RUS - Russian duo looking forward

MINNEAPOLIS (NBA) – A new wind from Russia has been blowing towards Minneapolis since the beginning of the season. By adding Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved to their roster, the Minnesota Timberwolves have recruited two of the best European talents.

Following a successful spell with Euroleague giants CSKA Moscow, Kirilenko and Shved decided to cross the Atlantic and take on a new challenge with the Wolves.

For the former Utah Jazz forward, it’s a return to the best league in the world after a fantastic season in Moscow.

"I had a great time spending last season in Moscow and playing for CSKA. It was good to go back home and play in front of my family and friends, but now I'm very happy to be back in the NBA," Kirilenko told FIBA.com.

"I chose Minnesota because the project is interesting, even if a lot of people thought that I would have gone to the Brooklyn Nets because of their Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov."

Following his countryman to Minnesota, Russia’s new phenomenon Shved is trying to showcase his talent in the NBA in his rookie season.

"I decided to move forward in my career by going to the NBA. I know that I still have a lot to learn, but I think that I’m ready to make it here," said the 23-year-old guard.

"The way of playing is very different here, but the transition between Europe and the NBA is not that complicated. I have a lot of support from the staff and also my teammates, including Andrei who gives me lot of advice."

Kirilenko and Shved spent the whole summer playing together for the Russian national team, leading them to a bronze medal at the London Olympics.

"It was one of the best moments in my whole career so far," said Kirilenko.

"It is as important as our European title in 2007. It was very important to reach the podium because our national team hadn’t won an Olympic medal since 1988."

For Shved, the Bronze Medal Game against Argentina is sure to stand out in his memory as he scored the go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute. Not bad for a player appearing in only his third senior international tournament.

“It’s magic to win a medal at the Olympics. I’ll never forget the last two minutes of the game. It’s fantastic for us but also for our fans and for Russia,” he said.

And the 1.98m guard has shown he can deliver under pressure in the NBA too as he helped Minnesota - in just their third game of the season - come back from a 22-point deficit to beat the Brooklyn Nets 107-96 at home.

Shved scored all 10 of his points in the final quarter, including a pair of three-pointers and the go-ahead basket with 2:35 left to play.

Kirilenko also played his part in the come-from-behind win, displaying his usual versatility with 16 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four blocks and a steal.

With Team USA forward Kevin Love and Spain point guard Ricky Rubio on the injured list, Minnesota will need more of these types of performances from their Russian pair.

While they are a world away from their native land, they did hear the news that David Blatt was stepping down as the national team coach but are still convinced the future is bright for Russian basketball.

"We are very thankful to David for the job he's done during the last few years, because he helped Russian basketball to improve and to reach success," said Kirilenko, who played for Blatt ever since the coach joined the national team set-up following Russia's disappointing 8th-place finish at EuroBasket 2005.

"We tried to convince him to remain as the national coach, but he took his decision and we need to respect it. Now, we need to look forward and think about the next competitions to come.

Shved seconded Kirilenko.

"We improved a lot with David Blatt and we’ll always remember him for helping us to be better players. But now, we need to think about the future and remain motivated,” he explained.

The first major competition in the post-Blatt era will be next year Eurobasket in Slovenia.

“It is still very early to talk about it, but I’m sure that we can fight for the first places in Slovenia,” declared Kirilenko.

FIBA