On the app and on the website, you can see live highlights of Susijeng’s matches and Lauri Markkanen’s matches at the World Championships. Finland will next face Japan on Sunday from 15:10.
OKINAWA.
Susijeng’s training sessions were attended by prestigious guests at the World Basketball Championships on the eve of the Japan game, when Lauri Markkanen the head coach of the star-studded NBA club Utah Jazz Will Hardy and GM Justin Zanik followed the Finnish team.
After the training, Hardy said how he enjoyed the atmosphere in the training that started at 9:00 p.m. local time. Moments before the start of the interview, Finnish hit music blared from the loudspeakers while Susijeng’s players did their throwing practice.
– It’s always fun to come to the hall without pressure, but also to watch Lassi (Susijeng’s head coach Bring it) and his team. It seems that Lauri and his teammates have been playing together for a long time. It was fun to see them together with the music playing. It was a good atmosphere for the training, which started at nine in the evening. The Finnish players did a great job, Hardy stated.
The differences between Utah and the Finnish Basketball Association have deepened this summer. First, head coach Lassi Tuovi was part of the coaching team of Jazz’s summer league team. Then Hardy’s assistant coach Sean Sheldon joined Susijeng’s coaching team for the end of the summer.
Hardy lavishly praises Tuov. He got to know the Finnish head coach during the last season.
– I enjoy being with Lass. He’s a really smart coach. I learned a lot from him, Hardy fumed.
The duo are young and up-and-coming coaching talents of almost the same age. Tuovi turns 37 on the last day of this year. Hardy is a little younger than Tuov, as he turns 36 at the end of January.
Sheldon is also a young coach, as he turned 30 earlier this year.
– We appreciate Sean a lot. He is a fantastic coach in our team. Now he gets experience in Fiba games (national team basketball). I have experienced it myself. It’s a wonderful thing, Hardy says, referring to being on the coaching staff of the United States’ Olympic gold team at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.
Would Hardy like the cooperation seen now to continue next season?
– Absolutely. Lauri is important to us in Utah. We want to support in every possible way that he succeeds. We also enjoy the presence of Finnish coaches. I learned a lot from Lass when he visited us. Sean is enjoying this experience. We expect this kind of relationship to continue, says Hardy.
“It would be crazy if we didn’t think about using Finnish concepts”
Lauri Markkanen’s wild leap in development started last season at the European Championship. Markkanen was traded to the Utah Jazz from the Cleveland Cavaliers on the eve of the European Championships. Markkanen didn’t let that bother him, however, and led Finland wonderfully into the top eight.
Hardy has previously told how he was influenced by Finland playing in Utah and allowed Markkanen to shine in the same way on the NBA floors. Even now in Japan, Hardy reminds that they did not want to limit the Finn after they saw Markkanen’s brilliant performances at the European Championships.
Hardy’s assistant coach Sheldon previously revealed to Urheilu how he has already had time this summer to present and draw some of Susijeng’s attack patterns for Hardy. The head coach confirms the information. He sees that it is easy to transfer things from national team basketball to the NBA floors.
– Sean has sent us good concepts about how the Finnish national team uses Lauri. Concepts where Lauri feels comfortable and has proven to be successful. It would be crazy not to think about using them. We don’t necessarily directly copy anything, but we can use something, Hardy describes at the same time as Markkanen interrupts the interview for a moment and jokes that Hardy couldn’t go through the summer without interviews.
The arrival of a new player does not change Markkanen’s position
The Utah Jazz have already had time to make game moves for next season in the summer. The team acquired itself from the Atlanta Hawks of John Collins. In the 2020-2021 season, Collins helped lead Atlanta to the conference finals, but has since been plagued by injuries.
Hardy doesn’t think there will be any changes in the way Markkanen is used with the addition of Collins. According to the head coach, Markkanen’s role will not decrease in Utah either.
– Of course, every team is unique. We have to put the pieces together in the best possible way. Lauri is developing all the time. Last season was amazing. I have talked with Lauri about the fact that he needs to prepare to adapt his playing. Teams defend him differently than last year, Hardy evaluates Markkanen’s upcoming NBA season.
Appreciation for the criticized World Cup
There has also been a lot of talk about the loss of stars around the World Basketball Championships. Out of the thirty top scorers in the NBA last season, only five are participating in the World Cup. Some of the superstars have missed the games due to injuries, some referring to the long NBA season and some to the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
However, there are five players from the Utah Jazz representing their country in the World Cup. That’s the most among NBA clubs, along with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder.
In addition to Markkanen, Jazz will be seen on the World Cup floors in the Philippines Jordan Clarksonin the United States Walker Kesslerin Italy Simone Fontecchio and in Canada Kelly Olynyk.
Hardy values the World Cup highly. In his eyes, the World Cup is a great opportunity to learn something new about his own players when they play in a different environment.
– We always support our players playing in national teams. These are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. This is important to them. I can imagine how it feels to put on the shirt of your country. It’s fun to watch them play in this environment. It’s fantastic that we have five players at the World Cup, Hardy describes.
After all, Hardy has an easy situation on Sunday in Okinawa in the struggle between Finland and Japan compared to the struggle between Italy and the Philippines on Tuesday in Manila.
– Thank God I know which team I will support here tomorrow. There will be other games where my own players are against each other, Hardy smiles.