Laprovittola: 'I needed someone like Saras to be behind me screaming' / News - Basketnews.com

Laprovittola praised Jasikevicius for developing him as a player in the shooting guard position but admitted that Roger Grimau's game is more free-flowing and helps him improvise on the court even more.

Credit: Javier Borrego/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire Credit Javier Borrego/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire

Nicolas Laprovittola is one of the main players at FC Barcelona. However, he had to go through a wide variety of teams before he found his sweet spot at Barca.

FC Barcelona / Schedule

FC Barcelona EA7 Emporio Armani Milan86-90 ALBA Berlin FC BarcelonaTue19:00 Zalgiris Kaunas FC BarcelonaFri18:00

Having started his career as a point guard, Laprovittola now primarily plays as a shooting guard. The 33-year-old player admits that even he didn't know that it would suit him better.

"The first time they put me at two was at Rytas [Vilnius] when they changed the coach. I didn't want to know anything and decided to leave. I didn't even know that that position could be a strength for me, although I was always an aggressive point guard who could score," Laprovittola said in an interview with Fabian Garcia from BasquetPlus.

"By playing with [Nick] Calathes, a tall point guard, we could play with two playmakers. Something similar is happening today with [Tomas] Satoransky. He can defend all three [perimeter] positions and it helps me a lot to be able to stay on the court defending the point guard or someone who is not so physical."

Laprovittola blossomed in the 'two' position in Barcelona, playing under head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius. Although the Lithuanian specialist has caught some critique for his coaching style in Barca, the Argentinian is grateful to have met him because Jasikevicius helped him grow.

"He changed my career, my way of playing. I've already said it. He is the best coach I've ever had. Like everyone else, he also had things about him that were not as positive, but I'm super grateful to have come across him in my career at the right time. I think I needed someone like him to squeeze my ass a little, to be behind me screaming," the player said.

"I have a very calm personality. Sometimes, I don't worry about many things, but I took this as a challenge when I arrived because there were doubts if I was going to accept a guy like him, and I ended up being the one who handled it best," Laprovittola said. "I think I toughened my character a little, and being a father gave me other priorities in life as well. As a person, he is totally different off the court, and I'm grateful to have known him."

Points this season

50%84,0Points made:84,0Accuracy:49,5%Place in standings:5Record max:101Record min:64Best scorer:Nicolas LaprovittolaTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Barca parted ways with Jasikevicius last summer and hired Roger Grimau, a former player who had coached only in youth categories before, instead. It didn't take long for Saras to find a new team to coach, as he joined Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in December 2023.

"Today, we are very good, and I tell you this 48 hours after a loss. It's true that players with a very high profile left, people who raise your status, command respect, etc. But beyond that, the club was able to regroup, and it may be that in some games we suffered more than in others, but we have a happier game, we are getting results," Laprovittola said.

"We are doing very well in the EuroLeague, and we have to continue with this mentality. Today, the biggest difference is that we don't have such a high profile in some players, so we're more on the same page and make decisions horizontally," the guard explained.

Jasikevicius is known for having a stricter system where every player has a clear role and largely has to stick to the game plan, while Grimau's game is more relaxed and free-flowing.

Laprovittola says that having the freedom to improvise does not diminish the role of a coach that Grimau does, though.

"In the long run, the players are the ones who make the decisions on the court. We have to execute what the coaches tell us. Giving us that freedom of decision does not take away from Roger's authority. He is still one of the leaders of this project and the person who decides the game plans," Laprovittola said. "And I think he's doing it brilliantly. We haven't made it to Christmas yet. We know when and where we have to be better."

Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.