How can the Lithuanian basketball program be improved?

[Hepcat]

What needs to be done to improve Lithuanian basketball? Should Arvydas Sabonis be encouraged, even tempted, to have more sons or are there other concrete steps that might be taken?

[Khalid80]

I'm no expert in Lithuanian basketball but from what I have noticed, the Lithuanian basketball program needs to work on finding and developing a few excellent level caliber of point guards (aka....Jasikevičius 2.0 ).

It's easier said than done though... And if Lithuania doesn't have the right program to do so they can emulate other countries programs that have successfully been able to produce the best point guards... I don't know whether Jasikevičius and Pocius playing in the U.S has helped them develop their ball handling skills and had they stayed in Lithuania would they have become the players that they are...

[sagenas]

Excellent topic, my friend. I always thought about writing blog entry on purpose to share my thoughts but I have so much of them so I may forget some....but what firstly comes to my mind:

1) All Lithuania has in basketball is not because of youth coaches, it's because of kids who want to become ball players...youth coaches are terrible - not only about technics of basketball, but about psychology, too. And those more advanced coaches, who do their stuff quite well, should try to develop their players' individual skills because right now coaches usually work on playing sets and stuff like this.

2) Players and coaches selection in youth national team categories - coaches usually get chance to continue from U-15(16) to U-20 but basketball of men and kids are very different. Also players are selected usually from the best basketball schools where there are some good talents but they even don't think that some other basketball schools have as much talented players, too...simply those schools/academies don't have so much talented players, tho. But that shouldn't be the case.

3) Teams. Teams should work more profesionally, too. Okay, right now we have more and more arenas, some games we can see on the internet - that are pluses. However, teams should work more profesionally, they should sign young players with long term contracts, they should advertise themselves, they should their PLAYERS as part of team's marketing - they should make commercials with them, they should include them everywhere because pro is pro and for PROs are idols, that would help to attract people and to gain much more use.

4) Foreign youngsters. Countries which have strong basketball leagues (Italy, Spain...maybe we can include France, too) invest money in FOREIGN talents a lot. It's normal that it's not enough of local talents to be competetive with teams which have the best talents, that's why they should search for it in foreign countries - later those talented kids would become high level players, that would increase level of league, level of teams, level of game. Big up for Šiauliai because they do smth like this with signing players like Liutych and Artamonov.

5) Development of the leagues. Leagues should change, they should work more profesionally - they should announce their games on TVs, Radios, internet, they should provide more information about it, tickets should be cheaper. Even video montage, interviews and other stuff in live games should be changed.

That's all for now...I know I had something more in mind but just forgot about this..

[Hepcat]

Also players are selected usually from the best basketball schools where there are some good talents but they even don't think that some other basketball schools have as much talented players, too...simply those schools/academies don't have so much talented players, tho. But that shouldn't be the case.

What are some of the other basketball schools/academies in lithuania besides the Šarūnas Marčiulionis Basketball Academy in Vilnius and the Arvydas Sabonis Basketball School in Kaunas?

[sagenas]

What are some of the other basketball schools/academies in lithuania besides the Šarūnas Marčiulionis Basketball Academy in Vilnius and the Arvydas Sabonis Basketball School in Kaunas?

Besides those basketball schools, coaches may include some players from Knašius basketball school (Klaipėda)...but Lithuania has many basketball schools, kids play in every city, town, village. I can say that many guys in little villages play basketball much better than part of those kids who are used to go to basketball school.

[hustlerlt]

I'm no expert in Lithuanian basketball but from what I have noticed, the Lithuanian basketball program needs to work on finding and developing a few excellent level caliber of point guards (aka....Jasikevičius 2.0 ).

It's easier said than done though... And if Lithuania doesn't have the right program to do so they can emulate other countries programs that have successfully been able to produce the best point guards... I don't know whether Jasikevičius and Pocius playing in the U.S has helped them develop their ball handling skills and had they stayed in Lithuania would they have become the players that they are...

I absolutely agree with you.I remember when I used to go to a basketball school,coaches spent a lot more time with taller players.As I've heard a lot from other people that used to play,or still play in different schools it's the same situation.Because of that we usually have pretty good front court players,but aside from Saras we don't have any good PG's.There's one PG that might become pretty good in Cizauskas,but we have to wait.

[sagenas]

NO ONE can teach to beat such a kind player like Jasikevičius. It have to be natural, you should naturally understand the game, feel that rhythm to be player like Šaras. But of course, coaches can help Lithuanian basketball to provide good point guards who can play sets very well but I admire only those play-makers whose creativity and court vision are very good. The most beautiful episode in basketball is perfect pass.

[madmax]

Simple - all of our recent NT struggles stem from the lack of quality point guards. We are never short of playing schemes and offensive sets, but our downfall is lack of proper skilled little guys to implement those sets. Sharas was one of many, who managed to break through and become one of the best FIBA guards at a time. Right now we are screwed in this position and our main PG is combo player with poor ballhandling skills...that is just pathetic for a country like us. Something needs to change in this regard - small talented kids should be encouraged to attend basketball schools instead of sending them to play football (this was the case when I was a kid at least, since coaches weren't even interested in short guys and their development).

Another big issue is lack of individually strong players. Sometimes I wish our players were worse team players and more selfish ballhogs instead, because usually when the going gets tough and other elite team figures you out, we have nowhere to run and turnovers start to pile up in huge amounts. This is the exact reason why last years team was so succesfull and why this years NT will eventually fall - there's no lead guy, who can handle the ball and create the shot for himself consistently. Valanciunas will be that guy in the future, but right now coach doesn't trust in him yet. And oters are simply too mediocre for this level.

[Crazy Fan From Idaho]

More Sabonis sons!!!????!!!!

Do you realize I have been waiting for the current ones to grow up ever since Arvydas left Portland????? I don't think I'd live long enough for another set to reach BB age.

BTW.....His daughter is gorgeous!!! I saw pictures of her with Arvydas and Ingrida in Portland this week.....what a beautiful young lady! And 6' 5".....looks like she could help with the 3rd generation of the Sabonis family. I am trying to remember when she was born. Anyone know how old she is now?

Okay, back to real discussion of Lith BB.....

Janis

[Hepcat]

BTW.....His daughter is gorgeous!!! I saw pictures of her with Arvydas and Ingrida in Portland this week.....what a beautiful young lady! And 6' 5".....looks like she could help with the 3rd generation of the Sabonis family. I am trying to remember when she was born. Anyone know how old she is now?

Hmmmmm. Only 6' 5" you say? Maybe she can be the Lithuanian national team's point guard of the future.

[Test]

I think the biggest problem is that basketball school ignores short players, like they have no potential. I remember I was like 14 and wanted to apply to basketball school. I was 175cm at the time and they told me "Fcuk off You short bastard"... In Philippines I would be considering rebounding devil at this height and in Lithuania they told me You need to be at least 180cm to apply.

This is definitely a huge problem with Point guards... first of all PG's usually are short and second of all I think there no technique in Lithuanian basketball schools to raise a good Point guards. The one and only high level PG ever played in Lithuanian NT is Jasikevicius and he learned many things in USA. The second one Stasauskas (or Strasauskas) ended his career due to injury. All others are just SG's or even SF's who are/was forced to play as PG's.

And the worst thing that there is nothing good in young generation. Sharas will be retired soon, and we will be left with Kalnietis, who is sometimes good and sometimes horrible. Peciukevicius, Cizauskas, Kelys, Vasiliauskas and others like to drink alcohol more than become a good players. I remember first headline about them, it was like "Peciukevicius and Vasiliauskas - there is a new replacement for Sharas" - I was very happy to hear about that. But then they went to zalgiris...

The good thing is that maybe there are some players in NCAA who are now stepping in Sharas' footsteps!

[sagenas]

I think the biggest problem is that basketball school ignores short players, like they have no potential. I remember I was like 14 and wanted to apply to basketball school. I was 175cm at the time and they told me "Fcuk off You short bastard"... In Philippines I would be considering rebounding devil at this height and in Lithuania they told me You need to be at least 180cm to apply.

This is definitely a huge problem with Point guards... first of all PG's usually are short and second of all I think there no technique in Lithuanian basketball schools to raise a good Point guards. The one and only high level PG ever played in Lithuanian NT is Jasikevicius and he learned many things in USA. The second one Stasauskas (or Strasauskas) ended his career due to injury. All others are just SG's or even SF's who are/was forced to play as PG's.

And the worst thing that there is nothing good in young generation. Sharas will be retired soon, and we will be left with Kalnietis, who is sometimes good and sometimes horrible. Peciukevicius, Cizauskas, Kelys, Vasiliauskas and others like to drink alcohol more than become a good players. I remember first headline about them, it was like "Peciukevicius and Vasiliauskas - there is a new replacement for Sharas" - I was very happy to hear about that. But then they went to zalgiris...

The good thing is that maybe there are some players in NCAA who are now stepping in Sharas' footsteps!

Too bad none of them are point guards (well, Bareika can play PG and Chattanooga's coach wants to see him as PG)..but there are some PG players in HS.

[Straight forward]

Continuing PG issue I would notice Lithuania never had world class PG till Jasikevičius. Marčiulionis was so good that he filled the entire backourt of Sabas' era, but he wasn't PG In other words, young kids had no idols there. Lithuanian BB schools should really work here, maybe to invite some coaches who work individually with point guards. Lithuania proved enough they have no preparation for point guards

On other hand, developing is only a tool, you also need material to make something good. You can't build world class PG from any material, it has to be special.

On other hand, I started pretty much similar thread 3 years ago when all Lithuanian BB elite was announcing the crisis of Lith BB and the lack of talent. Now I would say situation is way brighter Lithuanian BB is not in the bad situation.

[Hepcat]

Does any country in Europe consistently produce point guards? Or is the lack of point guards common to all European basketball?

[vaslover]

Continuing PG issue I would notice Lithuania never had world class PG till Jasikevičius. Marčiulionis was so good that he filled the entire backourt of Sabas' era, but he wasn't PG In other words, young kids had no idols there. Lithuanian BB schools should really work here, maybe to invite some coaches who work individually with point guards. Lithuania proved enough they have no preparation for point guards

On other hand, developing is only a tool, you also need material to make something good. You can't build world class PG from any material, it has to be special.

On other hand, I started pretty much similar thread 3 years ago when all Lithuanian BB elite was announcing the crisis of Lith BB and the lack of talent. Now I would say situation is way brighter Lithuanian BB is not in the bad situation.

IMHO, situation with Lithuanian talents not so bright as you mention in your post. Lithuania has unique Valanciunas, great talent Motejunas and already is not so young Gecevicius. The other such talents as Redikas, Cizauskas and for example, Pukis are still quite crude boys, And there is no guarantee that they will be top players in the future european basketball.
Btw, the performance of Youth Lithuanians teams (u16,u18 and u20) in this summer,IMHO, does not give such optimistic hopes and bright future...