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2023 Lithuanian NT

  • Thread starter Thread starter Straight forward2
  • Start date Start date
this team plays no defense, just like before, except its also not as talented offensively
 
zalias said:
this team plays no defense, just like before, except its also not as talented offensively
Click to expand...

Pretty much so. But generally team looks more refreshing than I thought. Goergia played optimal rotation basically, we rotated all players. Obviously we are not gonna be good defensive team, but offense runs pretty nicely. Jokubaitis is ready to have big tournament. Maksvytis just has to find proper usage for first 2 games against Egypt and Mexico. Rokas shouldn't play more than 20min. just to have him fresh against Montengro (probably will have to play 30min.) and second group. I only didn't get why he changed his FTs shooting mode slightly, it doesn't make sense.

Respect for Maksvytis drawing correct set for the last possession. Jokubaitis imitates pick and roll action, gives the ball to Iggy, JV sets the screen just to switch the defenders and Iggy playing ISO. It happened to be difficult shot, but the idea is very good.

Jogela continues to impress. That confidence, that three. He doesn't look worse than Normantas. It's an open competition between Normantas, Giedraitis, Jogela.
 
zalias said:
this team plays no defense, just like before....
Click to expand...

I agree. Allowing an opponent 102 points is not a blueprint for victory. And completely blowing an 18 point lead with just 7 minutes to play is very worrisome.

:(
 
Oh, Jogela had been cut...Unexpected, but probably logical choice. E. Zukauskas also out.

I keep hearing that we are "fragile at 1-2" positions, but no Marciulionis to the main camp...Come on, Maksvytis :) Mark my words, Kariniauskas will be complete trash against serious teams.

And seems Tubelis out too who happens to be still injured...Too bad, Maldunas is complete trash. This is more than a joke to go with barely Eurocup level player...I would go with Tarolis or both out.
 
Valanciunas said it correctly what is the diffrence between 2010s and 2020s generation players : Its fighting character and never giving up in 2010s players


In 2010s NTs

If game is close,they would find a way to win 3 of 4 similiar type games. Because they would make multiple stops when in mattered,make gutsy plays like falling on the ground for lose ball, had bunch of street smart players and grind the wins in such way



2020s NT

have a more offensive tallent,but weak characters,very little street smart players and just way too much below average defensive players.



How NT 2023 can make stops with starting 5 lineup like today : Jonas,Bendzius,Jokubaitis,Brazdeikis,Normantas ?

Im sorry even Kazlauskas couldnt built no real defence with such below average 4 defenders in same lineup.



I want Dimsa in all critical,chalenging moments when NT will look in panick mode in 2023 champ. Dude simply is not loosing his head and has feeling where to be similiar like Arnas. All those endings 2023 Dimsa played in euroleague,he learned alot


Good coach desicion put Jokubaitis,Brazdeikis,Dimsa together on last posssesion. I trust Dimsa can make wide open jumshot too in endings,if teams gonna risk it will come from him in that lineup.
 
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i wouldnt be surprised if giedraitis ends up going to the world cup. he's imo by far the best perimeter defender on this team and that's what they desperately need
 
I'd be aghast. I've been hearing about Giedraitis' "defensive skills" only very recently from hardcore Žalgiris fans. I'm to say the least sceptical. It strikes me as simple prevarication to distract from his forgettable EFF numbers.

:rolleyes:
 
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Rating the performance of the various Lithuanian players against Georgia:

EXCELLENT

[TABLE="align: left, border: 1, cellpadding: 1, width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]PLAYER[/TD]
[TD]MINUTES[/TD]
[TD]EFFICIENCY[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jonas Valančiūnas​[/TD]
[TD]25:39[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rokas Jokubaitis[/TD]
[TD]24:13[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Deividas Sirvydis[/TD]
[TD]11:28[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Margiris Normantas[/TD]
[TD]11:47[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]









GOOD

[TABLE="align: left, border: 1, cellpadding: 1, width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]PLAYER[/TD]
[TD]MINUTES[/TD]
[TD]EFFICIENCY[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Tadas Sedekerskis[/TD]
[TD]15:38[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] [TABLE="border: 0, cellpadding: 0, cellspacing: 1"]
[TR]
[TD]Tomas Dimša[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[TD]17:02[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ignas Brazdeikis[/TD]
[TD]22:41[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Matas Jogėla​[/TD]
[TD]17:56[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]










FAIR

[TABLE="align: left, border: 1, cellpadding: 1, width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]PLAYER[/TD]
[TD]MINUTES[/TD]
[TD]EFFICIENCY[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Eimantas Bendžius​[/TD]
[TD]20:52[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]





BAD

[TABLE="align: left, border: 1, cellpadding: 1, width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]PLAYER[/TD]
[TD]MINUTES[/TD]
[TD]EFFICIENCY[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dovydas Giedraitis[/TD]
[TD]14:53[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Gabrielius Maldūnas​[/TD]
[TD]8;53[/TD]
[TD]-1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Donatas Tarolis[/TD]
[TD]8.58[/TD]
[TD]-1[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]








And defence today? Somehow I don't think any was played.

:(
 
It was refreshing to see how confident Jokubaitis is. He and JV are at different level than all other players. Yes, Brazdeikis will be good too, but not as consistent and efficient player. I was laughing at these 4th, 5th spots which went to Ulanovas and Brazdeikis (via kepsinis.net). There's no doubt it's Sabonis/JV/Jokubaitis/Grigonis as the best ballers in the country (and the hierarchy of latter 2 are unclear, but most likely Jokubaitis is already third best baller in the country). We have 3 players who play at the highest level possible at the moment - 2 NBA guys and Barca's Jokubaitis. To be fair, I have a feeling that the next guy who will reach this level will be Rubstavicius (maybe Brazdeikis). Jokubaitis decision making and steamy offense will come on a constant basis and this means our offense will be good enough even without Sabonis, Grigonis, Lekavicius. I even liked his effort defensively, he was active with his hands, tried to lock down Georgia's PGs in some possessions, but obviously their guards are far from being elite. If Jokubaitis is playing around 20min. he's an average defender at the very least and sometimes his motor and effort is a bit underrated. Obviously he'll never be good defender, but his presence will be priceless for Lithuanian basketball in upcoming 11-13 years. We have very good player to start building winning culture for 20s at position 1.

I'm most disappointed with the fact we didn't get a small ball 5. If Tubelis out, we really have no answers. Azuolas athleticism and decent lateral quickness, ability to chase down guards for a block here and there could be a nice option. Maldunas zero athleticism will be useless against serious opponents. Shengellia was eating him alive.

Players as Giedraitis, Normantas, Sirvydis, Sederskis, Bendzius all functioned well as role players. We can add D-Mo and Kuzminskas to this list. Meaning we have very adequate role players who will do their job without any frustration and won't ask the ball. This is good. I have Jokubaitis, Brazdeikis, Valanciunas and even Dimsa as top protagonists of this team and players who will play with the ball the most. I still think Kariniauskas will be a tragedy and a mistake. He will suck balls in most if not all serious games, IMO. But it's refreshing to see that Sirvydis and Sedekerskis add certain creativity, passing culture to the team. Specially Sirvydis. We need those secondary facilitating glimpses since we depend on Jokubaitis so much:

https://twitter.com/ltu_basketball/status/1686421329258467339
https://twitter.com/ltu_basketball/status/1685354462448168960

To me the biggest issue is the lack of defensive center. How we will be closing games? With freakin' Maldunas? I understand why Maksvytis desperately waited for Tubelis. We are butt naked in this department and after the season with Zalgiris and last EB, he knows we are in trouble if we play JV, D-Mo down the stretch...Our D will be butt naked.

Heading forward we desperately need defensive 5. Hopefully Tubelis/Krivas can offer something soon. I see Tubelis making 2024 as third center.
 
Urbonas says Kariniauskas will be the main PG. I mean I don't care about that absolutely silly redneck, but, seriously, I will never ever thought this kind of level will ever be reached...Speechless...

I'm sincerely frightful realizing that such persons actually get to coach LTU NTs as U18...OMG...
 
Our finishing 5 center is Domas. This 2023 NT dont have such player that could switch everything defence and have street smart,experienced big for endings.


Coach tried to put Sedekerskis and Bendzius together they were eaten by bigs of Georgians inside.

Same can happend versus huge size NTs of Greece or Montenegro or Serbia. Those 2 our PF together can work only againts small teams like Mexico or Italy



Shengelia destroyed yesterday everybody on PF position with 30pts .We saw why he is good euroleague player and our PFs is uleb level.


This 2023 NT have just too many defensive holes.Coach trying to fill one with more mobile bigs and doing that other hole inside opens up and georgians didnt even have high quality scoring guards and still was scoring easily


This roster can talk about training all they want,but how to fix things when like all NT players is one sided players or defensive type or offensive type and nobody is two way player
 
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No. Sedekerskis is legitimate EL player. Shengelia simply had a very good game, but he's far from playing like this every day now. Besides, NT still doesn't have chemistry and that's the outcome of that too. Sedekerskis maybe didn't have the best defensive game this time, but he is a really really solid EL defensive combo forward. Actually Sederskis is a very good option to throw on some bigger PFs. Yes, if Shengelia will get it going he will dominate, but Sedekerskis will have some good defensive performances and hopefully that will come in important games too.

Sabonis off course is better and sometimes much better than JV/D-Mo defensively, but overall he also is liability in p'n'r D and doesn't have enough rim protection. Yeah, we can live with him to certain extent, and knowing his offensive talent we will certainly will, but, again, we need some-one with better defensive instincts - the one who would LOVE to play defense. My money are on Raupelis, but Tubelis, Krivas also can be a step forward. Say you have Sabonis, Tubelis, Krivas as C line-up for 2027 WC and that already sound like not completely naked position 5.

I want to see Tarolis getting a chance to close down upcoming games against Finland or France.

Regarding grinding players for upcoming generation I would name Sedekerskis, D. Giedraitis, Marciulionis, Rubstavicius, Krivas, K. Keinys, Raupelis, Smirnov, Zygas. Those have huge defensive motor, tends to grind and play with 100% motor at least defensively. I think new generation will be more about offense and we likely to have a chance to be so good offensively that defense won't be even so relevant, but I think we still will have some good options for grinding egoless players.
 
I also was repeating here Sedekerskis is good defender,but when i see Vezenkov cooking him last summer,Sengelia this summer and alot fans imagine Sedekerskis would have slow down Doncic in 2021,but now im not so sure at all :)

When im saying that Vezenkov and Sengelia were cooking LTU NT is not with just 20pts,is was more with 30pts on 60% shooting.Its means our PFs didnt take nothing from them and gave everything



Sedekerskis problem is basketball iq,his body and athletism gives him chance being very good defender,but his basketball iq limitations im starting to feel he never will reach Maciulis/Siskauskas abilities on defence.

Those dudes were street smart not dummies and was adapting to changing situations fast themselfs


Cant say same about Sedekerkis.He is like robot doing what coaches is saying in scouting report,but not making his own adjustments when things changes on the floor.
 
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Those guys you mention are pretty good. You ain't no stopping them easily. Sedekerskis probably won't be as good defensively as prime Maciulis, or Siskauksas (different type of defenders though), but he still is sneaky good, you just have to trust him. Sometimes he will look a bit lost and in other stretch or game he will be the machine of efficiency and very good defense. Overall as the tournament goes I think he will be from decent to solid, just have to trust him and live with few misreads, personal fouls or missed shots. He had some great stretches during the season, then I think some injuries slowed him down.
 
I get all that, im not asking opponents NT leaders hold under 10pts,but could please our forwards hold them under 20pts ? and under 50% shooting ?

I cant ask that from veterans Bendzius or Kuzminskas,so im asking that from Sedekerskis


So far he failed in slowing down Vezenkov,Sengelia.

Next his PF matchups will be Markanen and Yabusele


Those good NTs have really good PFs .Sedekerskis must show what he is made of and step up his defence or he gonna be cooked again.
 
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Asking way too much, specially when we speak about Vezenkov. He was averaging 27ppg and not a single team hold him lower than 26pts...
 
NT of missing players vs current NT - which is superior?

Lekavicius, Grigonis
R. Giedraitis, Rubstavicius
Ulanovas, Butkevicius
Kulboka, Buzelis
Sabonis, Gudaitis

Damn, it's pretty close...
 
Straight forward said:
Asking way too much, specially when we speak about Vezenkov. He was averaging 27ppg and not a single team hold him lower than 26pts...
Click to expand...


Hold Shengelia and Vezenkov to just 30pts Kuzminskas and Bendzius also can.


If Sedekerskis dont make no diffrence in defence,i rather play those 2 for shooting
 
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