Yet author of more than decent first steps with the Kings (12 points in 11 minutes against Toronto), Sasha Vezenkov is not certain to fit into Mike Brown’s plans. With a nice contract of 20 million over three years and above all his prestigious past in Europe, the Bulgarian is not there to make up the numbers, but his coach believes that his place is not assured in the rotation! Especially because he suffers in defense.
“I don’t know yet if he will be part of it” Brown admitted Tuesday. “He just has to keep fighting and improving every chance he gets, whether it’s in practice, shootaround or in a match. On several occasions he let his opponent take the middle and we are a team that prohibits him. He needs to keep the ball on the sideline and make sure he continues to understand the NBA. He must watch as many videos as possible of the players he faces in order to try to integrate their habits as early as possible. »
Competing with Chris Duarte
Mike Brown is not gentle, and this is why the Bulgarian could be relegated to the… 3rd five depending on the circumstances! “We are currently studying different combinations” replies the Sacramento coach about his rotations. “It is possible that Sasha plays in the second five and that [Chris] Duarte plays in the third five. There is only one thing that won’t happen, changing the starting five. The second and third five can change at any time.”
Asked Monday evening about his first match in the colors of the Kings, Vezenkov admitted that the game was much faster. “It’s a different game. Even though it’s preseason, the pace is different. It goes a little faster in the NBA. In Euroleague there is more reading of the game. They are two totally different types of game, but each game has its own charm. »
