By Rafal Juc
Miodrag Rajkovic, who has a great experience in working with prospects in Serbia, is now doing some big things in Polish League with Slask Wroclaw as a head coach. Eurohopes contacted him after AZS Politechnika Warsaw - Slask Wroclaw game, where it was possible to watch Mateusz Ponitka (Politechnika) and Piotr Niedzwiedzki (Slask) from 1993 polish generation, which was runner-up of World U17 Championship in 2010. Check what he explains around polish and serbian prospects, and the difference in working with youngsters in these countries.
40-years-old Rajkovic started his coaching career in 1994 in Belgrade. He really started fast to achieving successes, and joined Serbian Youth National Teams as an assistant coach. In 2004/05 season became head coach of BC Radnicki and then worked in Red Star and Hemofarm. In 2007 was member of U19 serbian team, which won World Championship. Now Rajkovic is working with excellent effects in Poland using in his rotation polish youngsters.
-Coach, you've got in your team really talented forward Piotr Niedzwiedzki. What did you expect from him before season? Do you like how he is playing this year so far?
I have built a system in WKS Slask Wroc³aw and Piotr needs a little much time to accept my philosophy and learn what I expect from players. I have to admit that it is something new for him, bacause he faces for first time really. Adds strong and professional work. All the time he has to show me something. This is basketball school from Serbia. All the time must show me his best. Nobody has got open card to coming on to court, because he is just young. He is talent, can he play without possibility? No. All the time he must do something. It is my philosophy and I will do it for all season. At the end I am happy how Piotr is developing this season. He still needs a little much time to learn some things, but he is young, so what is the problem?
-What are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of Niedswiedzki’s play? What do you like in his play style and what you do not like?
It is really complicated and a hard question for me. Anyway, at the beginning Niedzwiedzki has to learn being focused all the time. But this is a problem of all young players, especially the ones without experience. He must do all job 100%. I mean practices, scouting and preparing games. As a coach I always look how players are working the days before games. In my opinion Piotr has to be patient, but not only him. I am talking also about Jakub Koelner from my team, as well talents from Warsaw Mateusz Ponitka and Michal Michalak, who changed club few days ago. Anyway, if you are a Slask’s player you have responsibilities for this team. I really appreciate program of AZS Politechnika, but Slask is different type of team. We do not exist only for you, because you are young prospect. Youngster has to get us, catch us and start working very tough.
-You have been working all previous years in Serbia and you had occasion, especially in Belgrade, to see many prospects. How can you compare Niedzwiedzki to serbian talents?
No problem. So, take for example Nemanja Besovic or Luka Mitrovic. Both are playing with success on the highest domestic level, but they started professional work two years earlier than Piotr. So, comparing Niedzwiedzki to them, he is definitely late. He has also talent like guys from Serbia, but now he needs to do more work to get their level of skills.
-With your great experience from Serbia and basing on few months of work in Poland, how can you compare working with players in both countries?
It is undeniably different. Young guys from Serbia, generally from all Balkans, because in Croatia and Slovenia too, start to learn serious basketball much earlier. That is the main difference. Our prospects start also playing at senior level earlier. I think that now everyone in Poland takes care of 1993 generation, which is really talented. But I don't think that it was the same with previous generations. In Poland you need to care all the time of your kids. For example in Serbia there is something all happing. Some time ago there was a memorial of great player Rajko Zizic. And who was competing? 8 or 9 years old kids. During 2 days they played more than 200 games! And coaches like Svietislav Pesic were there. My country is small, so it is easy to check all young players and get all information about them. Poland is bigger, so you have bigger base. It is time to start to work. I mean well-organized work. I spent some time with coach Mladen Starcevic, who has been working here in Warsaw for 3 years. He told me all about his program and how youth basketball in Poland improved. I am convinced that now is better. One great generation is not all. Not time to work with another and make it better. With good selection, better and better guys are coming. You have to continue working hard. What is more? You have to start to respect young players and generally polish players more. Look for example how referees called a couple of fouls for Robert Skibniewski, who is member of youth national teams? Of course when is foul, it is foul, but when no, is not. In Poland the main problem is fact, that projects like AZS Politechnika, where developed Ponitka or Michalak are unique and it is hard to find something similar. My team is something between a senior team and a special project for talent. And now tell me the next team? Answer is one - there is no in first division. Talented Filip Matczak in Zielona Gora spends all games on bench. What about Przemyslaw Karnowski? I accept that he plays much minutes, but without impressive effects. Guy like him needs to be in special system. His team has got system, but not for young players. They play small-ball and Karnowski is only running next to american guards. So it is problem. What do you expect from Karnowski? He will not became special player only because of running up and down. As I told only AZS Politechnika and maybe my team is focused a bit on develop of youngsters. In other teams you can observe of course 22 or 23 years old players, but are they young? Biological they are young, but not in basketball, where experience is a key. When young player will learn basement? Sometimes it is possible only during games. For example timing and feel to the game to make a backdoor pass. Today Ponitka was doing it sometimes on a bad way. It has to be a habit. Pass the ball and then immediately run outside. If not, run to the bench. Kids in Balkans can do it as a kadets. Sometimes we have to punish, but most important is long-term work. Season by season, and then you probably achieve something.
Twitter of the author: @rafjuc
Photo: Pawel Relikowski
