BC Žalgiris Kaunas 2016-2017

[Mindozas]

Zalgiris_logo4.jpg


Head-Coach: Šarūnas Jasikevičius

PG: Leo Westermann, Lukas Lekavičius, Paulius Valinskas
SG: Renaldas Seibutis, Kevin Pangos, Martynas Varnas
SF: Edgaras Ulanovas, Artūras Milaknis
PF: Paulius Jankūnas, Brock Motum, Isaiah Hartenstein
C: Augusto Lima, Antanas Kavaliauskas, Robertas Javtokas

Renewed:

Edgaras Ulanovas (2+1)
Renaldas Seibutis (1 season)
Robertas Javtokas (1 season)
Brock Motum (1 season)

In:

Leo Westermann - Limoges CSP (1+1)
Kevin Pangos - Gran Canaria (1+1)
Augusto Lima - Real Madrid (1 year loan)
Artūras Milaknis - Unics (3 years)
Antanas Kavaliauskas - Lietuvos Rytas (2 years)
Paulius Valinskas - Žalgiris-2 (1 year)
Martynas Varnas - Žalgiris-2

Out:

Jerome Randle (Adelaide 36ers, AUS)
Siim-Sander Vene (Nizhny Novgorod, RUS)
Olivier Hanlan (Le Mans, FRA)
Kaspars Vecvagars (VEF Riga, LAT)
Martynas Pocius (UCAM Murcia, SPA)
Martynas Sajus (loaned to Starogard Polpharma, POL)
Ian Vougioukas (Lokomotiv Kuban, RUS)
Vytenis Lipkevičius (Vytautas, LTU)

Updated on September 13th

[Mindozas]

So another interesting offseason awaits for us. With more money from municipality, more incomes from Euroleague, we might expect bigger budget and some improvements in roster, which are badly needed to be more competitive in next season's Euroleague. Some moves were already made. Westermann signed, Ulanovas renewed, Vene left the club after spending 10 years here. Latter two are obviously good ones, Ulanovas had decent season, while in place of Vene we have Hartenstein, who is big prospect and needs a chance. Westermann remains the big question-mark. Saras wanted him badly, so it was very untypicall move for Zalgiris, to sign a player this early, especially the one who will lead the team. On other hand, maybe it's good that we signed exactly the player coach wanted... we'll see.
I'd say goodbye to all the foreigners we had. Motum, Hanlan simply didn't live up to expectations, Vougioukas did ok, but it'll be really hard to keep him for the same small amount of money and I guess I'd like different type of C this season, more athletic, better defender. Thought smth like Khem Birch might be decent option, until big sharks started to hunt him. Anyway, another foreign additions should be in SG/SF and frontcourt.
Most likely Seibutis and Javtokas will be kept aswell, just hope with decreased salaries. 400k for Seibutis is just too much to handle, there will be no Dacka which covers 75% of it. No idea about Pocius. He showed some signs of life in last games, but don't know if he deserves another chance, atleast not for the money he received. Also don't know if Lipkevicius is really needed. Don't see a place for Sajus in team too, just don't see any potential in him, poor man's Javtokas.
Well, what's obvious that we badly need some shooters, with Saras at helm, creativity improved, we find open shots more frequently, but simply lack players who could hit them. I think there could be done a try to bring Grigonis home, while I could only dream about getting Milaknis back + some foreign wing with good shooting abilities. Also shooting big would be needed, again rumours spreads about Kleiza, but it becomes urban legend already. Then maybe we could acquire Darjus, when he is injury-free, he still has smth to offer and would be valuable option for limited time IMO. They could very well match with Javtokas as back-ups Cs. Overall wouldn't mind to see smth like that

PG: Leo, Lekavicius
SG: Seibutis, Milaknis (SF), Pocius/Lipkevicius (Grigonis)
SF: foreigner (SG), Ulanovas
PF: Jankunas, Kleiza, Hartenstein
C: foreigner, D.Lavrinovic, Javtokas

But I guess I'll change my opinion regarding this roster lot of times during the summer

[Svajunas]

Yeah. I agree that we need athletic/mobile center with shotblocking and good defense. For all the good that Vogiukas did for zalgiris last year he was very slow and bad defender. Having Jankunas who can post up is good enough.

[Hepcat]

The participation of Žalgiris Kaunas in the new sixteen team Euroleague?

The participation of Žalgiris Kaunas in the new sixteen team Euroleague will certainly be good for Žalgiris since it will enable the club to access greater revenue sources, e.g. more games against top opponents, greater TV revenues, etc. Will a richer Žalgiris though not lead to greater competitive imbalance in LKL? Will this really be a good thing for the continued development of Lithuanian basketball?

[Svajunas]

I thought about it as well. It could backfire, but the club have to take step forward and compete with the best then to stay behind with a slowly developing LKL.

But the revenue will help the club to pay its debts faster and will help the city of Kaunas tremendously. Big clubs comming every other week... 15500 people going to arena and spending money on their way... one game will be more beneficial then 3-4 LKL games.

So its a no brainer choice... However the first couple seasons I think we will be one of the worst teams in euroleague. Nothing can be done here, but to slowly pay the debts and then use all the money to assemble a competitive team.

P.S. This thread should be merged to main Zalgiris thread.

[Mindozas]

It's not football, not UEFA Champions League, it's still basketball, non-profit sport in Europe, so there won't be any huge money injection and Zalgiris won't become some powerhouse on European scene. Budget will increase a bit of course, but that's all. You will still see Zalgiris dreaming about Top8 in Euroleague each season, but most likely, and sadly, finishing somewhere close to the bottom of Top16. I guess in few years, when all the debts will be paid, Zalgiris can reach the level of 2012-2013 team or that pre-crisis one and be more competitive in Europe, but still long way to go.
Talking about LKL, if one team wins the title 6 times in a row, most bein' easy ones or even sweeps, that's already big enough disbalance. Especially since that team is having big debts and last few years, each season, big part of budget goes to pay it. So the reasons lies somewhere else, here I'm pointing finger to Rytas obviously. They are not even close to the team it was in 00s, when they were among title contenders in Eurocup or had good seasons in Euroleague, even making it to Top16, once bein' really close to Top8. Now they are getting their asses kicked in first stage of Eurocup, that's how low they fell... We already discussed about it why it happened in other thread, so no reason to repeat it. So first of all Rytas needs to make step forward to bring that competitiveness back, if you are seeking for top fight in LKL finals. Maybe Neptunas could be that team too, but I doubt they have enough resources to gather bigger budget, but I'm not too familiar with situation there, maybe local guys knows better.

P.S. This thread should be merged to main Zalgiris thread.

Agree, done

[Hepcat]

...so there won't be any huge money injection and Zalgiris won't become some powerhouse on European scene. Budget will increase a bit of course, but that's all. You will still see Zalgiris dreaming about Top8 in Euroleague each season, but most likely, and sadly, finishing somewhere close to the bottom of Top16. I guess in few years, when all the debts will be paid, Zalgiris can reach the level of 2012-2013 team or that pre-crisis one and be more competitive in Europe, but still long way to go.

Maybe. Operating on a shoestring budget didn't prevent Žalgiris from winning the Euroleague title in 1999 though.

[Svajunas]

Some reports that Jasikevicius signed with Barcelona.

If true, I would be disappointed.

[Mindozas]

Maybe. Operating on a shoestring budget didn't prevent Žalgiris from winning the Euroleague title in 1999 though.

Times were different and lot of circumstances were in our favor that season. Overall Zalgiris wasn't that poor. With help of late Kalmanovich we had smth ~5mln$ budget, it was 20mln LTL. It was big money. We could afford to keep core of Lithuanian NT players after winning Saporta Cup, NT coach + add 3 NBA players cause of lock-out and hit a jackpot with everyone of them, which really rarely happens. That team had perfect chemistry too, it was like family, I don't remember even arguing between owners, which started next season. Also back then there weren't that big abyss between top tire clubs' budgets and ours. There weren't any club with almost 10 times bigger budget like f.e CSKA is now or some other EL title contenders has close to 30mln euros. Another thing which was in our favor - foreigners limits, clubs could have up to 3, so it was easier to keep local players and overall good local guys were very important. F.e the same Kinder had great starters, but very short bench cause of that, while we could rotate a lot, keep fast tempo, that was one of the keys to success.
Overall, now EL is more predictable. In 90s we could see different winner every season, now there's the same core of few teams which fights for the title every single season for years, for smaller clubs it close to impossible to win the league now

[Hepcat]

I see that Paulius Jankūnas has been voted both the most valuable and the dirtiest player in the LKL in a player poll!



Artūras Jomantas, who was also voted top defensive player, earned second place in the dirtiest player category.

[LuDux]

I see that Paulius Jankūnas has been voted both the most valuable and the dirtiest player in the LKL in a player poll!

Draymond Zhalias

[Svajunas]

I have never seeen Paulius to do something very dirty. I think of him as a very smart player who is not afraid to use his elbows when the time is right and he knows he can get away with it.

[Mindozas]

I have never seeen Paulius to do something very dirty. I think of him as a very smart player who is not afraid to use his elbows when the time is right and he knows he can get away with it.

You're right, Jankunas is a bit dirty, but he is dirty in different way, he is using elbows, his body to gain position, he simply tough to play against, while he never did what the same Babrauskas in LKL or some Rudy in EL were doin' with tryin' to cause injury to other player intentionally pushing him in the back while he is in the air, tripping them up, punching, including lot of bitching, flopping, crying at refs. It's different dirtiness and I see nothing wrong in what Jankunas does

[LuDux]

You're right, Jankunas is a bit dirty, but he is dirty in different way, he is using elbows, his body to gain position, he simply tough to play against, while he never did what the same Babrauskas in LKL or some Rudy in EL were doin' with tryin' to cause injury to other player intentionally pushing him in the back while he is in the air, tripping them up, punching, including lot of bitching, flopping, crying at refs. It's different dirtiness and I see nothing wrong in what Jankunas does

If only players he's playing against read it before voting...

[LuDux]

You're right, Jankunas is a bit dirty, but he is dirty in different way, he is using elbows, his body to gain position, he simply tough to play against, while he never did what the same Babrauskas in LKL or some Rudy in EL were doin' with tryin' to cause injury to other player intentionally pushing him in the back while he is in the air, tripping them up, punching, including lot of bitching, flopping, crying at refs. It's different dirtiness and I see nothing wrong in what Jankunas does

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xsoq1zWJOE&feature=youtu.be&t=3410

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIw6LLw9ujA&feature=youtu.be&t=5237