Sarunas Jasikevicius was exceptionally successful as a star point guard winning the EuroLeague title four times as a player. After securing Barca’s place in the Final Four he became the first to reach the final phase of the competition six times as a player and as a coach.
The EuroLeague legend has been known for his ability to present well-coached teams. He helped Zalgiris overachieve for multiple years in the EuroLeague and took the team to the 2018 Final-Four in Belgrade. This was the club’s first appearance in European club basketball’s signature event since its title-winning season in 1999.
His success with the Lithuanian club brought him to FC Barcelona, the club that was led by Jasikevicius to its first EuroLeague title in 2003. Last season, the Catalans returned to the Final-Four for the first time in 10 years, but, the Spanish giants could not get past Efes in the championship game.
With Jasikevicius at the driver seat, FC Barcelona produced tough-nosed basketball in the defensive end, while the team appeared efficient in the offensive side. Barcelona had the third-best offense (81.4 points) shooting 54.6 percent on 2-pointers for the season. Their great ball circulation produced many open shots.
FC Barcelona was the top team in three-point percentage, shooting an exceptional 40 percent from deep for two consecutive seasons. With a very talented roster at hand, Jasikevicius kept everyone happy with their playtime. Producing great team-basketball, the Lithuanian coach used Nikola Mirotic as the battering ram of his offense.
Mirotic had a great season averaging 16.8 points (second in the EuroLeague) for the Catalans, while leading the league in PIR with an average of 19.4 and being a candidate for the MVP of the regular season. He was also one of the most aggressive players in the season averaging 3.9 free throws through 36 games.
As a result, FC Barcelona was the most dominant team in the regular season led by Jasikevicius. A poised group of a star-quality players that played most of the time under control. Jasikevicius is hoping to see his team prevail in Belgrade to become the third person to win the EuroLeague trophy as both a player and a coach.
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