best effort in every game we step out on the floor, this we owe to our fans. I think our style of play matches up really well with the personnel that we have on this team.

What role is reserved for a 35 year old Aleksandr Kudryavtsev, a long time team veteran and a true symbol of Tsmoki-Minsk?
Sasha is a reliable player who fits our system really well. I think he will even add more value to our team playing alongside our newest additions – Stutz and Hillard.

What sort of outlook do the young players from Belarus on the team have?
Both Zhenya Belyankov and Sergei Kozlov are without a doubt players with a lot of talents, but to materialize that potential they both have to work their hardest in practice and the official games.

Have you set any particular goals for your team yet?
I always tell the guys to leave it all on the floor. If you give that kind of effort in games, the wins will come. You have to give everything you have to your team until the sound of the final buzzer, that much we owe to our fans.