Lithuanians in NBA

[Linas Kreiza]

Domas lacks physicallity, cannot jump, cannot block or rebound the way his dad could, but still has a Sabonis' head on his shoulders, he's one of the best passing bigs ever, his team is the third seed in the west. Him and coach Brown has lifted the team up from complete shit to shinning stars. You can't take that away. He's a big star, a third time all-star. We will see what life brings for him in the future, but he is still young. And Dirk was not an Olympic champion at age 17 like his dad. Sure, Domas won't be his dad ever, but he will achieve more in NBA than his dad because he's only coming to his prime and he will be spending that time in NBA. Sure, anything can happen, but let's hope for the best.

[Straight forward]

Physicality is the last thing in the world Domas is lacking He may be the fittest and strongest individual in entire league. He literally moves much bigger people out of his way because he is naturally tough as bull/ox and built himself a ripped body which he takes care of with great working ethics (eating right, sleeping right, working out right). He's playing a bully ball and has no issues push around whatever the dude he likes.

Domas main issues is that he lacks a degree of smoothness/skill. If he had a bit more of Pau Gasol's smoothness/shooting touch from perimter...Game's over. It's like bully Domas matched with the Pau's skills, probably would be the best big in the game, not 3rd best like now. Domas is putting pretty close numbers to Jokic because his motor is much higher than Jokic's while Jokic is more talented and has softer hands. If you put Sabonis and Jokic on sheer bruising under the boards dog fight, Domas would finish him. Sabonis is the best at bully ball in the NBA basically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqbA7Bhu7gM&ab_channel=BKHoops

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uEpXb9Q9mnk

[Serbian_Layup]

Physicality is the last thing in the world Domas is lacking He may be the fittest and strongest individual in entire league. He literally moves much bigger people out of his way because he is naturally tough as bull/ox and built himself a ripped body which he takes care of with great working ethics (eating right, sleeping right, working out right). He's playing a bully ball and has no issues push around whatever the dude he likes.

Domas main issues is that he lacks a degree of smoothness/skill. If he had a bit more of Pau Gasol's smoothness/shooting touch from perimter...Game's over. It's like bully Domas matched with the Pau's skills, probably would be the best big in the game, not 3rd best like now. Domas is putting pretty close numbers to Jokic because his motor is much higher than Jokic's while Jokic is more talented and has softer hands. If you put Sabonis and Jokic on sheer bruising under the boards dog fight, Domas would finish him. Sabonis is the best at bully ball in the NBA basically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqbA7Bhu7gM&ab_channel=BKHoops

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uEpXb9Q9mnk

Sabonis is having a career year, but when it comes to sheer strength, size, bully ball combination, no one can compare to Jokić right now, and it's probably not even close.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jnX0w30eMZk

[Straight forward]

Sabonis is having a career year, but when it comes to sheer strength, size, bully ball combination, no one can compare to Jokić right now, and it's probably not even close.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jnX0w30eMZk

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hYaCZlCsCG0

[Serbian_Layup]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hYaCZlCsCG0

I'm not saying Sabonis is not strong, but right now in the NBA the most brutal matchup for anyone in the low post is Jokić. Adams and Ayton are probably the best post defenders in the league and among the strongest players, but Jokić is continously throwing them around like they are nothing. He is just different than anyone else right now. Nothing to take away from Sabonis though, he is good.

[Straight forward]

I'm not saying Sabonis is not strong, but right now in the NBA the most brutal matchup for anyone in the low post is Jokić. Adams and Ayton are probably the best post defenders in the league and among the strongest players, but Jokić is continously throwing them around like they are nothing. He is just different than anyone else right now. Nothing to take away from Sabonis though, he is good.

Likely. It's hard to measure and you seen Jokic more. My thesis was developing around the fact that Domas is surely stronger than his size suggests and without a single doubt is much more ripped than Jokic, even if he lost his junky food ways recently. Size is size though, so you probably correct. But I've got an impression that Sabonis is playing more expressed bully ball while Jokic still comes up with much more skill. And Sabonis has obviously more of a posterizing/aggressive style. Jokic always looked like chilled and doing it with lazy grace :

https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1614790381803311105

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1597429630247784449

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqAvJ9Jr6Y0&ab_channel=Robin%27YourHood

[Serbian_Layup]

Likely. It's hard to measure and you seen Jokic more. My thesis was developing around the fact that Domas is surely stronger than his size suggests and without a single doubt is much more ripped than Jokic, even if he lost his junky food ways recently. Size is size though, so you probably correct. But I've got an impression that Sabonis is playing more expressed bully ball while Jokic still comes up with much more skill. And Sabonis has obviously more of a posterizing/aggressive style. Jokic always looked like chilled and doing it with lazy grace :

https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1614790381803311105

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1597429630247784449

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqAv...bin%27YourHood

People not being ripped doesn't mean they are not strong. Ayton for example is very ripped and still can't do much vs Jokić in the post. Same goes for Adams and basically anyone else. I can tell you this, Jokić is top 3 most ready and in shape guys in entire league, without any muscle definition. With Jokić it's about brute strength and size combined with uniqu skill set. That's why he might end up with third MVP in a row.

[Straight forward]

People not being ripped doesn't mean they are not strong. Ayton for example is very ripped and still can't do much vs Jokić in the post. Same goes for Adams and basically anyone else. I can tell you this, Jokić is top 3 most ready and in shape guys in entire league, without any muscle definition. With Jokić it's about brute strength and size combined with uniqu skill set. That's why he might end up with third MVP in a row.

Well, they are both beasts. Jokic is at another level, but it's interesting that Sabonis reached pre-MVP Jokic stat lines and level. Jokic did this being 24, Sabonis did it being 26. But there guys making good point that knowing Sabonis (genes) and his terrific working ethics/diet/routine Sabonis may be working on his progress for many years. Interesting how far can he reach. "Diet Jokic" also sound spot on, specially compared to first seasons of Jokic

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/zsfdb9/sabonis_is_crazy_similar_to_premvp_jokic_in_terms/

[Serbian_Layup]

Well, they are both beasts. Jokic is at another level, but it's interesting that Sabonis reached pre-MVP Jokic stat lines and level. Jokic did this being 24, Sabonis did it being 26. But there guys making good point that knowing Sabonis (genes) and his terrific working ethics/diet/routine Sabonis may be working on his progress for many years. Interesting how far can he reach. "Diet Jokic" also sound spot on, specially compared to first seasons of Jokic

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comment...okic_in_terms/

I don't know if this is the best version of Sabonis or whether he can keep improving, difficult to judge. In terms of physical shape and considering his size, he probably won't get better than this, which means the next level for him is expanding his skill set. It's difficult to significantly get better in that age, but it's probably possible to improve some aspects like shooting. Anyway, playoffs is what matters the most and where you can judge how good anyone is.

[Shawshank]

best 5 lithuanians seasons in nba

1991/1992 S.Marciulionis 18,9pts (26th in entire league)
1997/1998 A.Sabonis 16,0pts (37th in entire league)
2002/2003 Z.Ilgauskas 17,2pts (39th in entire league)
2021/2022 J.Valanciunas 17,8pts (38th in entire league)
2022/2023 D. Sabonis 18,8pts (50th in entire league)


stats inflation we can see here year by year

But what is most interesting big stat inflation happend in stats comparing 2022 season to 2023 season

in 2022/2023 season 9 players are averaging 29,5pts 9 diffrent players ( thats never happend before in 70+ seasons)

in 2021/2022 season only 2 players averaged 29,5pts per game

[LuDux]

Currently Kings lead NBA with 119,2 ppg, 91/92 Warriors lead league with 118,7

[Straight forward]

The League should emancipate defenders. Defenders respect the space too much cause they avoid personal fouls. More action should be allowed to defenders.

[Straight forward]

Lithuania in 90's had 3 NBA players. Sabonis, Marciulionis, Ilgauskas. (to current fashion, Karnisovas was also NBA player, but he never played)

In 00's at 2005-2006 we had 7 Lithuanians, but Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Darius Songaila, Martynas Andriuškevičius, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Linas Kleiza, Arvydas Macijauskas. But Andriuskevicius was trash and Macijauskas benched. Jasikevicius didn't have much of career either.

So basically in 00's we had Kleiza and Songaila as serious long term NBA players (I think Stombergas and Siskauskas could be in, and if that was today they would, but never stepped on NBA court nevertheless).

In 10's we had 3 NBA players: Valanciunas, Motiejunas, Sabonis. Kuzminskas showed up for one streaky season and then went back to Europe. Only fragmentaly Brazdeikis seen some action (just as Sirvydis, Kulboka as well).

So generally speaking, we have like 2-3 players in the NBA as average.

So what 20's will bring?

There's no doubt Buzelis is an ultimate NBA project. He'll be in the league. I tend to think that Tubelis will have an NBA career as a role player. Bench player, but should find a spot, I think. Then there's three names that I can see as potentially landing there. Already drafted Jokubaitis. Even though I think his game suits EL and FIBA better. In 2024 or 2025 may be drafted Murauskas, and I kinda tend to think that he might have a long term career. And the last is - Indrusaitis. Athletic, versatile, three level scoring SG. (I don't think Kulboka, Brazdeikis, Sirvydis (all drafted), Rubstavicius, Sedekerskis (mentioned as NBA prospecst) will make it).

How do you think? Is Murauskas gonna be an NBA player?

[Hepcat]

Have you given up on Simas Lukošius as a Lithuanian or just as an NBA player?

[Straight forward]

Have you given up on Simas Luko?ius as a Lithuanian or just as an NBA player?

The latter. I don't think he's an NBA player, more like EL player.