The vice president of Lokomotiv Kuban shared his view on current performance of the club's foreign players and the prospects.
- In what areas do you think Lokomotiv needs to improve first of all now?
- We need to be more aggressive on defense and more organized on both ends of the court.
- How is Tomislav Tomović adapting to the role of head coach of Lokomotiv?
- I see he's engaged in the process, ready to work and show his best. He definitely has ideas and a vision. But changes in the game won't happen overnight. The season is in full swing, and training time is limited. Right now, the work mainly consists of fine-tuning and refining existing systems. But I do see adjustments. We need to give the coach time, and I think everyone will see the results.
- For a couple of months, Patrick Miller hasn't looked like the player who was a regular-season MVP candidate last season. What is happening to him?
- In my opinion, he's hit a bit of a functional and psychological rut after a minor injury that forced him to miss a few games in November. But he's been working hard in training and has a positive attitude. I think there's no doubt he'll return to his previous form.
- Has BJ Johnson reached the level expected of him when he renewed his contract?
- BJ's situation is even more complicated—he's been out of basketball for almost a year. I see how hard he's working to get back to his pre-injury self. While he's still working on regaining his form in some areas, he's already delivering the performance we expect from him in others.
- Do Kassius Robertson and Mike Moore play as the club expects from them?
- As for Robertson, we've been waiting for him to show the qualities we expected when we signed him for quite some time now. He needs to consider why he's been performing that way. Moore joined the team later and is still adapting to what we demand of him as a power forward.
- At one point, Ivan Samoylenko had a good stretch, but in recent games he's been playing quite a few. What's wrong with him?
- My opinion is that it's a question of the coach's trust in a young player. I see Vanya working hard in training, and I wish him all the best, but that's how the coaches see his role today.
- Despite Lokomotiv's obvious rebounding problems, Danil Sheyanov is repeatedly left out of the game. Isn't he ready to help the team now?
- I can say the same as about Samoylenko. Sheyanov works well in training. But today, the coaches' decisions regarding these players are like that, and the lineup in the game is the coaches responsibility.
- Is Kirill Temirov okay? After missing a couple of games, he seems a little out of sorts.
- He's doing well. He works hard in training and consistently brings a lot of energy. In my opinion, he's one of our best defensive players. And I have no doubt he'll prove himself to Tomislav through hard work.
- Lokomotiv had one of their best stretches of the season when Vince Hunter was the only foreign player left on the roster. Why are Russian players getting so little minutes in crucial moments these days?
- I agree that our team played well in the away games against Uralmash and Samara, confidently securing two victories. You see, as a team, we need every one of our players, regardless of nationality, to deliver the best possible performance. At the same time, I understand the fans who want to see more Russian players in crucial moments. But everything must be done fairly, through work in training. There's no doubt that Lokomotiv's future lies with its strong homegrown players. And each of our young players will definitely have a chance to prove themselves. Therefore, I wish them diligence—it will certainly put them on the right track, gradually allowing them to win the competition, and they will become key players for the team.
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