Vlada Jovanovic: Will he float in the wild ocean of Euroleague? / News - Basketnews.com
Credit FIBA The coach selection is a delicate business.
2-pointers this season
53%19,9Points made:19,9Accuracy:52,8%Place in standings:6Record max:28Record min:13Most made 2FGs:Nikola KalinicTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsScheduleYou may see one person checking every box available with his outstanding qualities on paper and prior success with compelling credentials but yet, watching the same person not making the end of the first 3 months in the brand new adventure.
When it comes to clubs with relatively humble sources, the issue becomes even more sensitive because it is not easy to find the right person, let alone keep him around after getting beyond expectations and bringing many trophies.
Crvena Zvezda had it once with Dejan Radonjic. The Serbian coach solidified the top status of the Red Star over the years in the ABA League and the Euroleague, including this season, despite the threat of rejuvenated Partizan, under the helm of Zeljko Obradovic.
If we forget about Radonjic's earlier terms in Zvezda, the last two seasons in the EuroLeague appear as an undersell because of many narrow losses and unfortunate game endings.
But Panathinaikos were well aware of what Radonjic was capable of doing. He is a part of the green army now.
There appeared the big question: Who will become his successor in Belgrade?
As my colleague Orazio Cauchi recently wrote on the topic, many EuroLeague teams opted for local coaches (12 of the 18 teams that will play in the EuroLeague next season have a head coach from their own nation).
Crvena Zvezda did not choose to jump off the same road they have already taken since and opted to go for a Serbian coach as well: 38-year-old Vlada Jovanovic.
Just to avoid confusion, we are not talking about the former Mega Basket, Lokomotiv Kuban head coach, and the former assistant and the successor of Dusko Vujosevic at Partizan. The 49-year-old Jovanovic recently signed for the Buducnost, taking the head coaching position.
From one step behind,Jovanovicis not an established name in the European coaching circles. But that does not mean that his CV is short and inadequate. Just the opposite: Putting solid work in FMP in the ABA League in 3 seasons and giving them top 8 positions should not be underestimated, given that his roster was not the brightest.
Regarding the recent past, his short spell at Cibona Zagreb, where he became the first Serbian coach of the Croatian club in 30 years (after Dragan Sakota), is certainly not the brightest spot in his resume.
But given the club's unstable climate followed by the financial problems, many good coaches would similarly suffer if not provided a healthy working environment.
But how did the fans react to Jovanovic's name after all?
To learn more about the impressions of Zvezda's choice, we appealed to Marko Ljubomirovic, the TV host and editor of the basketball sector at sportal.rs, who is also a contributor to FIBA.
"First of all, it must be pointed out that the change on the Zvezda bench and the departure of coach Radonjic came unexpectedly," Ljubomirovic noted. "Primarily because it was almost certain that nothing would change there. When it finally became clear that the new coach would be Vladimir Jovanovic, it was a surprise for many."
"My impression is that the fans of Zvezda are not too satisfied, even though Jovanovic has a good reputation and is considered a talented one of the best coaches of the new generation.
However, there is a certain amount of skepticism because he has no experience at the EuroLeague level. On the other hand, his experience working in the Crvena Zvezda system and the fact that he is a big fan of the club will certainly bring him benefits and advantages," he continued.
In some ways, Jovanovic could be seen as the new Dusan Alimpijevic. The similarities are obvious.
He is a new generation local head coach getting prepared for the biggest challenge in his young career: A EuroLeague club at the age of 38.
But Alimpijevic, who led Frutti Extra Bursaspor to EuroCup final last season in a pretty glorious fashion, did not remain long at the Zvezda bench. The pressure in the club was way too high, and his roster limitations shortened his hand.
"It has a lot of similarities with Alimpijevic, but not everything is the same," Ljubomirovic adds.
"First of all, Jovanovic is now a much more experienced coach than Alimpijevic was in 2017. Another thing is the experience inside the club. Now, Crvena Zvezda know what to expect in a season when a young coach comes to the position after a season in which everything possible was won.
The people from Zvezda will certainly do their best to handle the atmosphere of pressure from the public and fans."
"However, as I said earlier, there is a certain "worm of doubt" among the fans precisely because of the experience from that season when Alimpijevic was the coach, and it will certainly be like that until Jovanović proves, either with a big victory or with a trophy won, that he deserves that place and unreserved support," he remarks.
But besides the fan's expectations and the club environment, what kind of a coach is Vlada Jovanovic? What is he known for? In Nikola Stojkovic's article at Mozzart Sport, his former two players further describe him.
"As a coach, he adapts to the players at his disposal, and that is his greatest quality," says Marko Jeremic, who worked with the coach in FMP for 3 years. "He tries to get 120 percent out of them, depending on the kind of team he has and the kind of basketball he plays."
"That's why I can't say he has a philosophy of forcing only defense or play from transition or positional attack. I spent three years with him, and we never played the same, even though he is the same coach. And that's very good because he adapts the game to his players, not them to him."
If we follow Jeremic's account, his adaptiveness and flexibility align with Zvezda's requirements in the EuroLeague.
Despite allegedly running after big names like Milos Teodosic, it will not be hard to guess that the club's budget will be among the most mediocre ones in the European elite.
Sticking with a certain type of playing scheme with tunnel vision would quickly lead to failure. Many times, Jovanovic would need to improvise. That is also one feature that Jovanovic shares with Radonjic.
On the other hand, Radonjic made a name for himself for his excellency on the defensive end of the court at Zvezda. Would Jovanovic follow the same path?
"Jovanovic is a coach who pays equal attention to defense and attack," says Amar Gegic, another ex-player of his.
"Therefore, players who can receive enough information and play on both sides of the floor at an equally high level fit into his system.
The teams he leads have a head and a tail, and they know what is being done at all times, offensively or defensively. Also, in every game, he uses the full potential of his players, and those who are ready to help the team to victory that day get a role in the team," he adds.
There is also one aspect we should not overlook about Jovanovic's appointment: his earlier ties with FMP. This club is in close relations with the Crvena Zvezda, where president Nebojsa Covic's son Filip became a sporting director last season.
These ties logically indicate some further 'personal' credit given to Jovanovic, who coached players like Aleksa Uskokovic, Stefan Lazarević, Duoph Reath, Okben Ulubay, Dragan Apic, and even Ognjen Kuzmic for a short period in FMP. In that club, he was an assistant coach to Milan Gurovic as early as 2012.
He is favored by president Covic for his deep knowledge of the local players. Besides, Jovanovic is a coach open to new methods and following recent trends in basketball. He was part of the LA Clippers staff in 2018 in the NBA Summer League and worked with Doc Rivers there.
Besides, it seems like he will have a mission to work with the younger players and develop them at Zvezda. He is currently coaching the Serbian U20 Team, trying to bring them back to Division A.
Previously, he used to coach promising Croatian talents such as Roko Prkacin and Lovro Gnjidic. Zvezda recently signed 22-year-old Dalibor Ilic.
"Working with young players carries a great responsibility. Because their transition from a junior to a senior work program is very turbulent for all of them," he said in an interview.
"You need to be not only a coach but also a teacher and a good psychologist. Patience is the key here, not only for the players, but the coach must also show patience. Also, it is important that those young players on the court have someone more experienced next to them whom they can rely on in some situations but also look up to," Jovanovic added.
It is clear that the upcoming task at Crvena Zvezda is nothing like the ones before for Vlada Jovanovic. Unlike the previous campaigns, he needs to blend two specific tasks together: developing younger players and winning with stars.
He will have the services of Nate Walters (signed for PAO), but Nemanja Nedovic is back at the club. Nikola Ivanovic also showed great leadership last season, and experienced players like John Holland, Stefan Markovic, and the captain Lazic will be his on-field assistants.
A club veteran Marko Simonovic will have his first year as an assistant coach on the bench. If he gains the trust of these cultured players, that would be helpful when things go into turbulent mode.
There is also a promising group of players from younger generations, like Nikola Topic (2005), Lazar Gacic (2005), Luka Vudragovic (2004), and Lazar Djokovic (2004), trying to make it to the senior team.
The double-task will not be easy, but the club sometimes needs to make bold decisions like this.
"As for giving chances to young coaches in Serbia, I think it's also a question from which point of view you look at it," reminds Ljubomirovic. Of course, everyone wants to see new names, for some new people to succeed the greats like the late Dusan Ivkovic, the current coach of Serbia, Svetislav Pesic or Zeljko Obradovic."
"And some new guys appear, like Jovanovic and Alimpijevic. Then there is Stefanovic from FMP, Marinovic from Borac Cacak... On the other hand, how many clubs, especially the biggest ones like Crvena Zvezda and Partizan, have the luxury to endure it to the end.
Basketball has changed everywhere, including in Serbia, and young coaches work in a different way, which is much more modern. And that's good. It's good that the new generation follows the trends that come primarily from the USA, but the essence still remains the old one - only the best is good enough, and only gold medals and trophies are recognized.
Whoever from the new generation of coaches manages to create a mix of that, to create a balance between the old and new school of basketball, will have a chance for success," Ljubomirovic sums it up.
Worth trying? Definitely. It will be fun to watch how a new name like Jovanovic is going to swim in this presumably very competitive atmosphere of the EuroLeague in the upcoming season. However, coping with those big waves in the process is a daunting task.
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