Tanjevic: “NBA coaches don’t understand,” “Kanter has forgotten how to play”

August 21, 2012

Not to fan the flames of debate here at BallinEurope or anything … a few particularly incendiary comments made by former Limoges/Asvel Villeurbanne head coach and current Team Turkey technical coordinator Bogdan Tanjevic were first reported on Italy-based La Gazzetta dello Sport and subsequently picked up by Sportando and France-based Passion Basket, among others. We can easily surmise that Tanjevic won’t be offered a job by Utah Jazz Basketball Inc. any time soon…

On Enes Kanter not playing on the national team in 2012, Tanjevic said that “He is a great talent and we miss him a lot. He decided not to join us but honestly, he needs us more than we need him. He has not played or trained with us in the past three years. I [also] had to replace [Kerem] Gonlum, who was on holiday with his family. Without Kanter, it will be a little more difficult but I think we’ll be able to get into EuroBasket 2013.”

But Tanjevic also sees a problem with dependence on NBA stars at all – namely, the coaches. Was he surprised when Kanter declined to play with Team Turkey? “I’m not surprised at all … America is the perfect place to lose your head. Firstly, because the coaches [there] do not understand. In the NBA, there are just three or four coaches who have been there for 100 years, making billions and winning trophies. Others are weak. Including [Utah Jazz head coach] Tyrone Corbin…

“I should have told him that I was going him to do a great service by teaching one of its basketball players and he could have earned money on it. But I don’t want to talk to guys who do not know what they are doing. Kanter has forgotten how to play basketball. He will never be a center but he always starts with his back to the basket. As a power forward, this would be devastating. He’s 2.10 meters tall and [could be] the best shooter on the Turkish team, backcourt included. But in the NBA, he never takes a shot.”

Aug 21, 2012ballineurope

This post was published on August 21, 2012

Comments: 31

Gabe Is a Troll
12 years ago
NBA coaches are almost all xenophobes. They clearly have a bias against foreign players.

Greece 101 – USA A Team 95
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- Gabe
  12 years ago
  Yes that explains Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Ginobli, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Al Horford, etc….
  
  Nigeria 80 – Greece A Team 79
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huh
12 years ago
“He has not played or trained with us in the past three years” – not true, he played at the Eurobasket last year. The Turks are still v.strong up front regardless, and Kanter may well be better off working with the Jazz staff at this early point in his career.
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Zoran
12 years ago
Gabe is a typical American trash scumbag.
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- Gabe
  12 years ago
  Typical American trash scumbag who is celebrating the USA’s 3rd straight FIBA gold medal that is! Woohooo! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!…….Nigeria!!!!
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DallasTexasSaqartvelo
12 years ago
The Turkish coach sounds like someone who lost to a team of NBA players in the World Cup championship game and did not qualify for the Olympics…. which was also won by a team of NBA players……

Also, Spanoulis is not better than most NBA players, seeing as he was at one point an NBA player, and he was one of the worst players in the league.
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DallasTexasSaqartvelo
12 years ago
Here is his NBA stat line….

2.7 points and 0.9 assists in 8.8 minutes per game, on 31.9% field goal shooting (17.2% from behind the 3-point line
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DallasTexasSaqartvelo
12 years ago
whoops, wrong thread for spanoulis argument… sorry, i’ll repost in the right one.
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PiZita
12 years ago
Respect to te great teacher of Dejan Bodiroga,etc…etc…
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Vincent
12 years ago
when Kanter wasn’t allowed to play at Kentucky, he should have went back to Europe for 1 or 2 years and then came to the NBA
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mike
12 years ago
There are some good international coaches(David Blatt), but more often than not, they are not NBA caliber. Look at the Spanish coach Scariol(wrong spelling, I know) . He left Marc Gasol in the game in the 2nd quarter of the gold medal game when he picked up his 4th foul. That just might have been enough to cost Spain the game in the 2nd half.

Many coaches also have weird substitution patterns, where they sometimes play unknown bench players over their stars in crucial parts of the game, even at the end game. Never could understand that. If I was going down, I would always choose to go down with my best players.

I admit I don’t watch enough European basketball to know this, but these coaches seem to value offensive skills like shooting too much over defensive skills like shot blocking, ball pressure, man to man defense, and even stealing the ball. These coaches seem to just teach flopping. The favorite defensive tool of these Euro softies.

In the international tournaments, at least, no team exerts defensive pressure like the US does. All these zones seems to have driven these coaches into complacency with finding athletic, and defensive oriented players. Kirilenko is an exception, of course. However, my observation seems generally true to me

Sometimes we just overate these foreign players and coaches just because they do well in one short tournament where their weaknesses haven’t been properly scouted. When they get to the grind of an 82 game NBA season under the full glare of the lights, the warts are all discovered. Look at Spanoulis. He went crying home to mommy!
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- fan@ball
  12 years ago
  Regarding NBA coaches I completely agree. Majority of NBA coaches play established patterns. It is almost completely predictable, you would know exactly what amount of time each player plays if there were no foul troubles. If you are a bench player and you play a game of your life you will still play your allotted time and not a minute more if the starter is fit. They have their heads stuck into stats and spreadsheets. Concept “starter” is non existent in Euro.
  On the other hand to be honest International couches have much more to work with and more options in terms of tactics due to less restrictions in the FIBA game than the dumbed down NBA game.
  The reason there are no Euro coaches in the NBA is fear they would disrupt it. NBA is in essence an advertising company. The rules(illegal D, hand check,…) are made to promote individuals into superstars so they can become icons and sell lots of stuff. FIBA basketball is much more team minded and less focus on individual. A team minded Euro coach would stifle superstar production and god forbid if he becomes successful. If you would put someone like Pesic there, he would turn it upside down.
  About Kanter. In the NBA they are craving for Shaq type players, playing down low shooting high percentage shots, again the game of statistics. When ever they get a 7 footer they try to make him a heavy low post C. They are trying it with Kanter, they already did it with Milicic (who should have been a PF). Go low and dunk. I don’t think 7 ft shouldn’t go to the NBA before 24, before they establish a game that suits them the best, and Euro coaches are much better for it. Especially coaches like Tanjevic who nurture young players. If they go early I think Euro players should spend as much as they can in their national teams to improve their game.
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mike
12 years ago
fan@ball. So I am right there is a real difference of opinion about substitution patterns between American and European coaches. You are correct that being predictable might make it easier on the opposing team, but being more predictable also helps your star players, and your bench players, because going into the game, as a player, you know what to expect mentally. This is where we differ, any supposed advantage in being unpredictable is nullified by mentally preparing your own players.

For example, look at the 2010 USA B team that won the World Cup. Everyone knew Durant was the man who would get the basketball at the most important times, and would also play the most minutes. If a European coached team USA that year, would he still play a “team” game? Spread the wealth around basketball, like maybe benching Durant in certain games, and going with Rudy Gay as a starter in one game because of a hunch? If he did that, would Durant have gotten so hot, and even score a high of 38 points in one game? Coach K figured that he would build his team around Durant, and it worked like a charm, obviously. In the US, we ride our horses, and we know who the thoroughbreds are.

Now, I’m not saying Americans have nothing to learn from Euros in terms of a team game. My own Sixers’ coach, Doug Collins, doing color commentary for NBC during the Olympics, raved about how well coached the Lithuanian team was. In general, the lesser your talent, the more of a “team” game you must play, and this past year, the Sixers were greater than the sum of their parts, since we didn’t have any superstars on our team. The Sixers played a “team” game for the most part, but this year, with Andrew Bynum, the Sixers will go inside first.

I don’t agree that the NBA is a “dumbed” down version of basketball relying on spreadsheets and the like. The limitations on zone defenses in the NBA present their own challenges, and different defensive strategies are implemented to counteract highly explosive, and far more athletic players in the NBA. In other leagues, the lack of athletic talent is clearly visible, and basic zone defenses suffice.

I don’t know what league you’re watching, but the NBA has not been a just a post up league in some time. Since the zone defense was allowed in 2002, seven footers, with the Europeans as the main influence, are stepping up more and more outside the 3 point arc. The US team that won the 2012 Olympics was a 3 point shooting team with no real center. This completely contradicts your view that American coaches just want interior play from their big men. Post up play from big men in the NBA is increasingly a lost art, but this is a shame. This is why that when a player emerges with the potential, American coaches are looking to find the next great big man. A great big man still doesn’t grow on trees. Milicik seemed to have all the tools, but something was lacking, mentally and with his desire perhaps. I never like Larry Brown, and he screwed Milicik’s development too.

Anyway, this is a good debate. A worthy one, unlike much of the Euronuts who constantly post inane views.
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fan@ball
12 years ago
In Europe you also play your “starters” more than your bench players. But it is less of a difference. The euro coaches want to keep intensity constant, there are no lulls like like in an NBA game(the 2nd quarter, end of 3rd beginning of 4th). So the player stints are shorter.

In 2010 Durant was just unstoppable. His game also translates great to intl. game. In intl. it is much harder to penetrate and play low post because of the more crowded paint. And his perimeter game is just brilliant. I think nothing would have slowed him down. I was actually hoping for USA-Serbia final and to see it Bjelica and Keselj with their length could have stopped him, but…

With “dumbed down” I was thinking about the game itself during the season. Every attack usually reverts to a isolation or a 2 on 2, penetration and finish or penetration and kick out. The rules allow for this extra space for the attacker. The ball movement is a bit limited. And the no D run and gun game I hate. Speeding up the game is ok but just jacking up shots and playing percentages is just uninspiring. Play-offs are a bit different there is more out thinking going on and the patterns are less obvious. In intl’ball the paint as I said is much more crowded so you have much more player and ball movement to try to create space for an easy basket.

I know the NBA game today is not a post up game, the reason as you say is lack of quality big man, but there is hunger for it. Forcing players to play low post if there are not mentally suited for it is IMO just wrong.

I don’t know if you have but I suggest you watch some Euroleague games. Try finding the final 4 games from this year. It’s good basketball and great drama 🙂

The Sixers look interesting this year. I just hope Bynum stays healthy. Should be a good year for them. Best of luck.
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Spanoulis Best Player In World
12 years ago
Spanoulis better than EVERY NBA player.

FACT
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- Gabe
  12 years ago
  Spanoulis worse than EVERY WNBA player.
  
  FACT.
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DJ
12 years ago
The Jazz didn’t try to change Mehmet Okur. He shot outside all the time and he had the typical weak Euro big man defense. Kanter is physical and likes to play inside and he likes to rebound. HE WANTS TO PLAY DOWN LOW. Yes he can shoot, but he was too timid to shoot much last year as a rookie. The Euro hacks don’t know shit when it comes to the NBA.
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- fan@ball
  12 years ago
  DJ Thank you for proving my point, Okur was 23 – 24 years old when he came to the NBA. He was already an established player with a defined skill set. You can mould someone when he is 18-19. Later it is much harder. Kanter could play both types of game making him a bigger threat and giving him more space down low. And yes they are stopping him to shoot. Another 7ft NBA ruined and turned into something he is not is Darko. Darko has a 35% for 3pts in intl’ ball which for 7ft is not bad, 70% of his baskets were jump shots, in the NBA he shoots 3-4 jump shots a season!!!
  You are right about the NBA, it is a high level of basketball with the best talent, but is not the best place for a developing player that is not proclaimed a superstar. College or Europe are much better. During the season you are playing a game every 2 days, travelling constantly, you don’t have the time or the energy to have proper training and young players play 10 min!!! a game. In Europe a player like Kanter would play 20-25 min a game play 2 games a week. In 3 years he would be a versatile beast. In the NBA in 3 years he will be a one dimensional low post player. I wish him all well and I hope he develops better than I fear.
  The “Turkish guy”(he’s actually Bosnian) is one of the European great coaches. Additional to his other accomplishments he has found, nurtured and developed numerous talented players. Among them one of the greatest players ever to play the game – Dejan Bodiroga.
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DJ
12 years ago
It sounds like this Turkish guy is just pissed that Kanter would rather train here in Utah and work his ass off to get better rather than go play in Turkey and shoot jumpers against worse competition. The Jazz are giving him time to develop his game the way he wants to, they aren’t stopping him from shooting the ball outside. Kanter is a young player and the NBA is the toughest basketball competition in the world, there’s plenty of time for him to figure things out in the NBA. Also, the coach that just won the championship in the NBA this year had never won it before….This Turkish guy really doesn’t know ANYTHING.
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Bball
12 years ago
You’re exactly right. This Tanjevic guy is over-dramatic and over-exaggerates.:

“In the NBA, there are just three or four coaches who have been there for 100 years, making billions and winning trophies. Others are weak. Including [Utah Jazz head coach] Tyrone Corbin…”

He sounds mad and went off on a tirade because he didn’t get what he wanted.

On another note, I really hope Kanter develops his all-around game more. I also hope he learns how to run like a normal person. Right now, he looks like he’s running in snow all the time. He takes such huge, bouncy steps that it doesn’t look very efficient. 🙂 lol

BTW, the Jazz are a team that Europeans would enjoy watching. They play a team game and make good use of movement and screens, etc.

Outside of Stockton, Malone, Deron and arguably Kirilenko, the Utah Jazz don’t really rely on superstars. Instead, they play a solid team game. Jazz fans also make it very hard for opposing teams because of the intense atmosphere, much like certain Euro fans. However, that same intense atmosphere tends to bring out the best in opposing superstars. The Jazz tend to lose to great individual performers like Jordan, Kobe, Lebron and now Durant. Great players seem to feed off playing against great crowds.

Anyway, I think Kanter will be fine. He works with more than just the Utah coaches. During the Summer, he works with specialists and in great facilities to help maximize his body and his game. The Jazz are a fun team for Euro fans to enjoy. I’d also include the Sixers and Pacers to a certain extend as well.

In addition, despite their star power, the Thunder are a fun team to watch because Durant is such a likable guy. He doesn’t have the ego or arrogance like other big names. It’s refreshing and I like to support players like that. Of course, the Jazz will always be my #1 team. “Goonies never say die.” =) Go Jazz!

Take care, all! Remember to smile! =)
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mike
12 years ago
fan@ball. Clarify something for me. During the mid 2000’s, Milicik played for Serbia, and he played pretty well. I remember him mostly as a post up player in the 2006 Worlds. Correct? If you’re right that he shot 30plus percent from three, then NBA coaches have been misplaying him, but his stint with the national team indicates otherwise. He was an inside player for Serbia, if I remember correctly.

Although, you are partly right, the NBA may not always be the best place for a young player to develop his game. This is why NBA front offices draft Euros, and then leave them in Europe to develop many times. This is happening more and more. In the case of Tony Parker, wasn’t he drafted very early by the Spurs, and then given the keys right away? I don’t think Parker established himself in Europe at all before the Spurs signed him.
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- fan@ball
  12 years ago
  You are right, he was playing a C. By that time he was already established C, but he had a lot more freedom in his game and was moving around. Euro 2004 he played very little. In 2006 worlds he was the main player and was holding up well. This is a game against ARG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8lWnCvxttw You can see jump shots, shooting from the 3pts, rebs, blocks, did it all. In Euro 2007 a new “coach” came and it was a disaster. He played almost only down low.
  
  Parker is “the exception that confirms the rule”. Just kidding 🙂 one of our sayings. Off course you can find cases of young players doing great. I also think it is a bit different with guard and forward positions. And guards usually stay in Europe to mature. The 7ft are snatched early to be able to be moulded.
  
  Talking about young players, a player I really like at the moment is Valanciunas, he can be a true C and I hope he does well next year and gets some playing time.
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radallo
12 years ago
It’s very difficult to me to make such a comparison among NBA-Euro coaches, that could be my limit, but I’d like to give my point of view on this debate.

1) do not evaluate Euro coach on their NT results (that can be true for NBA coach as well), but mainly on club teams results: NT rarely have practice, mainly friendly games or short tournments.

2) Euro coaches love the gym, practice, practice and practice… they came to the game with everything in their mind, like a chess game… but few of them really “feel” the game; NBA coaches plays every couple of days, they have big staff for defence, offence, stats, assistant for video, but rarely practice (I think that’s the reason why Messina give it up soon his NBA experience)

3) Euro player miss athletism so much.. that’s makes basketball a different sport IMO; that’s the reason why I think talented player need to develop their technical skill and basketball intelligence in a different league than NBA. When they come to NBA they must be mature player (>25 y.o) since they can’t rely on athletism to overcome US talent.
Think about Nowitzki, Gallinari and Pau as successful exceptions, but think also about Kukoc, Danilovic, Sabonis, Radja, Ginobili, Marc and many others who were already established superstars before coming to NBA… and think also about how many “flops” among supposed superstars that came young to NBA but failed to establish

4) Can we think Mike D’Antoni as a melting pot among NBA/Euro coaches?

Cheers
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Greece 2012 GLOBAL SENIOR Champs
12 years ago
Greece in just a few days is about to win a “world title” and a “global championship” at the SENIOR LEVEL.

Another one of Gabe’s predictions FAILS.

GABE BETTER SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT THAT LINE OF TROLLING.

Greece 101 – USA A Team 95

Spanoulis > than EVERY NBA point guard
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DallasTexasSaqartvelo
12 years ago
If the 2012 Olympic gold medalists are not at the tourney, than its not a “global championship”
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Dallas and Gabe ARE RACIST
12 years ago
Greece is about to win the GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP of the world at SENIOR LEVEL in FIBA men’s play and there is NOTHING you racist motherfuckers can do about it.
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- Gabe
  12 years ago
  Yes they are…in your mind. Everything is going to be okay.
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mike
12 years ago
I feel jealous now. You’re not insulting me anymore? All the time for you, it’s Gabe, Gabe, Gabe, what about me? And who’s this Dallas guy? C’mon, gimme some love, er, insults. LOL.
BTW, what tournament do you speak of? Is this senior men’s basketball for the handicap in wheelchairs? If it is, more power to Greece. Good luck on that!
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DallasTexasSaqartvelo
12 years ago
He was talking about the 3 on senior world championships, which were held in Greece….. Greece did not win.
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mike
12 years ago
3 on 3? Talk about desperation. And Greece lost again?
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DallasTexasSaqartvelo
12 years ago
Correct. 3 on 3…. and yes… they are rioting in the streets as we speak, they think they should be financially compinsated by the EU for all the losing.
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