Kaunas Zalgiris Thread

[Svajunas]

DGP? Gross Domestic Product?

Exactly. The club is so big here in Kaunas. On home games we have 14-15k people going out and spending cash. Some go straight after work to pubs for a meal and then head to the games. Basicly on those days it's tough to find free table in restaurants, etc.
So whatever Zalgiris is getting from goverment, it raises quite more with taxes.

[LuDux]

Zalgiris gets over 300

Pfft, Dzukija got 500

[edvinas9]

Urbodo just announced that Tyler Cavanaugh to Zalgiris is already a done deal. Any thoughts about him? I remember him playing for ALBA last season, but nothing specifically that would indicate that he could be at least an average EL-caliber player. His stats in CL and ACB ain't seem to be impressive either. Is he even capable of playing decent defense? Although, he used to play under Schiller's supervision in G-League so maybe he knows what he's getting after all.

[Svajunas]

Not impressed at all. Vasturia level of talent.

[Straight forward]

Jokubaitis out, Westermann in? Oh, boy...

[LuDux]

Not impressed at all. Vasturia level of talent.

I feel sorry for Vasturia, they took combo guard and used him as SF

[auris1]

I feel sorry for Vasturia, they took combo guard and used him as SF

I am with you on this . I not sure what went wrong there , and although i have neither technical nor inside knowledge regarding him , only on a fan level I dare say that he was at the same level as Walkup once they came to the team.
But alas , Saras was not there to develop him . Martin had given him plenty of chances , yes , but without much guidance for the future . And once he got injured and team started winning without him, well , that's sucks .
He seems like a decent lad , whatever happens to him in the future i wish him luck .
But is there a chance that he can make a leap after this season ? I doubt it

[auris1]

Yeah, I hate to hear that Jokubaitis really can leave, I hope he himself will express the wish to stay and would collect his 25min in Zalgiris next season. He's de facto franchise player, the reason why neutral fans as myself turn on Zalgiris games. Good luck for Walkup in Milan, to me it was always love and hate relationships...

Deep inside , probably ! , we can all agree that his future lies elsewhere . He would be better off in safe hands of Saras in Barca in a long term , regarding our NT team as well that would be beneficial too.

Walkup- i have to flip them

love and hate relationships

. Dislike and disbelieve first , love came later .

Also ,Westermann is in ? I would love to have him even he is here to get another contract and we to get another buy out . Pocius did it . This guy can do it as many times as he wishes

[Straight forward]

Deep inside , probably ! , we can all agree that his future lies elsewhere . He would be better off in safe hands of Saras in Barca in a long term , regarding our NT team as well that would be beneficial too.

Not sure about it. For very young Jokubaitis it was brilliant scenario to be guided by Saras in Zalgiris and get some chance here and there, including more freedom in the LKL. Now he needs to play, it's enough to ride the bench, serious minutes is a must. Saras is so preoccupied with winning that sometimes, IMO, he forgets that there's more chances to win a basketball game when you play basketball than proceeding some dead, heartless and stagnant...whatever...whatever he calls it, but my eyes bled watching first 4 games of Barsa in PO. If that was CSKA, Efes, Milan, Saras season would be over, IMO. Hopefully he learned and he gave more freedom to Baras in 5th game, but he is a system basketball freak and overdo with it. In other words, I believe that now messing around and having a lot of freedom to operate is more convenient for Jokubaitis.

The assumption is that Saras will us him at 1 and it fits better Lith NT interest. But, first, we don't know if Saras will actually do that (maybe he will be throwing him at 1/2 as Schiller did) and we don't know if Schiller wouldn't use Jokubaitis at 1 more in upcoming season (he does out him at 1 in LKL often).

Anyway, Jokubaitis has 2 terrific choices and likely 3rd if he somehow gets drafted in the first round, but I believe staying in Zalgiris is the best.

Now, Westermann...The guy who barely could play in 2018/2019 already, had lesser season that Jokubaitis did this year, then was no-body in Fener and Barsa, has crippled feet work and basically all body, inconsistent as hell. I love his decision making, that's the only thing where is good now, but that doesn't mean he's anything more than mediocre, injury prone dude. While Zalgiris will let go their super talent, the one who would be legitimate force with already even stronger legs and arms, one of the key forces of perimeter presence. Westermann instead of Jokubaitis is basically a spit to the face and Zalgiris can only justify it by economical crisis.

[LuDux]

Looks like it will be unnoficial Jokubaitis for Westerman and cash.

[auris1]

Westermann instead of Jokubaitis is basically a spit to the face and Zalgiris can only justify it by economical crisis.

Extremely harsh description . Spiting is heinous ,not less so comparing to some trade rumours .

Common man , all this and you are not even Zalgiris .

[edvinas9]

Feeling bad for Jokubaitis.

[Mindozas]

Zalgiris gets over 300k. (and it may increase) injection from the government due to the damages covid causes. What other LKL clubs think about that? What kind of competition it is?

3 of other clubs, including Rytas, didn't even apply to get it, cause municipalities are their big shareholder
3 clubs weren't able to sent all the required docs.. doh
2 didn't meet the required criteria

Bloody Zalgiris

Talking about rumors, Jokubaitis leaving hurts a bit, but if kid wants to go, let him leave. Going to Saras might be not the worst solution for him, for Lith basketball as a whole. Moreover, next summer he would leave for free, we won't get anything, now 350k, Westermann for peanuts and some % of possible NBA buy-out. I'm ok with that.

Now backcourt might in theory look like this

Leo, J.Smith
xxx, Lukas, Dimsa

Leo is a save choice, guy knows it all here, we know him, great teammate, decent at p'n'r, which is needed, runs the floor well
J.Smith, who is close according to some sources, would be very intriguing name. Profile of some Pierria Henry, a bit of Walkup. Guy can defend well from 1 to 3, can create, score, can be a leader, clutch, a bit inconsistent shooter. If it will take for him to adjust, there's Leo to back up. I think he deserves a shot.
Lukas must stay now if Rokas will go. Simply cause we need good level Liths. Give him that extra cash he asks and some 2+1 deal
Dimsa or some Normantas could be good for the bench and mostly for LKL games
Some Velicka could be an option as Lith, but again, I see very little chances for that to happen cause he is seeking guaranteed minutes
Most intriguing thing is sub for Grigonis. Javonte Green is on my wishlist as I wrote some time ago, but kinda long shot. Lately I thought about Erick Green as much more possible option. Should be affordable, a player who can do good in mid-level EL club like Zalgiris. Pretty much like he did in Valencia few years ago. Struggled with Zeljko, but Schiller's style would be way more suitable. Great scorer, good court vision, not bad at defense, could go somewhere close to Grigonis stats IMO

Not high on Cavanaugh rumors tho. Was afraid it might happen as he did really good under Schiller in G-League. But he is not impressive in Europe. He has skills, but needs to be much more aggressive, clean his head a bit, maybe Schiller could wake him up. Could only justify this signing only if one more PF will be added

[Straight forward]

Jaleen Smith as a reliable defender with more offense compared to Walkup might be a nice sub for the same Walkup. On other hand, the transition to EL is always at question. Vasturia also kicked some ass in German league prior Zalgiris. Smith wouldn't be as bad off course, as his agility is up to EL level and intensity, (IMO, one of the main reasons why Vasturia sucked in EL, he was always half a step late and lacked a bit of sharpness and explosiveness to actually make it, not mentioning other things) but with such signing there's always certain gamble. Saras, IMO, is genius for such Zalgiris farm, he probably could make Vasturia look far more better in EL, but now when he's gone there's much more risk with such fishing from lower leagues.

[Mindozas]

Jaleen Smith as a reliable defender with more offense compared to Walkup might be a nice sub for the same Walkup. On other hand, the transition to EL is always at question. Vasturia also kicked some ass in German league prior Zalgiris. Smith wouldn't be as bad off course, as his agility is up to EL level and intensity, (IMO, one of the main reasons why Vasturia sucked in EL, he was always half a step late and lacked a bit of sharpness and explosiveness to actually make it, not mentioning other things) but with such signing there's always certain gamble. Saras, IMO, is genius for such Zalgiris farm, he probably could make Vasturia look far more better in EL, but now when he's gone there's much more risk with such fishing from lower leagues.

Well, regarding Vasturia, he was brought as a combo by Saras. I guess the idea was to make him smth like Westermann was - a tall creative PG, who can play easily as SG too. But it all turned out hellish for Steve - Saras left, new coach came with different vision, Garino injuries and here we have him as SF in EL. Newbie, out of position. Pretty much destined for failure. I still think that he is surely better than he was this season, but under Schiller there's no place for him.

With Saras gone, of course risk is much higher, cause he was a bball freak, who was scouting it all by himself. Schiller is hardworker too, but his knowledge of European bball scene is surely much smaller. Anyway, regarding Jaleen Smith I'm quite positive cause Schiller was working in Ludwigsburg with their current coach for few years, so he gets first hand info from his friend and overall Smith gets very good reviews from German bball scene, where Schiller should have lot of sources.
But at the same time if Schiller lacks knowledge and he will try to bring only players he knows personally we might be in trouble with guys like Cavanaugh. It reminds a bit of Rytas and Kairys earlier this season, when latter durin the season was bringing players he coached, but most of them were simply too poor for required level. Hope I'm wrong here