I will say this. Lithuanian community was too sleepy on D. Giedraitis. He was really really good in ACB being 20-21yo in ACB. He was already elite defender, good decision maker and solid shooter and I preached to pay proper attention (which off course LTU coaches didn't) and I was right. Then when I followed Sirvydis in G League, I knew he can offer great things and will be very good player in Europe. People doubt that while I never doubted Sirvydis is a baller. Later I said that people who were saying Tubelis would be just a bench player of Rytas bluh bluh are wrong. I knew Tubelis instantly would be a beast in LKL, MVP anywhere aside Zalgiris (and even in Zalgiris he would have monster games in LKL already).
Now I clearly see what's going on with Augustas Marciulionis. He would instantly become the best LKL PG if today he would play there. Depsite Lekavicius hitting his shots against Rytas, I don't like my eye test on his physicality already. He started to decline physically. It's visible by eye test. He's not as explosive and fast as he used to be. Velicka turns the ball over and he doesn't have elite IQ and is not as good defender. Kariniauskas is a scrub and I always will say that. He barely can play and that always was the case except one season and he's the most overrated LTU PG of all time. No other scrub made NT Olympic and WC team in history. His 4.8/2.2 (LKL) and 3.5/2.3 as/tos ratio (Eurocuo) is trash. Zemaitis is meh. Mediocre by all means. Bickauskas lacking more expressed facilitation and overall offensive versatility. Janavicius is too old to be consistent at this age and also has certain limitations offensively which he never was able to fully overcome in his career. Marciulionis today is the second best PG in the country after Jokubaitis. I say this and I have no doubt I'm right on this again.
And I will say one more thing. Rubstavicius any minute is much better player in the NT than R. Giedraitis. No doubt. Book it. He would be much more efficient scorer, way better passer and incomparably superior in terms of absorbing the contact inside and making contact lay ups.
All these 5 players should be in the camp. If it's not the case, Maksvytis is sleeping on talent again and wasting NT coach position again and hurts LTU basketball. ATM I have him as the worst NT ever. No-one else ever made so much harm and wasted so much talent than Maksvytis did in 2.5 years. However you watch Garastas, Kazlauskas, Sireika, Kemzura, Adomaitis and even Butautas (he took 22yo Maciulis in for 2007 EB which wasn't necessary, but he still did it, even though later he screwed with 2009 EB and was on Maksvytis mode) were not wasting so much talent and were not so miserable in terms of constructing the roster and bring all sorts of trash and cringe in terms of NT memebers (Cizauskas, Griciunas, Zukauskas, Maldunas and so on and on). Even if I think Butautas was on the same tier being bad as Maksvytis and even similarly cringey (Prekevicius into 2008 OG, braught on his own srubs), he still get away with better results winning medal and reaching semis in 2008 OG. Adomaitis at least didn't make any absolutely cringey moves regarding roster selection. He wasn't selecting absolute scrubs and his 2019WC campaign is slightly underrated, he really took a lot from very mediocre roster. Just look how Lekavicius alone played under him and super mediocre backcourt of Lekavicius, Grigonis and washed out Kalnietis almost took down France and Australia. Maksvytis so far is the worst coach overall and I've seen enough in these 2.5 years to be completely disgust with him and his pathetic scrub choices. The way he handled FIBA window was the bottom. When NT coach gets booed (first time in NT history), boy, we have a problem...Being clueless alert.
I don't think this will be the roster of NT this summer (Maksvytis or any other mediocre LTU coach simply wouldn't have balls to do, and I don't know if any coach would have to cut JV), but that's the most logical thing to do and I'll explain why:
PG: Jokubaitis, Marciulionis
Even when Lekavicius scores, he's too vulnerable defensively these days. And his scoring profile declined. I want to see Marciulionis physical and defensive presence. IMO, that's a must.
SG: Grigonis, Brazdeikis, D. Giedraitis
We bring 2 best offensive and one best defensive shooting guard. Knowing that Sirvydis can play some 2 as well, there's no need of one single more offensive player. If Grigonis or Brazdeikis out, consider Rubstavicius higly. IMO, he's better than R. Giedraitis, Dimsa, Normantas offensively already. He's ready to be higher level role player at the highest level. His offensive efficiency is staggering (61% and 43% in physical Australia's league), his ability to attack close outs is unmatched and he has more ISO game and explosiveness already than these 3 average players mentioned.
SF: Ulanovas, Butkevicius, Sirvydis
Since I don't believe Buzelis will come, I think these 3 players should be in.
PF: Sedekerskis, Kuzminskas
We need Kuzminskas and his shooting at 4. To stretch the floor and run to transition. And this position is the reason why I think Tubelis should already be in. He can play the 4, he can run the floor as deer and he can even try to spread the floor.
C: Sabonis, Tubelis
I know JV won't be cut, but that would be most logical option. If there's Sabonis, there's nothing JV can offer which Sabonis can't do it. Sabonis brings fundamentals, post game and much more. Tubelis bring energy and even higher tempo off the bench, and more shooting than Domas/JV at 5. He showed he can play D when he wants to too. Valanciunas can score, but he slows the game down and defensively he struggles. Milutinov ate him alive in WC and Milutinov was better player overall in the tournament. That's when you know JV is done. He can't guard nobody and he's slower and slower. Now he will be taken only because of name, but he has been contra productive for a long time now. Tubelis is the only true 5/4 guy on the roster. That's why it would be logical decision. That would be the move towards modern basketball and we would play faster with a better defence.
Knowing Maksvytis, we will see something like that:
Jokubaitis, Lekavicius/Kariniauskas
Grigonis, Brazdeikis, Dimsa
Ulanovas, Butkevicius, Kuzminskas
Sedekerskis, Bendzius
Sabonis, Valanciunas
He will inevitably will fill the holes with mediocrity. He will waste yet another NT season, locking him down as the worst NT coach in history. That's the most realistic scenario when Maskvytis under the rule and he will make zero impact for the brighter future.
