Finally down to earth talk about NT. Like adequate talk. Finally people openly talk about Marciulionis and put him as primarily candidate to back up Jokubaitis. Not only I, but also Augustas U20 coach preached this, and finally some people awake and start talking about this. Better later than never, while realistically Augustas had to be in the NT 2023. I bet my dignity he had provided much tougher punch for Serbian guards contact and stickiness wise. He would have bitten their legs while Normantas, Dimsa and I don't even talk about Kariniauskas were completely harmless in that game. Marciulionis has to be integrated. Maksvytis will unleash his mediocre mentality all over again most likely and will screw it again and will leave NT butt naked with some Lekavicius or Kariniauskas in the knock our stage games. If you don't have defensive coherency starting from 1 position, you are really in very tough situation unless your PG is a master as Doncic. Next to mediocre defensively Jokubaitis, it's a must to have defensively strong back up PG. Not Lukas, not Karinia, nor Zemaitis can provide that. Only Marciulionis.
Second, they finally talked down Rubstavicius. As I said, I think he can stand out more against great teams than completely mediocre pieces as Dimsa, Normantas, R. Giedraitis. But, again, Maksvytis will screw here again, specially if he won't even try Rubstavicius at all. The way Maksvytis handled Tubelis in windows, it's clear he's ready to step onto the same rake as he did in 2022 and 2023. Maksvytis just has the mentality to go mediocre ways as previously plenty of mediocre coaches did. Only guys like Garastas, Kazlauskas and such tier can make bold and spot on decisions which can lift us. Jasikevicius would do it, but he's the only one. I would love to see Purlys prevailing as a coach. His mentality and thinking is different than average, old school, redneck coach which is status quo of LTU coach. He openly says what it has to be said, and very often. He went extremely, radically small with his 2006 gen and won the gold with it. Dude has balls and modern mind. That alone is very valuable cause everything starts from right mentality. If you don't have that, not even tons of knowledge of tactics and experience will help. Maksvytis has wrong mentality and you won't fix it. He will always go with trivial choices and decisions which are the result of mediocre, provincial mentality. Coaches as Maksvytis will never be elite cause their have thinking system which is just too limited and too provincial. That's why I don't want Maksvytis long term. He waists tons of talent, he doesn't see the whole picture, he fails to see what he will need against knock out opponents and I have little hope that will change in 2024, specially the way he handled the window. If he proves me wrong I will say my bad, but the window was horrible. That booing of the crowd was not only about Tubelis. That was the reflection of BB fans towards all Makvytis campaign in the NT. All Sedekerskis cuts, all Cizauskases, Zukauskases and tons of non NT material all over and leaving talent aside. It was the expression of exhaustion. To be honest well deserved.
I praised Balciunas when he was selected, but I have to admit thus far he failed when it comes to the NT. He hired a coach who not only happened to work with Zalgiris (Balciunas blessed that, even if Maksvytis already had a contract with NT), but also skips NT games. Also Balciunas organized poor exhibition opponents in 2022 and partially 2023 as well. Now he also plans to play against NCAA kids in preparation. He hired Maksvytis who fails. Overall bad stretch for Balciunas and when he will be re-elected most likely, they won't have good options for the NT head coach again, if Jasikevicius will say no.
Coaching remains huuuuugggeeeee and by far No.1 problem of LTU NT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-oJQMFRYtk&list=PLtrMJeIIIKHsUIKQFLsI0_Wk3l0b6LrNR& ab_channel=O%2CDangau%21
