Timofei Gerasimov returned to Krasnoyarsk this summer after playing for Zenit and is having the best season of his career – 30 minutes per game, 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. VTB United League talked to the Enisey point guard about his development, role on the court, Jovica Arsic coaching philosophy, his desire to play with Rathan-Mayes, Enisey youth and his search for stability.
– Is this season really the best for you?
– Indeed, this season will be memorable, but I would like to say that the best season is yet to come.
– Tell us about the moment when you realized that basketball would become not just a hobby, but a job?
– Now it is very difficult to answer this question, because it was a long time ago, when I was 12-13 years. Then after summer vacation I just decided that basketball was my favorite sport. I wanted to practice it consistently, all the time and took every opportunity to practice more.
– And who inspired your development at the time, were there any favorite players to follow?
– I was inspired by Steve Nash and Rajon Rondo as a kid. I loved the way they saw the court, handed out assists and read the game. Rajon Rondo doesn’t have consistent shot, but that’s why I liked Steve Nash more – because he could finish such difficult shots off the dribble and give a very nice pass.
– What coach has influenced your development as a basketball player the most? Is there any advice that has stuck in your mind until now?
– Every coach has influenced me in a special way, so it’s hard to single out a particular one. I would like to remember my childhood time and my first mentor Volzhin Oleg from Rostov DYUSH № 7. If we talk about phrases, I have very well stored in my head what he told me – “Never look at the ball when you dribble it”. I think that’s the very first and most important I learned.
– The VTB League All-Star Game is coming up soon, and it will be the second time in your career that you will participate in it. What are your expectations from the All-Star Weekend?
– I want to thank everyone who was voting for me. I’m very pleased, I’m very happy, thank you all very much. First of all, the All-Star Game is a weekend where a lot of people will come to watch the guys from the VTB League play basketball, have fun, make beautiful dunks, three-pointers, give great assists. It’s very good for the League, for the fans and the players, who will get a mental break from the competitive pressure, enjoy basketball and can just have fun.
– Let’s move on to more pressing agenda – this season you returned to Enisey after a year at Zenit. What are your thoughts now, when a lot of time has passed after the transfer? Have you managed to find your game in Krasnoyarsk?
– I think I’m in the right place at the right time, with a certain amount of knowledge, experience and skills in basketball, in the team where I’m trusted 100%. I can show my game, everything I know how to do, everything I’ve learned from a lot of coaches. Now is the time when I can show it on the court and show everyone what I can do. I’m still in search of my top shape, but a pattern is emerging and I like it a lot.
– In one of the interviews you said: “In each team you take something different, both from the coach and from the people around you. In each team I was in different role situations on the court, I gained some experience”. What about Enisey – are you happy with your role on the court?
– Yes, everything is right. From every coach, from every situation in the team, every position, role in the team you take something different, something useful, something negative, but it all goes into the experience you’ve had. And of course, when you come to the next team, you already think about what new things you can discover, how interesting basketball can be. When I came to Enisey, I learned a very interesting philosophy, which I had no idea about before. I won’t reveal all the tricks, I think you’ll see it all on the court.
– When you left Enisey, the team was headed by Drazen Anzulovic, who gave you the opportunity to open up. Now the head coach of the team is Jovica Arsic, how do you like the new coach?
– Definitely, I am very grateful to Drazen Anzulovic for those 2 years in Enisey, he gave me confidence and opportunity. I can say the same about Jovica Arsic, who gives me all the same things, but it comes with a different approach, a different way of looking at the game. With Jovica there can be no problems in communication. Whoever comes to his team feels confident that the team needs him, that he can add his own touch to game on the court. Naturally, I had a little period of getting used to him, because I’ve never met such calm coaches in my career. But this is his very interesting coaching philosophy, which makes you think about a lot of things, including how basketball can be.
– Do you feel more comfortable working with a more emotional coach, or do you favor calmness?
– Arsic is the calmest coach I’ve met in my career. Of course, every player needs a certain approach – some need a whip, a stick, some need calmness. I think you need to find some middle ground, and Jovica has it. It’s a very pleasant atmosphere to be in. If you ask any of our players if they are comfortable, they will all say that it is 100% true.
– What conclusions did you make for yourself after the season at Zenit?
– I got a tremendous experience. This is the first time when I was a player in a top team, where we were fighting hand in hand for the title, it didn’t work out a bit. The first time the level of responsibility of the season was so great, I had never experienced such a feeling before. I watched such professionals as Thomas Heurtel, Kyle Kuric, Sergey Karasev, Andrey Zubkov, Bojan Dubljevic, coach Xavier Pascual, who also gave me a lot to understand and realize. Thanks to these people I realized what I was missing, what level I wanted to get to, what I strive for to this day. This season was a big push to understand where to go and what direction to go in.
– You said that your role in the St. Petersburg team is the third point guard. What was missing in your arsenal to get closer to the lead position?
– I guess I answered that question that I was the third point guard for a reason. It makes sense that you have two more in front, so it’s very hard for a coach to find playing minutes – you’re always there to help if the game isn’t going well, if someone is sick or injured. In such cases you can come out and show your level. Thomas Heurtel and Trent Frazier played at the point guard position, and even though I couldn’t show my leadership skills, I learned a lot from them – how to behave in certain situations, in tense moments, at the end of the game. I took it from them and hopefully I’m able to show something this season. I think it’s a way to step up – to get to the leadership position I’m aiming for.
– While you were playing at Zenit, Xavier Rathan-Mayes had an incredible season, did you have a desire to play with him?
– Yes, last season was really legendary, amazing, the arrival of such internationals as Rathan-Mayes and Martin had an impact. They showed amazing basketball, but I am sure and convinced that it was possible thanks to the coach, who helped them to open up and feel more relaxed and confident on the court. With Rathan-Mayes, I would love to meet and play on the same team and see how it all works inside. But he would then take my place (laughs). So it’s a difficult question, let it be somewhere in fairy tales.
– Why do you think Enisey internationals can’t fully replace Rathan-Mayes and Martin this season? What keys to finding the same balance in Game can the team have?
– Yes, you can see that this year Enisey doesn’t have as many foreigners and there are a lot of Russian players who didn’t get as much playing time last season or didn’t get any time at all with VTB League teams. And this season is an opportunity for Russian players to show their abilities, potential, to get noticed. Of course, it’s very exciting.
– What do you think of Enisey youth? Do they have any potential?
– I think we have a very ambitious team. Everyone, of course, has their own way of formation. It happens in different realities, situations. I’m very happy for Dmitry Sonko, who has done a tremendous work over the long period of time that I’ve known him, and has added in many aspects – in defense, in reading the game, in offense – he’s a great player. Vladislav Perevalov is a very good guy, who is efficient in training, but so far he doesn’t get much time in games – that’s okay, I wish him more playing time. Also Vladislav Odinokov, who make open three-pointers with a high percentage. Artem Schlegel. We have a team with great potential, we just need some time. This way of formation is different for everyone, so I wish the guys success.
– What does Enisey lack this season to be more stable and take a higher place in the standings?
– Yes, we lack stability and experience. At the beginning of the season we had a youthful ambition, which stalled a bit. We had to adapt, reorganize, everyone had to understand their role on the court, which took quite a long time. But at the end of last year and at the beginning of this year we are showing a more stable game, a completely different basketball. We still have the opportunity and potential to get where we want to go – the Playoffs. If we talk about the biggest goals, it would be great to get to the Top 6, but the season is quite interesting, and if you look at the standings and the results of games, there are some very unexpected wins and losses that are hard to predict. So I believe we can make it to the Playoffs at the end of the season, we’ll see!
– What do you think about the signing of Alexey Shved? Would you like to play with him?
– To be honest, I was very surprised by this signing. It happened so quickly that it was hard to believe it. I would really like to see how it works from the inside, how a great professional like Alexey Shved behaves in training, shows himself. I’ve played against him before, I understand his style of basketball, so I’d definitely like to see how it all works from the inside.
– This season you are playing more consistently, taking over the пame at crucial moments, scoring points, what is the secret of your progress?
– As for my game, as I said before, it’s a combination of many factors: coach, players, psychology, confidence. I think this is the first time in my career when I am in such a significant role at such a high level. It’s also something new for me, it took me some time to get used to it. I hope that I am already showing stability but not yet maximum, believe I can do much better. There were games where I didn’t show that, but I see it growing, getting to an average level. I hope that I will stick to it and of course progress.
– How do you spend your free time? Krasnoyarsk has beautiful nature.
– Honestly speaking, this year I don’t have a lot of free time, because we have a very tight schedule – games almost every three days. So, when I have free time or even a day off, I spend it with my family. We can go to the movie theater, stay at home, go to the playground with my child. Of course, we’ve been to the city center, and outside the city, where Sergey Balashov hasn’t been (laughs). We always try to spend our time with benefit, we like to walk and eat good food, so no one canceled restaurants.
– What basketball goal do you set for yourself?
– As for team goals, I want to win the VTB United League in the near future. I would like to play for the national team on the international arena and in European tournaments. If we talk about individual goals – to become more stable, to progress in this and there is another interesting story – to bring maximum inconvenience to opposing teams so that they are afraid of you – that’s the goal.
