It seemed to us that it was Stanislav and Kobe Bryant, who remained in Los Angeles, who would be the leaders of the Lakers. However, no one took into account the fact that the team also had a new head coach. The renowned coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who replaced the even more decorated Phil Jackson, brought with him new views on basketball and game construction. Alas, there was little room in them for Medvedenko.
On the eve of the championship start, the Ukrainian got injured, causing him to miss most of the preparatory period. Stanislav knew in advance that he would not play in the first official games. But he expected that after recovering his physical condition, he would regain his place in the starting five. After all, even in the previous NBA championship, when O'Neal, Bryant, and Malone played for the Lakers, Medvedenko started 38 of 68 games. It seemed that it was the Ukrainian who would secure one of the vacated spots. But time passed, and the situation did not change: in a number of games, Stanislav even suited up, but ultimately sat on the bench until the final whistle.
The newspapers printed a curt formulation: "Did not play by coach's decision." Medvedenko, accustomed to a different attitude toward his person, is not satisfied with Rudy Tomjanovich's approach. At his age (the Ukrainian will turn 26 on April 4), he needs to play and play. Therefore, Stanislav's request to his agent Mark Fleischer (known for securing a super-profitable contract for another of his clients – Russian Andrei Kirilenko – for a very large sum) to find him a new team looks quite logical.
In one of his recent interviews on the topic of the day, the Ukrainian basketball player tried to shed light on a situation that in chess would be called if not stalemate, then certainly close to it.
"After I pulled my Achilles tendon, Tomjanovich began working other guys into the main lineup during the preseason camp. And apparently decided to trust those he is currently betting on. I, on the other hand, want to have much more playing time than I get now (on average 5.3 minutes per game), which is why I decided to change clubs.
Don't ask me why this is happening – I don't understand it myself. Tomjanovich asserted before the season that he was counting on me; in practice I work with everyone else and look quite decent. But as soon as an official game begins, I sit on the bench, and it often happens that I don't even get onto the court. I thought, perhaps wrongly, that something might be wrong with me. I began to doubt my abilities. But after the New Year a miracle happened: I was given as many as 12 minutes of playing time in one game. I scored 16 points and became convinced that my skill had not gone anywhere. After that I was finally consigned to the deep bench and realized that under Tomjanovich it would be incredibly difficult for me to get playing time. I started negotiations with other clubs, and from a position of strength.
Do I understand the logic of the coach's actions? Honestly, I'm already confused in trying to solve his riddles. Returning to the game where I was given a chance, which I did not fail to use, I note that we still lost that match. I understand that Tomjanovich needed to change something when the score was not in our favor, and he even took a risk to some extent by putting me on the court. Though, on the other hand, in practice he works me into the starting lineup.
And this is what I cannot understand at all: I train as a starting player, but play as the most regular reserve. After that very game where I managed to score 16 points, I thought whether it was worth "killing myself" in practice if there is no result from it. It would be much more logical to take a light training regimen, maintaining form at the proper level. You never know – maybe some suitable option will appear. Although again, I will not claim that I have definitively decided to leave the Lakers."
Medvedenko indeed should not rush. Clouds have gathered over Tomjanovich's head. And quite serious ones. First, information appeared that Rudy had fallen seriously ill again. The coach's appearance speaks more eloquently than any doctor's conclusions, although an exact diagnosis has not yet been announced. Second, there are rumors that the team's former mentor Phil Jackson, who had been on a creative break these six months, resting his soul and body from the tension of the NBA regular season, has entered negotiations with the Lakers management.
However, the second may stem from the first. Since Tomjanovich is ill, and quite seriously, is there any point in continuing to work with him? It would be much more correct to end the relationship, allow the coach to take care of his health, and give the team another mentor. One who will pull the team out of the hole the Lakers have fallen into. If Jackson returns, we should also predict Medvedenko's emergence from the shadows, as under legendary Phil he showed brilliant play and became a two-time NBA champion.
Things have not worked out this season for another Ukrainian legionnaire – NBA veteran Vitaly Potapenko. But his reason for losing his starting spot is much more prosaic – injury. Due to health problems, the basketball player, who will turn 30 this year, takes the court even less often than Medvedenko. At the same time, it is harder for him to improve the situation than for Stanislav: health cannot be fixed overnight, but changing teams or coaches is possible.
In short, both Ukrainian representatives in the NBA cannot count this current season as a success. Although there is still enough time before the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, and everything could change.
At the same time, the most experienced Lithuanian Žydrūnas Ilgauskas is having one of his best seasons, and Russian Andrei Kirilenko has clearly become the leader of Utah (during AK-47's injury, the Jazzmen practically did not win). Zaza Pachulia and Darius Songaila are gradually improving their performance statistics. It is worth noting the NBA debut of Russian Viktor Khryapa and Latvian Andris Biedriņš, selected in the 2004 draft. The NBA is opening its doors wider and wider for players from the former USSR.
At that, it should be noted that Pavel Podkolzin, a 20-year-old native of Novosibirsk, has not yet played for Dallas, and in addition, seven more "ours" are listed in the reserves of four NBA clubs. These are Georgian Viktor Sanikidze (San Antonio), Lithuanians Eurelijus Žukauskas (Milwaukee) and Robertas Javtokas (San Antonio), Russians Andrei Fetisov (Milwaukee), Sergei Karaulov (San Antonio) and Sergei Monya (Portland), as well as Ukrainian Sergei Lishchuk (Memphis), currently playing for Yuzhny's Khimik.