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2023 Lithuanian NT

  • Thread starter Thread starter Straight forward2
  • Start date Start date
It's not a dream. The talent (prospects) are there. We never had so many high level prospects in all positions basically. But not sooner than second half of decade. NT should be stacked in 2027 and 2028. I see France still having couple of non EL players in roster 2023. I think from 2027 there won't be such players on LTU roster.

It's normal that the decade starts better or worse. Usually we start strong like in 90s - 92, 95, 96. In 00s we were even the best European NT in 2000-2004 stretch (despite the choke in 04, I think we had the most talented and best scoring power NT, we took down USA, complete trashed and demoralized stacked Greece), but finished the decade relatively poorly. Everyone who watched 2000 Olympics knows that Lithuania, not France, was the second best NT of Olympics and we contested USA as no-one else before ever. So this stretch is probably the best for Lithuania, cause we were the best NT in Europe. Better than Spain that we beat in 2003 EB final. In 10's also good start, but crappy second half (the key here however, that we can't get to top 4 in Olympics, obvious decline).

I'm not projecting that we gonna get medals necessary in 2027, 2028, but I project that we will have the team which will be able to go against anybody for realistic aim for winning, including A USA team, like we did in 2000 and 2004. Semis should be the goal minimum for that team, even knowing how competitive and deep FIBA competition became.
 
Im still sure how 2000 olympics will help NT will win basketball games in 2020s decade :)


Im projecting that u living in the past and simply refusing see reality what happend in last 10 years


Im sorry dude but with all those projections how every tallented kid will become euroleague star and NT will again comeback to great times suddenly from 10 years being nowhere its fans illusions not reality

:cool:
 
Straight forward said:
I project that we will have the team which will be able to go against anybody for realistic aim for winning, including A USA team, like we did in 2000 and 2004. Semis should be the goal minimum for that team, even knowing how competitive and deep FIBA competition became.
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Are you obsessed with those talents or what. It's simply crazy and out of the world.
 
Shawshank said:
Im sorry dude but with all those projections how every tallented kid will become euroleague star and NT will again comeback to great times suddenly from 10 years being nowhere its fans illusions not reality

:cool:
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So your logic is: if we are bad today for 10 years, it's gonna be like that forever? Legit logic, indeed dude...

If there's prospects I see them (some will emerge from no-where being super late bloomers as always as R. Giedraitis or Butkevicius who now seem mediocre too), If there's none or just scrubs, I will point that out too. I say what I see, that's all. Some won't prevail, maybe their dedication will be different, but we have to many legit ones not to expect good things. I have no doubt that's the deepest prospect pool historically.

What I don't see it is an elite defensive big man, like sure fire as young Javtokas. I don't see shooters of Macijauskas, Stombergas level. I also not sure we will have as reliable and good stretch 4s as Kleiza or the same K. Lavrinovic were (main candidates for now Murauskas and Buzelis while I treat Kulboka too soft).

But many good players will prevail from all this new wave. Some of them will be EL stars (primarily candidates are Jokubaitis, Rubstavicius, Jakucionis, Indrusaitis, Murauskas, but Iggy and Lelevicius may also have that upside), few NBA players (at least Buzelis for sure), and tons of quality EL role players.

PS 1: Now, interesting question - would Kleiza today be first rounder or even drafted at all? In college he was shooting only 29% threes. He looked pretty heavy and needed to polish himself more to become reliable SF for NBA standards. Knowing how Vukcevic stands only at 44 spot today with terrific jumshot, I don't know how many teams would risk on college Kleiza profile. Here's the story what was happening with Kleiza in draft year and first seasons with The Nuggets:

Kleiza showed great touch and potential as a small forward in terms of skill set, but needed to re-shape his body and work on gaining the quickness and court awareness necessary to play full time on the perimeter. Over the past two seasons, Kleiza has really molded himself into a valuable wing player for the Nuggets.​

https://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Linas-Kleiza-168/

PS 2: Buika resembles Grigonis at magnificent level indeed. That comparison came earlier here from a guy who didn't stick here, but he was absolutely right. There's a lot of similarities in Buika's overall profile, even their shooting mechanics are very familiar. Probably the upside may be rather similar too.
 
Shawshank said:
Butkevicius is injured and is out too

Lekavicius,Grigonis,Giedraitis,Butkevicius,Ulanovas,Gudaitis,Sabonis 6 euroleague players and 1 nba player OUT

Balciunas again gonna come and talk his nonsenses how younger and more hungry players will replace 6 out of top 10 curent best ltu players and NT will fight for highest positions :cool:
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Oh groan. Very depressing.

:(
 
Shawshank said:
Butkevicius is injured and is out too.
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What on earth? Did Butkevičius​ get drunk and fall down the stairs or something? Just a few weeks ago he was playing pretty nearly his best basketball of the season against Rytas.

:eek:
 
According to Knet ranked rating its already clear from top 10 current ltu players 5 are surely out

Domas,Ulanovas,Butkevicius,Giedraitis,Grigonis


+NT is missing also 11th Gudaitis and 12th Lekavicius . 14th Dimsa had surgery but planing try to play straight after rehab


If Brazdeikis in LTU 2023 will have 5 of top 12 current players.

If Brazdeikis also out NT will collect 4 of top 12 players --.> 33% of best players



People likes to remember 2010 example that NT missed veterans Jasikevicius,Kaukenas,Songaila,Brothers

Absences of 2023 is more seriuos and bigger .


By 2010 those veterans was atleast 32+ old and wasnt same players anymore like they were in 2003-2008 either way . Later tournaments of 2011-2012 only shown that
 
Look at USA, they have only one 1 top 10 player Haliburton, and even he is top 10 statistically, not in terms of leadership. USA and Lithuania have deepest BB traditions in the world and we are very similar towards WC. F.e. Sabonis, Marciulionis, Jasikevicius, Siskauskas never played in WC.
 
USA before nba for manny decades sended stronger students teams to universiade game that world championship .Americans never took world championship seriuosly
​​​

But LTU collecting just 30-40 % of top 12 players is fiasco of federation and their hired coaching staff
​​​​
 
Plus Sabonis, Butkevicius, Grigonis skipped because of health...So we just have Ulanovas and Giedraitis as top 10 guys who just decided to skip because of some random reasons.
 
Lol, fiasco because Ulanovas, who's not playing for decades already anyway, and in the NT sucking Giedraitis skipped...Save your conspiracy theories energy for next case dude. Injuries are injuries.
 
Every summer we will have injured NT players.

Dinosour expert where do you see conspiracies? im saying cold facts in numbers of best ltu players


Collect only 4-5 players out of top 12 i never remember thats happening in 30 years.

Even 2010 had more players from top 12
 
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I only say that Gedvilas has zero to do with this You randomly searching for scapegoat. I don't think Butkevicius tore his ankle just to show how he hates Gedvilas :D I would look at things from different angle. Generally all top 4 players didn't say no to the NT, but only injuries stopped them. JV and Jokubaitis IN, Grigonis and Sabonis out due to injuries. Top 5 is probably Brazdeikis the way he played in EB and the way he looked in the second half in EL. So basically we have top 5 players saying Yes, unless injury. Both Sabonis and Grigonis "wants to completely deal with their injuries".

If there was no injuries for Sabonis, Grigonis, Butkevicius, no-one would care much that Ulanovas (always absent), Giedraitis (irrelevant in NT) and Lekavicius (somewhat on the decline side) skips NT.

Seriously, who said no from healthy players who are really relevant players? Lekavicius that's it. I'm not gonna pretend that for 4 years not playing Ulanovas had any other plans than to continue his retirement. He's not gonna be any younger or better rested in 2024. All this situation is making too much fuzz. Jasikevicius and Siskauskas were eagerly skipping 2006 (in their total prime) and 2010 World cups.

JV is the best example that all this blaming federation is just nonsense. You want, you come, and you even calling out others. As well as Jokubaitis who in last 2 years played tons of games.
 
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Shawshank said:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuT_SOO...d&ig_rid=949583b8-c830-4e97-8bb9-0b2e82107442


only good thing lenght and size even for 33% of 2023 NT wont be a problem


Valanciunas,Dmo,Birutis,Sedekerskis,Kuzminskas


In PG-SF positions everywhere problematic situations
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That size at 5 will actually be a problem. 3 slow centers is a recipe for disaster unless Maksvytis will pull out some sort of genius zone defense (which he should I think). I would think about Kairys as third center if Tubelis is not ready. The dude can step out even switch all to certain extent. He outplayed all Zalgiris' centers in LKL finals. We need some-one at least relatively mobile at 5 and I don't see other options other than Tubelis and Kairys.

Length at 2-4 is not a problem generally. We can even throw good defensive line-up with Dimsa, Radzevicius, Sedekerskis. Or to go with more offense throwing in Brazdeikis, Sirvydis.

Size here is not a problem (even at 1 Jokubaitis, Dimsa, D. Giedraitis, Margiris are all OK with size). A problem is a lack of talent.

ATM, I want to see how reserve NT looks and which pieces should be integrated to senior NT, but if I have to go tomorrow to WC I probably go with this:

Jokubaitis, Dimsa, Radzevicius, Sedekerskis, Valanciunas (introducing some sort of zone defense)

Throwing Brazdeikis, Kuzminskas off the bench for instant offense and very likely Sirvydis too. Hopefully against bench guys these will be less vulnerable defensively. Throwing D-Mo in who can feed shooters (Kuzminskas, Sirvydis) and find cutters (Brazdeikis) with his passing presence, or playing perfect short role and p'n'r with Jokubaitis (this guy will have to play heavy minutes, I doubt we can survive longer with Dimsa or anyone else at 1).

Extra option to go with grinding defensive line-up, even trying to switch all - Tubelis/Kairys, Sedekerskis, Radzevicius, Giedraitis/Margiris, Dimsa. Probably the idea would be is to make stops and to run to transition as aggressively as you can.

I really don't see how Birutis is needed. To me JV and D-Mo are nearly too much. They are too similar at the moment.
 
The fight between Greece without Sloukas and Giannis and LTU will be interesting to watch. I am really eager to watch the game of Rogkavopoulos if LTU will have an answer for him.
 
Toruko said:
The fight between Greece without Sloukas and Giannis and LTU will be interesting to watch. I am really eager to watch the game of Rogkavopoulos if LTU will have an answer for him.
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I think you confused Rogavopoulos (I will call him Nikos) with Giannis :D Nice, solid prospect, but just tuned 22. He's not on the level of Brazdeikis, Sedekerskis even ATM. Can get off as he did against B Serbia in qualification, but not yet some sort of elite or even close to that player. In Turkey not too efficient from the field. I think he's somewhere were our current Sirvydis stands.
 
Straight forward said:
I think you confused Rogavopoulos (I will call him Nikos) with Giannis :D Nice, solid prospect, but just tuned 22. He's not on the level of Brazdeikis, Sedekerskis even ATM. Can get off as he did against B Serbia in qualification, but not yet some sort of elite or even close to that player. In Turkey not too efficient from the field. I think he's somewhere were our current Sirvydis stands.
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Wait and see what kind of weapon he is.
 
Toruko said:
Wait and see what kind of weapon he is.
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I've seen some, I think he's a good prospect and will be very solid piece for Greece, even one of the keys long term, but ATM he's not there how you put it "will you have an answer for him".
 
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