Top Lithuanian Coaches

[Saip]

How someone like saras who has less than 5 year coach experience could be nt coach? Maksvytis and Kurtinaitis are real coaches with experience!

[Straight forward]

But the situation with coaches is terrible, let's agree. One coach who is really special coaching EL's club. Kazlauskas is working in China almost all his career...Kurtinaitis seen only few years of El's team. No-one else is even close to Euroleague's team. Situation with coaches in Lithuania is nearly terrible, IMO. And do we really have solid option for the NT aside Kazlauskas and Saras? IMO, we barely do...

[Straight forward]

Congrats to Maksvytis stepping up. He signed with "Parma". Hopefully he will continue to improve because I think he has some talent as a coach. Aside Jasikevicius, it's only him as promising coach, IMO. The lack of young talented coaches in Lithuania is huge.

[Mindozas]

Congrats to Maksvytis stepping up. He signed with "Parma". Hopefully he will continue to improve because I think he has some talent as a coach. Aside Jasikevicius, it's only him as promising coach, IMO. The lack of young talented coaches in Lithuania is huge.

Donaldas Kairys had amazing run in VTB with Kalev. Young, talented coach for sure

[Straight forward]

Donaldas Kairys had amazing run in VTB with Kalev. Young, talented coach for sure

Good point. Do you have any ideas about his style, advantages, ect.?

[LuDux]

Congrats to Maksvytis stepping up.

Not sure about that. Parma are planning to be as good as Kalev next year?

[Straight forward]

Not sure about that. Parma are planning to be as good as Kalev next year?

I think they are about to rise their budged. But generally he'll coach competitive foreign club in a really competitive leagues. That's surely a step forward, IMO, experience wise alone, surely.

[Mindozas]

Good point. Do you have any ideas about his style, advantages, ect.?

I saw few games only. He tried to play fast paced game, transition, with lot of ball movement, lot of shooting. Offense at times looked really decent for that level

[LuDux]

I think they are about to rise their budged. But generally he'll coach competitive foreign club in a really competitive leagues. That's surely a step forward, IMO, experience wise alone, surely.

Experience of playing 4 regular season games against EL teams instead of playing 4 regular season games against EL team

[Straight forward]

Speaking about young coaches, I think we should start talking about Zydrunas Urbonas as a coach with some potential. He's only 42yo and he has been building his name with Uventus for quite some time now. IMO, his carriage shows he has ambitions, he wants to learn, he is very outspoken, strong, flexible personality. Juventus is probably overachieving for quite some time now in LKL and they gave a heck of a fight for Rytas quite few years in a row now. Other thing, some player have been growing nicely under him, not only Dovis Bickauskas, but specially Geben. His improvement is impressive (and I think now even of Kavaliauskas applies for the NT, Geben can compete for the spot). I can't say much about his tactics, decision making, other aspects as a coach as I don't follow Juventus closely, but can surely see him coaching Rytas or Neptunas one day and maybe even reaching higher level.

The way I see young coaches hierarchy of Lithuania today:

1. Jasikevicius
2. Maksvytis.
3. Adomaitis
4. Kairys.
5. Urbonas.

[Mindozas]

It's Jasikevicius and others. If to select 2nd place, I'd go with Kairys, probably cause I've seen too much of Maksvytis and Adomaitis and don't find any of them too talented to go far as a coaches. I mean coaching some EL club one day on regular basis. Not Rytas or Neptunas there. Kairys is a bit of mystery, but this season he did great with Kalev in strong VTB league. 3rd would be Adomaitis, this season he kicked Maksvytis ass in all decisive games between Rytas and Neptunas, it wasn't even close in any. Won Lith Cup.

[LuDux]

No fans of Gediminas Petrauskas?

[Straight forward]

It's Jasikevicius and others. If to select 2nd place, I'd go with Kairys, probably cause I've seen too much of Maksvytis and Adomaitis and don't find any of them too talented to go far as a coaches. I mean coaching some EL club one day on regular basis. Not Rytas or Neptunas there. Kairys is a bit of mystery, but this season he did great with Kalev in strong VTB league. 3rd would be Adomaitis, this season he kicked Maksvytis ass in all decisive games between Rytas and Neptunas, it wasn't even close in any. Won Lith Cup.

Agreed basically, I simply don't have a picture if Kairys. But I like what I see in this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbvIOo3U5pY The only obvious issue I have even not knowing him well, he seems to be a calm, polite, introverted guy. Wouldn't he be lacking bigger guts? He is certainly gives an effort which shows dedication and ambition, but he's still obviously more of a tender, delicate temper man which might be a problem here and there - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqG7o3TY0G4

Adomaitis has a right personality and mental toughness to handle pressure, but so far he has been very conservative and limited tactics wise. He want to fundamental and very simple basketball, but it's not the right direction. Today's BB is all about high IQ tactics, little details, and Jasikevicius' success proves that, he's all about that.

Maksvytis has more talent, IMO, and makes more adjustments to the game, but his personality is not strong enough for him to coach EL club one day, IMO.

Urbonas, IMO, has the right mentality and personality. The question is how much he can learn and how talented he actually is.

No fans of Gediminas Petrauskas?

I'm not convinced. Do you?

[LuDux]

I'm not convinced. Do you?

Well, PŽ made 12/15 run in the middle of the season, including 2 wins against NP, which is good and then lost 9 and both QF games, which is bad. Still finished above Urbonas.


He's also 8-11 years older than your top5

[Straight forward]

He's also 8-11 years older than your top5

That's the strongest part of your post, IMO. Time will tell. I'm not sold on his personality though. He has a shadow of "Vingiu Jonas" to me, specially when he was really chubby. Even now he's a guy with full cheeks, who resembles more of some milk's company manager than a guy who can go deep into coach career. To me, high quality coaches should have some class as personalities, some elegancy.