Yes in my eyes Dimsa/Normantas 2023 overall defence+offrence played better than Lekavicius/Giedraitis did in 2022
Im repeating here for long time NT is loosing games in 2017-2023 because of weak individual guards compared to top 8 NTs.
Unless NT with time will have more Euroleague/nba perimeter strong players i dont see anything changing drastically results wise
Its pipe dream imagine we can win medals having one of the weakest guards from all top 10 NTs in guard dominated era
Finally you understood. You always had that idea that JV and 1992 guys will bring medals. I was telling you, it's ain't happening. It's an average guys basically (role players) and JV who is horrible fit fir modern ball. LTU sometimes delivered overachievements, but it won't happen all the time specially with FIBA on big rise of level if you ask me.
Unfortunately our coaches still don't understand that. They would invest into average players as more reliable option, but it doesn't lead to anything. No results no and no benefits later. If Marciulionis was back-up PG in WC the result would be the same, but it would be big step forward developing legit high level back up PG long term. If Tubelis was instead of Maldunas, we would have a beast for next tournaments. Now both Kariniauskas and Maldunas will be goners for good and we have nothing in our hands when it comes to WC. Basically same story in our basketball except when Kazlauskas and Sireika was coaching.
We need bold moves integrating needed pieces. Most talented players for they nominal positions absolutely must be integrated as soon as possible because we have been dragging behind, became sleeping, old school, out-dated, mediocre basketball province. Only Jokubaitis and Brazdeikis was a push forward, but that happened only because they were among the leaders instantly. There was no single push and credit for single talented new comer (Sederskis cut in 2021 and 2022 was the best example of our attitude) and that's insanity knowing for how long we are in the crisis and how much we need to update our talent level and have long term vision.
I was staring to talk that JV becoming a problem ever since 2016, 2017. But we didn't do anything. We missed what's happening in basketball, we didn't plan ahead, we failed to understand that building around JV will cause the longest NT crisis ever and the longest medals thirst ever, we continue to sleep even when we finally have talent (we pushed aside Tubelis, Marciulionis, Giedraitis, Jogela, Velicka didn't even talk over seriously with Rubstavicius and so on). The way I see it we will continue to be passive and not pro active in terms of fighting this crisis and solving the issues long term cause Maksvytis never showed any signs of caring about NT long term, even Olympic cycle term (differently than Kazlauskas). He again will make zero bold moves, will take all the locks and average players in the remaining spots and will do what he has been doing.
We specially screwed in the period 2020-2023. We already had some real talents as Sedekerskis, Marciulionis, Tubelis, D. Giedraitis and so on, but we kept them aside. We never been pro active to improve our backcourt and no long term vision what so ever. What if Marciulionis was sitting out in 2022 like Zemaitis did and playing in few games? What if 2023 was his second season? I bet we would have a guy who already has a swagger and understanding about this environment. We would have legitimate athletic defensive/facilitating PG. Our creation and ability to brake perimeter defense as well as to defend perimeter would be at another level in 2024 for example. Now we will have no D from a back up PG cause Lekavicius and Kariniauskas can't play D and team's as Serbia will make fun of us again. That's just an example. We never fought that crisis, never tried to solve our issues pro actively. When Maksvytis was hired he never talked about all Olympic cycle. Never. He was all occupied with one step ahead. That's what happens when you hire a guy who already coaches Zalgiris and he doesn't even have proper time for the NT. That's on federation obviously.
This Olympic cycle has been a failure. We didn't do anything. Just passively played outdated ball and didn't work on our issues. I will remember 2020-2024 stretch as passive reconciliation of remaining in the crisis. I can't blame Adomaitis, he didn't yet have pieces, but Maksvytis had and he simply never cared about testing and integrating all the best talent (starting with not inviting Sirvydis to the camp in 22, cutting Sedekerskis, not even taking good looking Marciulionis to the main camp of 23 and so on).
So this Olympic cycle was passive and chaotic as fuck and we badly needed long term vision at the start of it. Now it's too late, no moves have been made. No homework, so this Olympic cycle has been utilized something like 70%, that's how I take it.
The good news is that whoever will coach NT in the next cycle, NT will have strong pieces nevertheless. So even if passive coach as Maksvytis will continue, we just inevitably will have strong take in next cycle, specially when we speak about 2027 WC and 2028 Olympics, We will have stacked team, stacked in the fashion of 1992-2008 period standards. At least that's what I see looking at our upcoming talent.
I was telling you it ain't happening, forget it. Now you preaching how no-one understands that guards make difference, duh...good morning!